Border collies are super popular, but not everyone knows how to groom them properly. A well-groomed dog is going to be happier and healthier, because grooming gets rid of excess fur, clears away dirt and debris that could contain bacteria, and helps your pet to smell and look nicer. Grooming also allows you as a pet parent to spot health problems before they become serious, from lumps, bumps, and injuries, to pesky parasites like fleas and ticks. So, if you want your border collie to look her best, follow these four grooming tips.
1. Brush Your Border Collie Regularly
Border collies are one of the most active dog breeds. They love to play in the dirt, search for food and chase and herd small animals. That means they are going to get pretty dirty. Your border collie will need regular brushing to stay clean because all that dirt and debris that builds up on her coat will make the fur matted or unsightly. So, what’s the correct way to groom a border collie?
- To brush your border collie, you want to use pin brushes to start with. These look like the kind of brush people use, but they are not as dense. They are great for getting out a lot of the dirt and loose fur that clings to the collie’s coat.
- Next up, switch to an undercoat rake. This will help to clean the lower layer of fur, pulling out debris that can hang on tightly there. You will also reduce how much your border collie is shedding by using this brush, so that’s ideal for any indoor dog.
- You can also use a slicker brush to detangle your dog’s fur, a comb to make the fur smoother and tighter and a shedding brush to target loose hair that has come loose during the shedding period.
Check out the Brush Buddy for your Border Collie.
2. Use Doggy Shampoo
Border collies are not shorthair dogs, so you have to put in extra work when you are washing and shampooing them. You’ll have to work the dog shampoo down into the undercoat. That lower layer of fur will be a great hiding place for dirt and other particles that your dog picks up in her adventures. If you really want your dog to look and smell clean, then you need to get the shampoo in as deep as you can. You can use your hands to work in the shampoo and make sure the shampoo is covering your dog’s entire body.
You never know how the border collie has been playing in the dirt or making its way through thick foliage, so you won’t know where the debris is hiding on your dog’s body. Just cover the entire dog for good measure.
This extra step in the cleaning process isn’t necessary if you have a short-haired border collie.
3. Trim Your Border Collie’s Hair Every Now And Then
There are a few reasons why you might want to trim your border collie’s coat. The first is that your dog may be shedding too much. Border collies tend to shed a lot, especially the longer haired types. Trimming the hair can drastically cut down on the shedding and therefore the grooming that you have to do.
The next reason to trim your border collie’s hair is that you want your dog to be comfortable. If you live in a hot climate, then your border collie may sweat excessively. Most of them tend to have long hair, which means they can survive comfortably in cold climates. If you put this kind of dog in a hot climate, though, that long fur can be a pain. Your dog is getting too hot if she always has her tongue hanging out and is needing her water refilled several times throughout the day. Cutting the fur a bit will help to cool down your dog.
Trimming your dog’s hair also helps with matting and hygiene issues. If your dog is always needing a bath because her fur looks a mess, then trimming that fur can help with the problem.
4. Use Detangling Spray
There will be times that your border collie has seriously matted fur. Long hours of rolling in the dirt or running through the woods can leave your dog with a coat that isn’t very clean, and you may need to use some specialized tools to get the dog’s coat looking good again.
When your dog’s fur is a big, matted mess, then detangling spray is your best friend. Use it liberally on your dirty dog to help make the fur more manageable. You can start off with the spray before you get to any of the other cleaning steps to ensure that the rest of the cleaning process goes much smoother.
Keeping Your Border Collie Clean
With these cleaning tips, you’ll have your dog looking her best quickly, and it won’t be so stressful trying to detangle the fur, clean out the dirt, and smooth your dog’s coat to a silky shine. Of course, using the right cleaning products is key to making short work of matted fur and a dirty coat, so check out our top pet grooming products here.
