Bearded Collie Grooming Tools

Bearded collies grow long, straight coats.

Once used by Scottish shepherds, the bearded collie is now a popular family pet. The bearded collie -- or beardie -- is one of the few breeds of dogs that grow hair instead of fur. These dogs grow a long, straight coat. As a result, regular grooming is mandatory for keeping their long hair free of mats.

Combs

Combs are essential tools used to groom the bearded collie. Combs are needed to remove occasional tangles and debris such as dust from the hair. Many groomers use the standard metal comb to groom long-haired breeds such as the bearded collie. Many of these combs have needles spaced at two different lengths. The wide-spaced needles are used to part the hair; the narrow-spaced needles are used to remove debris from the hair.

Grooming Rakes

Grooming rakes -- such as the undercoat shedding rake, matbreaker and shedding blade -- are also necessary for grooming the bearded collie. Rakes are used to remove uncomfortable hair mats from behind the ears, beneath the front legs, between the back legs and under the collar. The undercoat shedding rake is best for coats that get easily tangled. The matbreaker removes matted and tangled hair without the loss of hair length. The shedding blade is a curved metal blade with serrated teeth used after combing to pull off loose hair.

Brushes

Wire-pin brushes are recommended for dogs with medium to long hair -- such as the bearded collie -- and those with silky, curly or wooly coats. Slicker brushes are yet another tool for removing mats and tangles. Wide-spaced bristle brushes are typically used for finishing off the hair after other brushes have been used. These brushes help stimulate the bearded collie's skin and enhance the health and life of the coat.

Clippers and Scissors

Electric clippers are used in grooming to shave off large areas of hair. Various attachment sizes allow different lengths of hair to be removed. Scissors are also used to groom and style the bearded collie. Thinning shears are equipped with a toothed blade and a sharp blade, and are designed to help thin the dog's overall coat. Curved blade scissors are used to trim hard to reach areas. The blade is angled away from the dog's skin, which prevents accidents from occurring.

References

• Beardie.net: Bearded Collie Groooming 101
• Peteducation.com: "Brushes and Combs for Dogs; How to Choose the Right One"

Resources

• Doctorsfosterandsmith: Hair Mat Removers and Shedding Rakes
• Doctorsfosterandsmith: Dog Grooming Brushes