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Rough Collie


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Hello,

I was wondering if all the rough collie owners could tell me how often they groom their beautiful baby for and what it involves?

I've been looking on websites and have found a mix of different information - some say every day, others say once a week.

Thanks,

Erin

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A good grooming session once a week is generally all they need. My 2 get messiest around the ears as they are always chewing on each other :rofl: so that area gets extra attention. I groom mine from the bottom of the coat and work my way up (that is I lift the coat up in layers). If you just brush over the top it makes any knots or matts worse. I use a combination of a comb, pin brush (straight pins with no knobs on the ends), and Bristle brush (short and long combination). If doing a really heavy thinning out session I also use a Coat King around the pants area as this is usually the toughest area to tidy up. Hope that helps?

Cheers,

Corine

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Hi Coop&Mango,

It's not really complicated at all :rofl: . Bare in mind, I am grooming for the show ring but like to keep them looking good regardless. You are right, that is a blue merle in my avatar (my 2 yo boy Duncan). I'll see if I can find a decent pic to put up as he's badly in need of a brush right now ;) .

To have a topic moved you click on the Report button and ask the mods to move it, I will do this now for you.

Cheers,

Corine

Edited to add photo. He's looking a little thin in this pic as he had not been well.

post-3822-1151209678_thumb.jpg

Edited by fido666
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From collieowners.com . Hope it helps.

Collie Grooming

Grooming a collie is one of the most important tasks you will undertake. You will find that with a couple hours of at home grooming work a week, your collie will maintain a beautiful, soft. luscious coat free of tangles and snarls. A professional groomer is really not needed if you dedicate yourself to the task at hand. Be aware though that the process of grooming involves more than just slapping a bristle brush on your collie's back a couple of strokes a week! Grooming involves the use of sprays, shampoos, conditioners, brushes, combs, detanglers, slicker brushes, and - most importantly - your hands!

Your hands are your collie's favorite part of you. You use them to hold him, stroke him, pet him, throw his ball, give him food, brush him, scratch his ears (and rear!), and to message his body. This hands-on approach should begin at a young age to get your collie use to the feeling of hands on each inch of his body. Your hands are a vital part of his lifelong health care as they can detect skin growths, abnormalities, lumps in the abdomen, sensitive spots, cuts and bruises.

Other parts to grooming include -

Checking for abnormalities all over the body

Removing tangles and mats from the collies fur

Helping remove the downy undercoat when it's time for collies to "molt"

Maintaining clean fur (thru regular bathing, misting, etc)

Trimming back the nails

Brushing teeth / maintaining good oral hygiene

Collies should be brushed daily. Using a pin brush, brush all over the coat, all the way to the skin, in the opposite direction that the hair lays (to loosen up and remove dead fur). Pay close attention to behind their ears, elbows, and rear flanks as these areas tend to mat quickly. Also, give your collie a bath every few weeks (or whenever they need it!) as it is a myth that dogs should only be bathed once a year. Use a high quality shampoo and conditioner and be sure to rinse thoroughly. Teeth need to be brushed, cleaned, and examined weekly. And nails should be trimmed back on a bi-weekly basis if your collie isn't getting adequate exercise space on rough terrain to help them stay trimmed.

With a little effort, your collie will stay the magnificent beauty that everyone knows to be "the Collie"!

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Dont stress with the grooming get a smoothie LOL

lol, but i looovee the coat!!

thanks for that info hesap - its a bit confusing how first it says a grooming once a week, and then it says a brush once a week!

Edited by coop&mango
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;) he's boootiful!

I love blue merles . I saw my first blue merle collie on friday - but its a rescue and all her hair had been shaved :rofl:. She was beautiful none the less!

Thanks, I think so too :rofl: . The hair on the rescue will grow back, but probably thicker than it was before. Was her skin spotty (Duncan's is)?

Cheers,

Corine

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lol - I'm not fussed about shedding. I have 2 tollers so my house is already hairy!!

The hair on the rescue will grow back, but probably thicker than it was before. Was her skin spotty (Duncan's is)?

We had another rescue collie at our dog park whose hair had to be cut. His hair is almost fully grown back and now he is a real rough collie!

Not sure if her skin was spotty - she had a small coat, almost like a smoothie.

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lol - I'm not fussed about shedding. I have 2 tollers so my house is already hairy!!
The hair on the rescue will grow back, but probably thicker than it was before. Was her skin spotty (Duncan's is)?

We had another rescue collie at our dog park whose hair had to be cut. His hair is almost fully grown back and now he is a real rough collie!

Not sure if her skin was spotty - she had a small coat, almost like a smoothie.

Hi Coop&Mango,

I've attached a pic of Duncan taken the night he came home from a major leg operation. If you look above the pink bandage on his leg you can see the spotty skin, he was shaved up to his rump :rofl: . That fur has taken over a year to grow back to anything like its former length and you can see the fur is denser there.

Sorry the pic looks a bit gross, he was doped up on Morphine at the time.

Cheers,

Corine

Edited for spelling.

post-3822-1151320374_thumb.jpg

Edited by fido666
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Hope no one minds me sticking my waistcoat in here. :eek:

After all, I am an expert on Collies!

(I've had one ever since,... ooh,....'bout 2 months ago). :rofl:

No seriously, I've had Shelties for many years and I think the grooming is similar. You just have to bend down a bit further if you don't have a grooming table! :eek:

I think you have to take into account the lifestyle for each individual.

i.e. whether the dog is a showdog or not, whether it is an indoor or outdoor dog and the dog's everyday activities.

I give mine a thorough brush/comb every evening to remove shedding hair, dirt, mud, burrs etc before coming inside.

They can get pretty grubby running through the bush, swimming etc during the day.

We also get ticks here all year round so it also gives me a chance to go over them all.

I'm not sure what's involved in grooming the showdog but probably a lot more than I have to do with mine.

If the dog lives in a neat and tidy garden and is walked where there are no burrs, mud etc, then it would probably require less grooming than my dogs would.

When I groom I use different brushes depending on where I'm brushing and what I'm brushing out.

The pound told me that my boy had been clipped off when he came in but his coat is growing back beautifully! :eek:

BTW Erin, are you thinking of getting a Collie?

If so, would you consider a rescue?

There are a few around at the moment. :eek:

cheers,

Sam

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