How to Keep a Bearded Collie's Coat Looking Good

Bearded Collies are lovely looking dogs and they are great fun to be around. However, keeping their coats looking good does require a bit of time and effort. They are known for being busy characters always into something or another and there's nothing they like more than going out for a long walk in the countryside or park.

Making sure their coats are tangle free not only means your pet looks great but it also means their skin is kept nice and healthy too. On top of this, you'll find they don't pick up as may twigs and other debris in their coats when you're out on a walk.

Regular Brushing is a Must

Learning how to groom your dog so they start to look forward to it, helps build a strong bond between you both. It's also a good idea to take your pet to a grooming parlour at least three times a year to have their coats professionally clipped or stripped which is especially true in the spring so when the weather warms up, your dog is a lot more comfortable.

Quick Tips on How to Groom Your Pet

• Using a good quality dog brush and brushing away from their body, you should start by going over your pet's entire body. It's a good idea to spray some water on the coat as you do this making sure you don't soak it because this helps untangle any mats that may have formed
• Next, you should back brush"" the coat starting at their feet and working your way up. Back brushing is against the natural lay of the hair and this helps get rid of any stubborn tangles. However, you have to do this very gently to avoid pulling on the tangles which could hurt your pet
• Next, repeat the first step and brush your pet's entire body as before

Some people like to work in sections, spending more time in each area of their pet's body as they go, but this is just a matter of preference. Once the first three steps have been completed, the next stage is to concentrate on specific areas starting with a back leg as follows:

• Using a soft bristle dog brush, start brushing down the back leg against the natural lay of the hair. Once done, take a pin brush and repeat the process only this time start brushing at the top of the leg and work your way down, making sure you get right down to the skin when you do. Again, it's a good idea to spray some water on the hair which makes brushing that much easier
• To finish off, take a Poodle Comb and brush through the hair and you'll soon know if there are any tangles or mats left behind. This is a great way of removing any dead hair too. If you find any mats, use your fingers to de-tangle them before using a brush on them and finally combing the hair out with the comb
• The next area to concentrate on is the flanks starting at the front and working your way backwards. It's a good idea to line brush the coat choosing either a vertical or horizontal area making sure you cover your dog's complete side right up to their top line and under the belly. You need to be careful when brushing under the belly because this is often where you'll find lots of mats and if you pull them, you will hurt your pet because this is a particularly sensitive area of their body
• Next, move to your pet's front leg and working from the front brush all the way around and up to their wither before doing the same thing on their back leg. Go to the other side of your pet and do both the back leg, flank and front leg in exactly the same way
• The next area to brush is the chest and work your way up to your pet's chin which may require a bit more brushing because of their beard

Keeping Rear Ends Tidy

Next, you need to comb and brush your pet's rear end. It's important to remove any mats and tangles you come across on their tails and down their thighs, making sure you do this very gently to avoid hurting your pet.

Tidying Up Faces and Heads

It's important to brush and comb your pet's face very gently doing just a small area at a time. Using a wide tooth comb, you should work your way away from the eyes around the rest of their face up to your pet's ears. This is typically where you'll find a few tangles because the hair tends to thicker around their ears which are sensitive parts which needs to be groomed gently.

When it comes to brushing your pet's ears, start inside the ears and then work on the outer ear. If you notice any nasty smells, you may need to put some ear drops in them which you should ask your vet to prescribe. These will help clear up an infection but if it doesn't, a quick trip to the vet might be in order.

Next, comb around the back of the neck and over the top of the head. Next you need to tidy up your pet's beard by brushing the hair downwards from their noses.

Keeping Feet Tidy

Lastly, you need to work on your pet's feet. Using a medium tooth comb you should carefully comb between the toes. If you find the hair on your pet's feet has grown too long, which is often the case in older dogs, you can trim this slightly to avoid them balling up with mud or snow.

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