How to Properly Groom a Shetland Sheepdog

If you own a shetland sheepdog, you know how time consuming grooming can become. Sure, you want your dog to have a healthy, clean and tangle-free coat. Unfortunately, with today’s busy schedules, sometimes things get out of hand – you didn’t brush your dog one week and one thing lead to another and now your sheltie’s beautiful coat is a tangled mess. Here are some tips and tricks on how to avoid the snarled mess that can be a sheltie’s coat.

If your dog has already gotten to the point where he or she is a tangled mess, it may be best left to a groomer to straighten things out. If possible, see if your local groomer will allow you to sit in the session and give you tips for keeping your dog’s coat free of tangles. Also ask for recommendations on which brushes are best suited for your pup’s coat.

When you have a young sheltie, it presents a great opportunity to begin weekly grooming. Scheduling a weekly groom, even if only for a few minutes, will help you get into the habit of grooming your dog on a weekly basis – thus producing less trips to the groomer’s and of course, keeping more money in your pocket.

Either way, once your dog has been properly groomed or re-groomed, you’ll be able to keep their coat healthy and snarl free.

When grooming a sheltie, it’s best to start with a large toothed comb. Using a comb first will help you remove any large tangles from the rest of the fur. Progressively move from the combing stage into a de-shedding tool. Your sheltie has a thick under coat that can cause major shedding and tangles if not properly groomed. Finding a quality de-shedding tool that suits your sheltie can prove to be difficult and by far one of the most expensive brushes you may purchase for your dog.

Keep in mind that while you may spend between $50 and $100 on a quality de-shedding brush, you are saving yourself hundreds of dollars in grooming fees down the road.

You can finish up by using a regular brush on your sheltie, to double check for any further tangles or snarls you may have missed. It may be a time consuming task, but sitting down with your sheltie once or twice a week can help save you a significant amount of cash over the course of your beloved pup’s life.

Also, when grooming your dog you should also consider brushing their teeth and cleaning out their ears. Again, if you get into the habit of cleaning out ears and brushing teeth after you’ve groomed your pet – then you’ll again be saving yourself a lot of money, especially at the vet (because you won’t need to have your pup’s teeth cleaned – which can become pricey with age.)

Keeping your sheltie well groomed will help save you a large amount of cash – and who doesn’t like saving money?

Source: Personal Experience