If you are one of the many dog owners fortunate enough to own a beautiful-natured Border Collie, then looking after him or her correctly is going to be a big priority for you. And a large part of proper care involves Border Collie grooming on a regular basis.
So, if you are one of the many dog owners who prefer DIY grooming, then you will be interested in learning how to groom a Border Collie at home.
Table of Contents
How Often is Border Collie Grooming Needed
I find that there is a lot of debate about how often you need to groom your Border Collie. Some suggest a grooming regime every 4 to 8 weeks, others suggest weekly. I would suggest that brushing should certainly be done weekly if not more often. A lot depends on the shedding season and the type of coat that your Border Collie has.
This guide seeks to provide you with some tips on how to go about grooming a Border Collie in the most effective way possible.
Requirements of Border Collie Grooming
As you would already know, Border Collies love to work. Thus, they can get into all kinds of coat-challenging environments. When dealing with this, it pays to know what type of coat your Border Collie has.
Let’s take a further look at the type of grooming a Border Collie requires to ensure healthy coat maintenance.
The Border Collie Coat
There is not just one type of Border Collie out there, so it is important to know which category of Collie you own so that you can tailor your grooming regime appropriately.
The Border Collie is generally classified as having a medium length coat. This breed actually has a double coat, the outer coat (guard coat) being longer than the underneath coat.
Your Border Collie’s coat will define how much grooming is required and how often.
There are principally 2 main types of coat typical of this breed. You might have:
- A smooth coat Border Collie – Short and sleek coat
or - A rough coat Border Collie – Longer and more course coat
How Much Do Border Collies Shed?
Whilst Border Collies might not shed as much as many other breeds, they still do shed on a seasonal basis. As such, they also require a lot of maintenance, especially if they have a long and course coat. They particularly need a lot of brushing (article).
All you need to do to take care of the mane, is to brush it regularly to avoid it getting tangled, using a slicker brush (affiliate link). You should try to spend a minimum of 10 minutes, 3 times a week – brushing the coat of your Collie.
If there is a section of matted hair in your Collie’s fur, that you cannot get out by brushing, you should gently cut it out using a pair of blunt nosed scissors.
Hair matting is common with this type of dog which means that the coat should be brushed regularly to minimize this issue. A pin brush (affiliate link) is ideal for this.
Start from the head and work your way down to the tail, brushing deeply to include both the undercoat and the top coat.
Make sure that brushing is pain free to enhance the bonding benefit that comes from this one-on-one session.
Then you can comb against the grain using a wide-toothed comb (affiliate link) .
Bathing a Border Collie
Bath your Border Collie only on a needs basis. This time interval will be dictated by whether or not your Collie is an outdoor dog. Always use a shampoo designed specifically for dogs (affiliate link) , never a human shampoo.
In fact bathing with the wrong shampoo could get rid of some of the essential nutrients in the coat.
Make sure that the coat is well dried, using an drier. You can read more from this article about dog blow dryers.
Brushing and Scissoring the Border Collie – How to Trim a Border Collie
This video demonstrates how to go about basic grooming of a Border Collie.
You will learn how to brush in a way to deal with mats. The groomer demonstrates use of a dog rake (affiliate link) as well as a grooming glove. This helps to remove a lot of the extra, loose hair, excess fur that has built up over time. These tools make all the difference in a Border Collie grooming routine.
You might also want to use curved grooming shears (affiliate link) for trimming away excess hair.
The Body of your Border Collie
When it comes to taking care of your Border Collie’s body, there are several important parts that you should play close attention to. These are the ears, skin, nails and teeth.
Check the ears for any possible build up of wax or even grass seeds.
Check for cuts and sores on the skin of your pet. If you do find any of these, it’s best to consult a vet straight away.
It is also advisable to invest in a good doggie toothbrush so that you can ensure good dental health.
Border Collies in particular dislike their paws being tampered with but it’s important that you attend to their nails on a regular basis. If you are confident to have a go yourself, you can trim the nails as needed using some dog nail clippers. Be patient and gentle when cutting your dogs nails, possibly rewarding when you are done.
Here you can see a groomer at work with a different breed, using an electtric nail grinder.
But, if you are at all hesitant to attempt this job then it is important to keep an eye on the nail length and visit a groomer as needed.
If you have had your Border Collie from a young age, then grooming should be relatively easy as long as you have been doing it regularly. With patience, caring and a playful approach, you can gain the trust of your puppy and adult dog so that grooming sessions are a welcome time to bond rather than a battle.
Border Collie Grooming Tools
There are a number of nifty tools that can make grooming your Border Collie much easier:
FURminator deShedding Tool for Dogs, Large, Long Hair – 101008
Summing Up Border Collie Grooming
Our pets have a far greater chance of living a happy and healthy life if we care for them according to the specifics of their breed.
If you are the proud owner of this breed and have been wondering how to groom a Border Collie at home, then I hope the tips in this article have given you some direction.
Whether you have short haired Border Collie puppies or a mature rough coat Border Collie or a combination coat-type, your dog will look extra healthy and sleek when groomed on a regular basis.
Border Collie Gifts
3dRose Border Collie Dog Mom Mug, 1 Count (Pack of 1), Black
Just Throw it Funny Border Collie Dog Lover T-Shirt
Border Collie Lover, Border Collie Gift, Border Collie Mom Sweatshirt
Thank so much! So informative! It’s so funny how the border collie temperament is so similar even the kisses 💋. I love my dog so much he has been with me through thick and thin.