Grooming a Shetland Sheepdog is a simple and effective process that requires regular grooming. First, wet and shampoo the Shetland Sheepdog’s coat, avoiding sensitive areas like the eyes and ears. Rinse the shampoo out, then apply a light conditioner to smooth the coat without making it greasy. A monthly ear check and nail trim round out grooming needs for the Sheltie.
The key to success is regular maintenance, and professional groomers can help. Many of the techniques Michell talks about can easily cross-over into other breeds with similar coat types. In this two-part series, learn how to groom a Shetland Sheepdog for the dog show ring and for pets and couch lovers.
In this video, Jodi Murphy demonstrates how to groom the double-coated breed, also known as the Sheltie, using thinning shears for a beautiful natural appearance. Dry the coat with a power blower, brush the dog throughout the drying process with a pin brush, comb with a wide-toothed comb, check the dog’s nails, ears, and teeth, scissor-trim the Shetland’s hocks, and trim under the pads, between the toes.
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Which direction do you groom a dog?
Brush hair in the direction of growth. Start with a soft brush or wider tooth comb to loosen knots and debris in the coat. Then, if necessary, use a finer tooth comb to work through any more stubborn tangles. If your animal gets uncomfortable or stressed, stop. If you can’t untangle it, you can cut it. Use clippers or blunt-nosed scissors to break the tangle apart and trim it. Be careful not to touch the skin. If you’re unsure about trimming a tangle/matt safely or it’s close to the skin, it’s best to get help from a professional. Brush the dog’s body, and check between the toes, in and around the ears, and in hard-to-see places. This helps find problems early, like dirty ears, infection, parasites, mats, grass seeds, and any scratches, bumps, or lumps that need to be checked by your vet. You can also check your dog’s nails for length and health and decide if they need trimming. Ask your vet to show you how to clip your dog’s nails. They should be trimmed just before they touch the ground. If they touch the ground, they’re too long and need to be trimmed.
How to groom a sheepdog?
The Grooming Guide. The Old English sheepdog has a thick, rough outer coat and a soft undercoat to deal with extreme weather. This breed needs to be groomed every four weeks. Clean its ears, clip its nails, and trim its fur with dog clippers. Check its anal glands and make sure its coat and skin are clean. Brush your dog’s fur regularly to keep it looking good. Long, thick coats keep these sheepdogs warm in the winter and cool in the summer. If you shave your dog, it might be uncomfortable. If you clip a sheepdog’s fur, leave enough hair to cover its body. This helps regulate and maintain its body temperature. For a complete grooming session, follow the tips below:
Which direction should I brush my dog?
Brush in the direction the coat grows. Dogs don’t like to be brushed backwards. Be gentle or you may damage your dog’s coat by pulling and stretching hairs.
When shaving a dog, do you go up or down?
I’m just going to skim the fuss. She doesn’t have as much wet. Area. She’s clean now.
What is the correct head for a Sheltie?
A flat skull and well-filled muzzle with a slight stop is essential. The head should be a blunt wedge from the front. Too much depth makes the head look bad.
Should you cut a sheepdog’s hair?
A shorter coat makes maintenance easier. Any skin problems or growths can be seen and treated. Some Old English Sheepdogs need this more often because of skin problems or maintenance. In hot, humid climates, owners may choose to keep their dogs clipped year-round. Your sheepdog doesn’t have to be shaved. Some owners prefer to keep their dog’s hair long all year. If you want a dog with a full coat, you’ll need to groom it.
General physical exam; heartworm check (blood sample); internal parasite check (bring stool sample); distemper-hepatitis-leptospirosis-parainfluenza-parvo virus-vaccination; bordatella inoculation; rabies vaccination (may not be required every year); one-year supply of heartworm pills.
Most health problems that are caught in the early stages are easily treatable. Many kennels won’t accept a dog without a 2-week-old Bordatella immunization. If you live in a cold climate and plan to travel to a warm one with your dog during the winter, you may need to give your dog heartworm medicine all year. Ask your vet if you have any questions.
What is the best grooming for a Sheltie?
