3 Keys to Keeping a Beautiful Collie ( )

3 Keys to Keeping a Beautiful Collie

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By definition, the Collie (rough) has a long shaggy coat with dense inner layer of fur, and the smooth collie has a short coat. While grooming a collie does not require huge amounts of time, if neglected it can turn into a nightmare on a rough coat. A great coat that is thoroughly maintained not only looks beautiful on the magnificent collie, but it cuts down on shedding. (Surprisingly, owners report that the smooth collie tends to shed the most!)

There are 3 main keys to keeping a collie well-groomed:

Cleaning (Bathing, teeth brushing, ear cleaning)
Coat Detailing (Brushing, clipping, detangling)
Maintenance

CLEANING: Conventional folklore has taught us that dogs should only be bathed once a year or less. Others today take it to the extreme and say bathing should be done weekly. Neither of the two are quite correct. You should bath your collie only as often as is required, usually once every month or two - especially if they are housedogs and do not roam in the yard much. Bathing too often tends to dry out the skin and lead to rash or flaky skin.

You should be prepared with a leash, tub, running water with the ability to shut if off while scrubbing, tooth brush & doggy toothpaste (for mouth cleansing), cotton balls & q-tips (for cleaning ears and eye gunk), nail clippers, and scissors for impossible to remove knots. When swabbing out his ears, check for any parasites - and please do not go too deep as this could accidentally puncture an ear drum and lead to deafness! Before wetting the coat, ensure all tangles and mats are clipped out since they become almost impossible to remove from a rough collie coat when wet! You will also want to be sure to use a high quality shampoo and conditioner. Bathing is a great bonding time for you and your collie. Talk to him while washing - tell him what you are doing, how beautiful he looks, or just about your day. This will calm any nerves for both him and you as you share this special time with your companion.

Just like any breed of dog, collies must have their claws clipped regularly - and bath time is a great time to get this done. Puppies will need extra attention, since their claws are growing very quickly. Be careful not to clip the claws too closee to the quick, since it will bleed if cut (and cause a major trauma in both the dog and you!). It is also suggested that you clip the fur around the paws, the “booties”, and the fur in-between the underside of the toes, to make neat and more clean paws. An unclipped paw can track in a LOT of mud and dirt from the outside. Also, the tuft of fur between the back paw and the knee joint may be trimmed and neatened to your liking. For showing it is usually left relatively long, but trimmed even.

After bathing is done and all cleaning is completed, let him have a good shake (all dogs love this!), then towel dry as much as possible. For a rough collie, this would also be a good time to comb him with a wide tooth comb. Please no brushes though as that breaks the fur! Then, if you are not going to a competition in the next hour, just let him dry naturally. With a small puppy, after bathing they may become very cold and shiver uncontrollably, even in summer. Provide them with a warm place to stay, or cuddle them in their blanket until dry. You may use a hair dryer, although it will take several attempts to accustom your puppy to the sensation and noise.

BRUSHING: Once dry, use an ordinary dog brush or a long haired dog brush to go over the coat thoroughly. But, use only those brushes which have the tips of the teeth protected with a plastic knob or dot. The large, oval shaped headed brush with metal bristles tipped with plastic are wonderful. Brush the fur the opposite way to fluff it and remove all tangles, and then gently brush back down at the end. Ensure there are no knots, especially behind the ears, in the rough, under the arms or in the “skirts” (fur around the bottom).

Thorough brushing is typically required once every week, although a quick daily brush is great for bonding and keeping the shine. More frequent brushing ensures no large knots develop. If knots do occur try to work them out with a metal dog comb, or cut at them with thinning scissors and comb them out. You will want to remove knots as soon as they develop since a knot that is left alone will turn into a mat (felt-like ball of tangled fur that is nearly impossible to remove with cutting close to the skin). Collies regularly shed their coat each year, and will remain thinly coated through the hotter months. As winter approaches it will again thicken. Females will tend to lose at least some of their coat 2 - 3 months after each heat. When losing a coat, do not be concerned if chunks of loose fluffy undercoat come out when combed, or handfuls of long outer coat. They may lose huge amounts of their coat all at once (such as a full shopping bag), or hardly anything. It depends on the individual dog. While rough collies can use the same brushes and combs as the smooth, their longer fur sometimes calls for different grooming tools (such as a "rake"), which we will discuss in another article.

MAINTENANCE: The final step of grooming a collie involves maintenance. Did your collie walk outside in the rain today? Check his paws and give them a once-over with a rag. Check for spurs, ticks, fleas, and other parasites weekly (daily if you live near woods). Have yearly vet visits so the doctor can look at his eyes, skin, nose, ears, and other various body parts. Remember, grooming is not just about the pretty fur. Grooming is the overall upkeep of your collie - health, skin, & fur so that the can live a wonderfully happy life with their beloved owner.

In conclusion, if you are aiming at keeping a collie "looking" pretty, never neglect brushing - it is the single most important aspect of keeping a beautiful coat.