How to Groom Your Collie for a Conformation Match

Grooming collies for the conformation ring takes patience and practice.

Collies are known for their full, thick coats, and it is especially important to highlight this feature when preparing for a conformation match. A thorough grooming can go a long way toward making your collie's coat the best it can be. However, because of their full coats, grooming collies for the show ring is a skill that requires practice and patience, so take the time to hone your skills before attempting to groom for the show ring.

Things You'll Need

• Dematting rake
• Coarse comb
• Large wire pin brush
• Slicker brush
• Bath tub
• Dog shampoo
• Dog conditioner
• Towels
• Grooming table
• Force dryer
• Scissors
• Nail trimmer

Instructions

1. Remove mats and tangles from your collie's coat. For large mats, use the dematting rake. A dematting rake is a type of brush used specifically for removing matted hair in long coated dogs. They can be found in most pet supply stores and online. For smaller mats and most tangles, use the coarse comb. A coarse comb is a comb made specifically for use by professional dog groomers to detangle long coats. Some pet supply stores may carry them, but a store that caters to professional groomers is more likely to have them on hand. Be sure to remove the mats and tangles gently to avoid causing discomfort to your collie.

2. Brush the body of the dog with the large wire pin brush, working from front to back. Large wire pin brushes resemble human hair brushes, but with metal teeth. They are excellent for smoothing long, thick coats. Do not use this brush on the head or legs.

3. Brush the head, legs and feet of your collie gently with the slicker brush. Slicker brushes have a large number of fine, sometime sharp, teeth. They are used to smooth out the finer hair found on a dog's head and lower legs.

4. Place your dog in a bathtub filled halfway with water. Wet the dog's coat thoroughly, then shampoo your his coat, being careful not to get shampoo into your dog's eyes. Rinse the shampoo out of your collie's coat. Any dog shampoo will do and can be found at your local pet store. Original Dawn dish soap may also be used.

5. Add conditioner to your dog's coat. The conditioner you use should be one formulated specifically for use in dogs. All pet stores will carry a variety of appropriate conditioners. Allow the conditioner to sit for 2-3 minutes, then rinse your dog thoroughly. Remove your dog from the tub and towel him off lightly.

6. Place your collie on the grooming table and blow-dry your dog's coat completely with the force dryer. A force dryer is a hair dryer specifically designed for use by professional dog groomers. It somewhat resembles a shop vac and blows air at a very high velocity.

7. Trim your dog's nails with the nail trimmer. The nails will be softer after the bath, so they will be easier to trim.

8. Trim the hair on the feet, lower legs, jawline and ears with the scissors, as well as the whiskers. Doing so cleans up the outline of your dog for the show ring.

9. Brush your dog once again with the large wire pin brush and slicker brush.

Tips & Warnings

• Get help from a professional dog groomer the first time you attempt to groom your collie to ensure that you learn to do everything correctly.

References

• American Kennel Club: Collie
• Doctors Foster and Smith: Show Quality Grooming