Border Collie Grooming

Border Collie Grooming

When “adopting” a Border Collie, you need to properly equipped with the right grooming materials, so you can assure your pet lives a happy, healthy life. Grooming your dog will not only make him or her look nice, but it will also be beneficial to its health. Grooming gives you a chance to check for other problems besides a tangled coat, that it may have. It will also bring the dog and the owner closer together and create a better bond.

There are two main types of coat with a Border Collie. One is sleek and fairly short and the other is coarse, thick, straight hair that can grow anything up to three inches long! This coat needs regular brushing, especially when it’s the longer type, as the hair can become matted and tangled very easily and if not sorted out, could lead to other problems. You need to be aware that extra care needs to be taken when brushing your dog in the shedding seasons.

You should only bather or dry shampoo your dog when it is absolutely necessary. It works in the same way that our hair does, the more you wash it, the more the nutrients are stripped out, leaving it dry and brittle. You also need to make sure that you only wash your dog with specific shampoo designed for either long or short haired dogs, dependant on which one you own.

When grooming your pet, you should check his or hers ears, coat, skin, nails and teeth. If your dog is looked after well, it shouldn’t have too many problems, but we all know, when walking them, they are bound to pick up some nasty little bugs along the way. At least when you regularly groom your pet, you have a chance to look for parasites, cuts, sores or infections and treat them before they get much worse.

Your Border Collie shouldn’t need much more than what has already been mentioned. You may want to occasionally trim their nails if they get too long, but it may be a good idea if you take your dog to professional groomers to do things like bathe them or trim their nails. At least that way, although it may cost a little bit, you know it will be done properly. If you are worried that you are not grooming your pet enough, or properly, talk to your vet and they will inform you of ways that you can prevent things like parasites and tangled fur.

The more you groom your dog, the easier it will be. If you start grooming as a young puppy, you will find that they are much more likely to enjoy it later on. It gives you and your pet some quality time together and brings you closer together. Obviously, if the Border Collie sees the grooming as a punishment, he or she will not like it, and is less likely to sit still and let you do it, but if you prove to the dog that it is a good thing, you are more likely to be able to sit down with him or her and get it all done in one go rather than chasing him around the house! It’s like most people though, we all loved to be pampered every now and again, and you may notice your loving dog coming up to you and letting you know when he thinks its time to be groomed!

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