Brush Shelties at least once a week, more often during their twice-yearly coat blow-dry. Before brushing with a pin brush, mist the coat lightly with water. … Brush your Sheltie before bathing. … Brush in lines. Don’t shave your Sheltie! The hair will grow back differently. Your Sheltie’s double coat protects him from heat, cold, and moisture. You only need to shave your Sheltie if it has a skin infection. Grooming prevents skin infections and matting. Buy or make a grooming table. This will save your back! You can find grooming tables online. If you make your own table, make sure it’s covered with a non-slick pad. Use a rubber-backed bath mat. If your Sheltie develops mats, don’t cut them parallel to the skin. You can easily cut your dog. Use a mat-breaker or scissors pointed toward or perpendicular to the skin. Cut the mat once, then brush it out.
Can you cut a Shelties hair short?
Q: Do I need to shave my Sheltie in the summer? A: It’s not a good idea to shave a Shetland sheepdog. Their double coat protects them from the sun. A shorter haircut like a sport cut or puppy cut will keep them cool and comfortable during hot weather.
Final Thoughts. Choosing the right haircut for your Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie) is a complex decision. It involves taking into consideration various factors such as lifestyle, coat condition, climate, and grooming skills. Think about your Sheltie’s personality when choosing a style and look into different haircuts to find the best one for them. No matter what, your Sheltie will still be the cutest dog in the world. Is this right?
See also: 15 Amazing Sheltie Colors.
How do you groom a dog for beginners?
Brush, bathe, and dry your dog. Use shears or clippers to trim hair covering the eyes, private parts, and between paw pads. A number 10 blade is best for delicate areas.
Should a Sheltie be shaved?
The topcoat is made of tough guard hairs that don’t shed much. These protect your Sheltie from the sun and bugs. The topcoat insulates the dog from the heat. Don’t shave your Sheltie! Don’t shave your Sheltie! It’s a mistake to think you’re helping your dog stay cool, especially in summer. Evolution has provided them with what they need to survive. If you shave them, you could hurt them. Dogs don’t cool themselves through their skin. Their paws sweat. They cool themselves by panting. Another reason people shave their Sheltie is because they think it will stop the dog from shedding. Dogs with undercoats always shed. Even after a shave, the dog will still shed. Another reason is that it will grow back. Sometimes it will, but maybe not, or it may look different. The older the dog, the less likely the topcoat will grow back. This leaves them with an undercoat and a scruffy look. It can change the dog’s coat. It looks bad and you might have to shave it often. You’ve taken away their natural protection.
Should I cut my Shelties hair in the summer?
The topcoat is made of tough guard hairs that don’t shed much. These protect your Sheltie from the sun and bugs. The topcoat insulates the dog from the heat. Don’t shave your Sheltie! Don’t shave your Sheltie! It’s a mistake to think you’re helping your dog stay cool, especially in summer. Evolution has provided them with what they need to survive. If you shave them, you could hurt them. Dogs don’t cool themselves through their skin. Their paws sweat. They cool themselves by panting. Another reason people shave their Sheltie is because they think it will stop the dog from shedding. Dogs with undercoats always shed. Even after a shave, the dog will still shed. Another reason is that it will grow back. Sometimes it will, but maybe not, or it may look different. The older the dog, the less likely the topcoat will grow back. This leaves them with an undercoat and a scruffy look. It can change the dog’s coat. It looks bad and you might have to shave it often. You’ve taken away their natural protection.
How should a Sheltie be groomed?
How to groom your Sheltie: 1. Remove loose undercoat. The best way to groom a Sheltie’s undercoat is to brush it. Step 2: Comb the Fur. … Step 3: Trim any mats. Step 4: Brush the rough outer coat. Shelties have double coats that need grooming. Here’s a guide to de-shedding, brushing, and trimming your Sheltie’s paws and claws.
How to Groom Your Sheltie. Here are the main areas of tangling and shedding. A deep groom plus paws and claws will take about an hour.
The main areas of your Sheltie’s tangles and shedding.
📹 Dog Show Grooming: How to Groom a Shetland Sheepdog
In this two part series, learn how to groom a Shetland Sheepdog from Jackie Parisek. In this episode she shares how to groom a …
Several of the steps on this article go against what most breeders and multiple Sheltie owners believe should be part of the groom, and they are very robust about how the coat should groomed. However, this type of groom is very practical. I had a show groomer do this type of trim at my request and it grew out in a few months without any ill effects.
I just hope you ask each client if they want their shelties to be trimmed! Personally, I would be horrified if any of my shelties came back to me looking like this. Each owner is different of course. But, I have heard too many stories of shelties coming back from the groomer being trimmed like this and the owner was totally unaware this would happen. I just love their thick and luscious coats!
