How to Groom a Belgian Sheepdog

In the U.S., the term "Belgian sheepdog" refers to the Groenendael and the Belgian Tervuren, while in Europe dog fanciers include two additional breeds, Belgian Malinoi and Laekenois, within the classification. Belgian sheepdogs are generally affectionate towards people and animals they know, and are not prone to unprovoked violence. They are relatively low maintenance. They require a full grooming only once every 6 to 8 weeks. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Slicker and/or pin brushes
• Steel comb
• Natural bristle brush
• Matt splitter
• Thinning shears
• Scissors

1. Use protein coat conditioners and de-tangling solutions before you give the dog a bath.
2. Use a slicker brush to comb the conditioner through the hair before you bathe your dog.
3. Trim all stray hairs under the feet with scissors.
4. Remove excess hair from around the anus (which may collect excess dirt and fecal matter) with thinning shears.
5. Bathe your dog.
6. Use a high velocity dryer to remove excess water after the bath. You still need to hand dry the dog; but the dryer gets rid of a tremendous amount of water and can save a lot of time.
7. Fluff the dog dry using a slicker brush.
8. Finish with a final comb out.

Tips & Warnings

• During the pre-bath comb out, start with a coarse brush and move on to a medium one.
• Belgian sheepdogs have a double coat, the thickness of which depends largely upon the climate where they live. The guard coat shouldn't be too soft or silky, and the undercoat should be very thick.
• Many groomers like using a pin brush rather than a slicker brush for the fluff dry.
• Before the final comb out, the dog may shed some more loose hair.