Collie Dog Breed Profile
Collies come in two different varieties, 'smooth' and
'rough.' Rough collies require much more grooming, but
smoothes do need to be groomed regularly to keep their
coats healthy. Collies have a double coat of hair, meaning
there is a thick undercoat and an outer coat of thinner
and flatter hair.
A smooth collie has shorter hair like that of a Labrador
or Dalmatian. The hair is short and smooth with a thick
undercoat. Rough collies have a long and flowing topcoat
and a dense undercoat. You can keep your collie looking
good, no matter what the variety, with regular brushing.
You'll need a pin brush, a slicker brush, a comb, scissors
and a spray bottle filled with a conditioner spray.
You can buy a commercial conditioner spray, or make
your own using 1 to 2 tablespoons of dog conditioner
diluted with water. Make sure it is diluted well or
the spray will make your Collie's coat greasy.
Make sure to spray your dog's hair thoroughly before
you start to brush. Never brush a Collie's coat dry
because it will break their hair. If you have a rough
collie, part the dog's hair and brush from the roots
out. The pin brush can be used if your dog is not shedding
and is free of matting.
The slicker brush and comb are helpful for shedding
dogs and for removing mats. If a mat cannot be brushed
out of the Collie's hair, you can cut it out. Collies
most often have matted hair behind their ears, underneath
the front legs and on their underbelly so make sure
to check those areas carefully. For a smooth collie,
a slicker brush will suffice for both the undercoat
and outer coat.
You should brush your collie everyday during shedding
seasons, and at least once a week when they are not
shedding. Regular brushing is important to remove the
dead hair. If left alone, the dead hair will cause hot
spots on your dog's skin.
Collies generally do not require all over trimming,
but you might want to keep their feet trimmed. With
a small pair of scissors, carefully trim the hair around
each footpad.
This will keep your collie's feet clean. While you are
working with your collie's feet, you can also trim the
nails. This should be done every 1 to 2 weeks to keep
the nails from getting too long.
If your collie is a puppy, you can train them to be
used to a Dremel tool with a sandpaper attachment. Apply
light pressure with the Dremel and grind down to just
before the pink quick.
The alternative to using the Dremel is to use a standard
dog nail trimmer. Before you clip the dog's nails, find
the pink quick and cut just before that point. Cutting
into the quick will make the dog's nail bleed. If this
happens, styptic powder is helpful to have on hand to
stop the bleeding.
Finally, remember to clean your Collie's ears about
once a week. You can purchase a canine ear cleaner at
any pet store. Squirt the ear cleaner into your dog's
ear canal and then rub the base of the ear. This will
help the ear cleaner coat the inside of the ear canal.
You can use a cotton ball to remove the excess cleaner
and then allow the ear canal to dry naturally.
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