no - only areas that might need attention are feet and poss behind the ears if go into a small tangle with all the patting they get. Maybe only every 6 months.The flag at the end of the tail can do with being shortened every year too - hold the tail,get all the hair pointing towards the end, twirl the hair at the end round a few times and just cut it - no great need to shape it or trim under the tail as you would do with a show cocker unless you feel like it - I like a bit of a flag anyway - a dead give away if someone is trying to get down a rabbit hole
I never brush mine either as they dont need it to be honest. They are through so many bushes and usually bathed quite often as in ponds etc so I suppose the shampooing etc masages the skin and any hairs come out that way - not a lot of hair to lose though
Not saying that goes for everyones dogs though!!Liver and blacks sometimes can do with a finger and thumb pluck - usually on top of head and sometimes on the thigh - alt a coat king or a small stripping knife and thumb does the job nicely.
A spayed or castrated dog is a different matter though as in common with most gundogs, the coat texture will alter unfortunately.
