Bearded Collie
Loyal and intelligent dogs with a lovely coat which requires regular grooming particularly if you have a dog which is adventurous and loves fox poo! They also require regular brushing and occasional washing dependent on how many times it manages to get very mucky on one of its adventures when out on walks with you. This means a weekly brush off coat and undercoat looking for knots all over, particularly at base of tail and behind ears is our recommendation. Bathing when required such as when they are moulting heavily, and when they manage to get extra dirty/smelly. General mud etc allow to dry and brush out. Over frequent washing can damage the coat so we would recommend no more than a fortnightly wash at the most but ideally a monthly wash if your dog’s habits allow.
It is important that you acclimatise your dog to grooming and bathing as early as possible, so start grooming them when they are puppies. Initial grooming sessions make short, may be a short brush of the coat, combing of ears or even between toes and then baths make short and fun. This will benefit both you and your dog in the future when you will find grooming times fun and relaxing experiences, and it is well known that grooming creates a great bond between owner and dog.
When you have brushed your dog it is always a good idea to run your hand all over the dog to ensure the coat is of an even depth/thickness and free of Knots, Tangles and Mats.Tips from Beardie owners advise to check under forelegs, base of tail, between their pads and under their stopper pad.
Another tip received is to dry clean their beards using cornflour.
As their coats are long keeping your Bearded Collie well groomed may appear challenging, but a weekly brush and brushing out mud etc as required will keep their coat in great condition. On occasions they will require a full shampoo and wash, but please be sparing with these as too frequent washing can result in loss of oils in the coat making it appear dull.
We would also recommend a visit to your local Grooming Parlour for trimming of coat and clipping of nails when required
So, to maintain your Bearded Collie in Tip Top condition we recommend the following.
Thoroughly brush your dog before washing, and here we would advise that you moisten your dogs coat with water or a diluted water and conditioner mix (1 part conditioner to 10 parts water) applying this with a mister spray.
Before you start your shower and grooming sessions make sure you have all tools and materials required: –
Shampoo ensure you use a specific Dog Shampoo this will ensure that the Fur is maintained in great condition, Human Shampoo’s have different formulas not always compatible with your dog. Also a conditioner will help you maintain a lustrous and healthy looking coat
What you will require
Dogs Towels 1 x Roses PVA Mega Absorbent Towel, and I x Roses Large Microfibre Towel
1 x Roses Grooming and Drying Brush
1 X Good Quality Pin Head Dog Brush and Stainless Steel Comb with fine and Coarse Teeth A tip from a Beardie owners is a small animal Slicker Brush for helping to groom between toes, and deal with knots in the sensitive areas pf Eras, Bottom and elbows.
A good supply of treats
Washing your Bearded Collie
Always before washing your Bearded Collie we recommend giving a good brush of their coat, and remember to maintain their coat in great condition they should be brushed at least once a week.
To wash your Bearded Collie, use the shower, (do not forget to use non-slip shower mat) or in warmer months they can be washed outside but do ensure the temperature of the water is comfortable for your dog. When washing indoors please ensure the water is a comfortable temperature not too hot or too cold and where possible use a shower attachment if no shower head gently pour warm water over your Bearded Collie to thoroughly wet its coat, Special Note always ensure that you part the fur and thoroughly wet and rinse the undercoat. Then apply the shampoo and knead it thoroughly into the coat and the undercoat. If your Bearded Collie has got extremely dirty you may need to repeat this process, but we would recommend whenever possible to apply shampoo only once. Now this is important when rinsing the shampoo out you must ensure that all shampoo is rinsed away as any residue can cause itchiness, again please take special care to rinse all shampoo and conditioner from the undercoat. Another key point we would make is to avoid getting shampoo into the eyes and keep the inside of ears away from shampoo and water.
If using a conditioner, and with Bearded Collie a conditioner will give you excellent results with a wonderful lustrous coat, repeat rinsing process and again make sure the conditioner is thoroughly rinsed out of the coat.
Washing around the face and head we would suggest you simply use a moist towel/flannel
When coat is thoroughly rinsed it is time to dry, firstly remove most of the excess water with the Mega Absorbent PVA Towel, squeezing out the towel regularly to ensure the maximum absorbency of the towel. Once all surplus water is removed then wrap your Bearded Collie in a Roses Large Microfibre Towel gently rubbing the dog all over until the coat is as dry as possible. To avoid Knotting Tangling and Matting when drying with towels always dab the coat dry vigorous rubbing can cause knotting tangling and matting.
To thoroughly and quickly dry your Bearded Collie, connect your Roses Grooming and Drying Brush set on medium heat and low speed and start brushing and Drying the coat, always brushing with the fur not against it, there is no correct place to start but the key advice we would give here is to ensure the whole coat is dry particularly around the base of the tail and around the ears. Ensure all the coat is brushed through and dry and if your dogs is a little anxious at first encourage with treats and words of encouragement. Once your dog is familiarised and comfortable with your Roses Grooming and Drying Brush you can increase the heat setting to full and increase the speed to high, but note when drying around the eyes and ears only use medium heat and low power. The permanent IONIC feature will ensure great condition to your dog’s coat and always give you great results when using a conditioner.
The choice of Brush head to use varies from Dog to Dog but generally we recommend that you use the Oval Pin Brush Head this our customers advise give’s the best results. However after using the tool you will develop your own technique and use brush heads which feel give you the best results.
We know that following these simple instructions you will soon be getting great results and you and your Bearded Collie will enjoy these sessions which can help create an excellent bond between you and your dog and of course keep them looking great and smelling good most of the time.
Following a wet walk, you can also follow these guidelines if not dirty no need to shampoo, simply towel dry as outlined here and dry off with the Roses Grooming and Drying Brush, and after cold winter walks your Border Collie will welcome being dry and warm.
We look forward to hearing your experiences and of course receiving pictures of your Bearded Collie after your Grooming and Pampering Sessions
THE ROSES TEAM
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