I groom my own sheltie and do a lot of similar things. I still cannot make up my mind how to do the “gouchos” as we call his rear leg fur. Shelties are tricky and yah, you are not shooting for show dog style which would be pretty long from what I see. I overtrim so I don’t have to cut every 2 months.
My parents own the shelties when I was growing up, did some shows in 80s in Japan. I just remember my mother was grooming our dogs 😙 and looked all pretty when she does it. I wish these kind of YouTube tutorials were available back then, I think these tips n tricks were talked and shared among people who were only participated in shows. Back then no internet. I think my mom took a while to master at it 🤣 Finally my daughters are getting old and I am planing on getting our first dog, and of course it’s going to be a Sheltie 😘 thanks for sharing these articles, and brought me back memories😘👍
Wow, what an amazingly helpful article, thank you! Im planning getting a sheltie in a few years (my first dog!) and the grooming does seem a little intimidating even though Ive heard it is relatively easy for such a majestically floofy breed 😀 Hope I can train mine well enough to be nice on the grooming table, haha!
Jackie, your 2 articles with Jen are FANTASTIC! Just wanted to mention one MAJOR thing you’re missing on your endorsement of Shimmer Lights. This product should NEVER be used on a puppy coat, as the hair is too soft and will “grab” the color, resulting in a beautiful LAVENDER undercoat! I was in conformation class with my pro-handler instructor a couple week before a show and when she was examining the dog on the table, she looked up and said, “WHAT’S THIS?” with a half-giggle (having a good idea what my answer would be). When I said, “Shimmer Lights” both she and an experienced OE handler both laughed and said “Never use this on a puppy coat!” They, like you, said the product was great, but only on an ADULT coat & encouraged me not to throw it out, but to save it! Luckily, White-on-White got rid of the stunning purple/lavender undercoat, much to my relief!
Omggg I have never seen anyone brush a collie so ruff. That poor dog must have been so sore after that grooming. Ive had 4 rough collies, and ok, im not a proffesional groomer, but i know how to groom them from the lines up. I would just sit on the ground and groom them, gently, but with the enough force to make sure im removing the loose hairs. And all off my rough collies never had knots, they looked amazing. Ive never had to thin or cut any hair. She gets on like she knows it all. But that was the hardest article ive had to watch She is far too ruff with that poor dog. 😢 😢 .
Showing is getting so ridiculous, you have to trim your dog in an unnatural way and in doing so you trim off their natural color so you have to put makeup on the dog….how does that make it any kind of representation of the breed if we trim and makeup them into something that they obviously are not. The natural coat of the dog isn’t represented since we chalk them. Showing has become something so far from actually representing how the breed ACTUALLY looks that it is mind boggling. I understand a little trim up so they look sharp but there is just so much fake in today’s world. Same with horse showing. Nothing against this owner or dog, it is a beautiful dog, it’s just the whole show world that is a deterioration of reality.
I have a dog who I brought as a mini aussie. I always suspected she had sheltie in her. A DNA test revealed that she is in fact 40% sheltie and the rest aussie and mini aussie. She has a thick sheltie coat. She is such a pain to bathe. It takes forever to get her wet. She won’t let me blow dry her. She attacks the dryer. I will remember to brush her when she’s wet though.
These show dogs have been doing this since they are 8 weeks, they are well behaved and aren’t bothered by all this grooming. Not every sheltie goes thru all this grooming. I have a retired agility sheltie and a conformation sheltie, they are groomed totally differently. The only time my conformation sheltie goes thru this extensive work is when he’s showing, other than that he gets a brushing and if needed a trim. This article is show grooming, not everyday grooming.
I’ve never seen that BS ever before. It doesn’t hurt dogs to cut the whiskers as the hairs don’t contain any pain receptors, cutting them off could create confusion or make your dog less spatially aware. It may affect their ability to judge when objects are nearby, which will make your dog a lot less confident. I would not leave my Sheltie in you salon for sure!!!!
Tell us you look at dogs like objects without telling us you look at dogs like objects. Just smooshing and pulling at their face. You were using some muscle holding their nose to trim up their face. Never heard of cutting off their whiskers, either… wth. Human fascination with exploting animals is so strange. Kinda gross.