Border collies are very popular, but not everyone knows how to properly care for them. A well-groomed dog will be happier and healthier because grooming removes excess fur, removes dirt and debris that could contain bacteria, and allows your pet to smell and look better. Grooming can also help you, the pet parent, spot health problems before they get serious, from lumps, bumps, and injuries to pesky parasites like fleas and ticks. So, if you want your border collie to look its best, follow these four grooming tips.
1. Brush your border collie regularly
Border collies are one of the most active breeds of dogs. They love to play in the dirt, forage for food, and to hunt and herd small animals. That said, they get pretty dirty. Your Border Collie will need regular brushing to stay clean as all of the dirt and debris that builds up on their coat will make their fur matted or unsightly. So what’s the right way to care for a border collie?
- To brush your Border Collie, the first thing you’ll want to do is use paint brushes. These look like the kind of brushes people use, but they’re not that dense. They’re great for pulling out a lot of dirt and loose fur that’s clinging to the Collie’s coat.
- Next, switch to an undercoat. This will help clean the lower layer of fur and pull out any debris that may be stuck there. You can also use this brush to reduce how much your Border Collie is shedding. So this is ideal for any indoor dog.
- You can also use a smoother brush to untangle your dog’s fur, a comb to make the fur smoother and firmer, and a dandruff brush to combat loose hair that has come loose during the dandruff period.
Check out the Brush Buddy for your Border Collie.
2. Use doggy shampoo
Border collies are not short-haired dogs, so you will need to do extra work with washing and shampooing. You need to work the dog shampoo into the undercoat. This lower layer of fur is a great hiding place for dirt and other particles that your dog picks up on their adventures. If you really want your dog to look and smell clean, you need to pour the shampoo in as deeply as possible. You can use your hands to work in the shampoo and make sure the shampoo covers your dog’s entire body.
You never know how the border collie played in the dirt or moved through thick foliage so you don’t know where the debris is hiding on your dog’s body. Just cover the entire dog for a good measure.
This extra step in the cleaning process isn’t required if you have a short-haired border collie.
3. Cut your border collie’s hair every now and then
There are a few reasons you might want to shorten your border collie’s coat. The first is that your dog may be shedding too much. Border collies tend to lose a lot, especially the longer haired types. Trimming your hair can drastically reduce the dandruff and, therefore, the maintenance that you need to do.
The next reason to trim your Border Collie’s hair is because you want your dog to be comfortable. If you live in a hot climate, your border collie can sweat excessively. Most of them tend to have long hair, which means they can comfortably survive in cold climates. If you place this type of dog in a hot climate, that long coat can be a pain. Your dog will get too hot by sticking his tongue out and having to refill his water several times throughout the day. If you cut off some of the fur, it will cool your dog down.
Trimming your dog’s hair also helps with matting and hygiene issues. If your dog always needs a bath because their fur looks messy, trimming that fur can help with the problem.
4. Use detangling spray
There will be times when your border collie will have a badly matted coat. Rolling around in the dirt for long hours or running through the woods can result in your dog having a coat that is not very clean and you may need to use some special tools to get the dog’s coat looking good again.
If your dog’s fur is a big, matted mess, the detangling spray is your best friend. Use it liberally on your dirty dog for better management of the fur. You can start the spray before you get to any of the other cleaning steps to make sure the rest of the cleaning process goes a lot smoother.
Keep your border collie clean
With these cleaning tips, your dog will look his best quickly, and it won’t be as stressful as untangling the fur, removing the dirt, and smoothing your dog’s fur to a silky sheen. Of course, using the right cleaning products is key to a quick job with matted and dirty fur. So check out our top pet care products here.
