Grooming help!

I agree the books on Sheltie grooming can be pretty overwhelming. But grooming Shelties is really not so bad if you break it up into bits.

I don't try to groom everything in one sitting. One week it will be the pants, the next week the feet and the next the ears and ruff. And sometimes not every week.....I find that my dogs can go 2-3 weeks without ANY grooming at all.

So I still recommend Barb Ross's book, but just take it in steps. You don't have to do it all in one grooming and some steps you will never do at all.

But if you can accomplish basic line brushing, ear triming, nail clipping, feet trimming and the famous poop chute, you are well on your way.

Minimum requirements: pin brush, slicker, rake, straight edge scissors, thinning shears, nail clippers or grinder.
 
mjl7163 said:
Hi!

I have a 5 month old Sheltie puppy- and she is my first sheltie and love her to death! I've never had a dog that I have to groom and I'm confused on how to go about his process. When she was around 3 months, I took her to the groomer just to clean up her hair for a little trim.

How often do I need to take her to the groomer? I don't feel comfortable cutting the hair myself, but I heard you can brush daily to reduce the times you go to the groomer?

I just want to make sure I do this right, she has a gorgeous coat and I don't want to ruin it somehow! Thanks :)
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I have 3 here,and have never been to a groomer,and probably never will.Only because I don't have one here that REALLY knows shelties. Nor are there any breeders here.
Investing in the Sheltie grooming Illustrated guide is a God's send,and easy ot read & get a great idea on what needs doing.

While I do not agree about no trimmimng what so ever. I am really fussy about feet & ears. Out of the two,the ears are something that really does take practice.
Start early on your pup,getting it used to grooming tools.Especially when it comes to the feet,as some of us use a grinder for nails.

I don't like my pups looking unruly at the ears & feet. And there are times when a nice good even trim is needed on the undercarriage to keep things looking fluid.

I hardly ever trim feathers,only to keep the stray hair in check.Those are so beautiful,and really make a statement on the dog if taken care of properly.I do trim hocks,as they should be.

Looking at differant pictures of a dog not trimmed properly at the feet,hocks really does spoil the look of the dog. And if done properly,if the dog has a bit of fault in the leg(s) it can hide certain faults,if done properly.

My oldest Trapp loves a nice brushing every night,he looks forward to our time.And his coat is a breeze to do,even between the legs.
I use a greyhound comb,that is how easily it is to comb thru. Jasper is a bit more challenging,but still gets a brush thru every other day.

Mia coat is like spun silk,she is our blind & deaf girl. And not an easy groom at all. As she really does not like a brushing,but tolerates it becuase I don't give in to all the fuss with her.

As Barb said,minimal tools needed in the beginning. Invest in a good pin brush,as it will be your "go to" tool. A nice blunt 4" scissor for ears,whiskers if you choose to cut,and pad hair.
Later you can add a decent pair of thinners.I get most of my tools on Ebay,except my pin brush.
Good luck,and welcome!
 
The easiest way to learn about grooming a Sheltie is by watching someone else do it. Try searching it on YouTube. You want to know what line brushing is and how to fix their feet and nails. If you really want to get fancy you could trim the ears and whiskers but I've never done Buffy's.

If you have a Sheltie breeder around you or even another Sheltie owner see if they will take the time to teach you. Our breeder was very willing to do this, I just didn't take her up on it because my auntie used to breed Shelties and she taught me the drill. It really is nice to know how to do it yourself; it saves money and bad haircuts in the long run.

When they are babies any kind of brush will work, like a kids' comb or wire brush. Eventually you want to invest in a pin brush and that and a little scissors is basically all I use. I give Buffy dry baths by spraying with Show-Off and a real bath maybe once a month.

There's a lot of info on the forum too, if you search the archives.
 
The most important thing is get them used to being handled early on.

When you cuddle your pup, squeeze the paws, while you stroke him. Pull up the ears, etc. Pups don't need alot of grooming yet, but still take the brush to him while he is cuddled with you. Soon he will associate grooming with cuddle time.

You can start trimming nails right away. Wait till pup is starting to snooze and just use regular human nail clippers on the nails. But be careful....at this point, you are just trying to get them used to the feel of the tug on the nail. If you accidentally cut the quick, then you will set the dog back from nail grooming for weeks or months. Not to scare you, but one bad snip can really mess things up.

At this point grooming is ALL about both you and your pup getting confident and comfortable in the process. So that when the real grooming happens, pup stays calm through it.

Good luck and congrats on the new dog!
 
Tools I use are a pin brush, mat breaker(if needed) a metal fine tooth comb and Ice on Ice misting spray(Love this stuff)

I start by lifting the hair and sraying it(you should never brush a sheltie dry because it breaks the coat) then a little at a time I brush with the pin brush making sure you get down to the skin not just brushing the top layer. I then go thru it with the fine tooth come to make sure I got it all out.

I take mine to my breeder every 6-8 weeks for a bath she combs them out( I can't brush them like I used to because I have carpal tunnel in both hands from all the years I was a groomer) She also trims the ears and the feet but thats it.

You want to find someone who knows how to do shelties the correct way because most grooming shops do "pet" grooming. What I mean is that most people who get shelties don't want all the hair or only want to bring thier dog in once or twice a year. Usually they will trim the rough short the underneath, and the "pants they will blend really short. If you want him to look natural and like he should either learn to do it yourself which is harder than it looks or take him to someone who specializes in shelties.
 
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