How to Groom a Collie

Collies became a cultural icon thanks to Lassie. Collies love children and families, learn very quickly and are best suited to outdoor activities. They may have originated in the Highlands of Scotland and Northern England. However, as agreeable in nature as these dogs are, they do require a lot of attention, exercise and maintenance. They need a weekly general grooming and a full grooming every 6 to 8 weeks.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Large slicker and pin brushes
• Wide and standard metal combs
• Matting rake
• Scissors
• Clippers
• Blades
• Fine or medium tooth comb
• Toe nail trimmers

1. Look for knots of hair behind the collie's ears. You must split and remove these knots.

2. Remove shed hair and knots from the body before bathing. Lift the hair and brush with a pin brush. You should brush your dog's head with a fine or medium tooth comb.

3. Clean the area around the anus where feces residue may be tangled in the hair.

4. Bathe your collie using the appropriate shampoo.

5. Use a force dryer to remove extra water from the dog after bathing. Given the collie's thick double coat, this can save you a lot of time.

6. Clean inside the ears with a wet cotton ball. Only clean inside as far as you can see, be careful not to probe to far into the ear.

7. Trim toe nails by removing small bits of the nail at a time. Once a black dot in the center of the nail is visible, then you've removed enough.

8. Scissor the feet evenly and remove stray hairs.

Tips & Warnings

• The collie's outer coat should be coarse to the touch and very straight. The undercoat, in contrast, should be thick and soft.
• If you want your collie's coat trimmed short, you should know this isn't the proper cut for a show ring.
• Never remove mats behind the ears with scissors. It is very easy to accidentally cut the dog's skin this way.
• Approximately 95 percent of collies are afflicted with Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) which can eventually cause blindness, depending on how severe the condition is.

Resources

• Petgroomer recommends appropriate grooming instruments for your dog breed.

[lazyacres2002]

on 2/20/2009 Your note regarding Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) is incorrect. Rather than 95%, data I've seen suggests it's currently closer to 75%.Also, CEA is not progressive. In other words, it does not get worse as the dog ages and, in general, does not cause blindness.Reputable collie breeders will have all collie puppies eyes checked by a canine opthalmologist at around eight weeks of age. As stated previously, most puppies will have CEA, usually usually very mild. Puppies found to have a detached retina or severe coloboma, which could lead to a detached retina, should not be sold without the buyer being fully informed of the problem.