5 Responses for "Grooming question about Australian Shepherds?"

1. Tulip March 1st, 2009 at 11:42 am 1

   Australian Shepherd=Need daily grooming, they don't require clippping. 1monthy baths.
   A slicker brush with covered tip-maybe white coloured heads on the tips of the pin-not plain mental tips-Plain mental tips hurt and pull on the coat, the white or another colour pin headed ones reduce the drag on the coat.

   Something like this!
   http://pet.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pPETS-3763876t400.jpg

   Some dogs like Schnauzer and Poodle etc do require clipping every 3-4months.

   By clipping these dogs, you make the dog hotter.

   Despite what you might think, long fur does not necessarily make a dog warmer. The fur can actually insulate the dog and keep it cooler, so trimming fur in this case is not necessary

   Don't forget the 2 long daily walks-of a minimum of 4km and loads of mental stimulation.

   http://dogs.about.com/cs/generalcare/a/breeder_flags.htm
   http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_adoption_information/how_to_find_a_good_dog_breeder/

   http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_adoption_information/how_to_find_a_good_dog_breeder/
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2. aussiegenes March 1st, 2009 at 12:25 pm 2

   There is a wonderful video on "Grooming the Australian Shepherd" by Mitzi Cupp-Weeks. It covers everything you need to know to have your Aussie ready to step into the show ring. If you cannot find a copy, a video on grooming the sheltie or the rough collie should be pretty similar.

   If you just want him to look presentable as a pet, brush him daily with a pin brush during shedding season and use a teflon coated undercoat rake to really pull the fluff out. On a pet Aussie that has a great deal of coat I trim a "poop path" so he doesn't soil the fur of his rear. I keep a pair of guillotine clippers to trim the nails (and a jar of stypic powder just in case). As long as you keep up on the brushing you probably won't have to worry about cutting out or untangling mats.

   It's actually a great bonding time between you and your Aussie. Most love to be brushed and will readily flop belly up to be brushed there also! If you pair the clippers with a treat each time, you can train them to like nail trimming time. It's also a great opportunity to go over him with your hands and quickly discover if he has painful burrs, hot spots, or other lumps and bumps.
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3. FletchBFriedN March 1st, 2009 at 1:00 pm 3

   I grew up with Aussies and their coats don't require excessive amounts of maintenance however, you have to brush them fairly often and trim their coats down. If you don't their coats will clump up and mat up and it is a mess to straighten out. We bought shears for ours and sheared their coats down every so often (especially around their hindquarters). They need bathed about as often as any other dog would. Its fairly simple stuff, even shearing them down (although they may look a little goofy until you get the hang of it) is pretty simple and a groomer isn't required. I don't know what the cost of a groomer would be if you wanted to go that direction, however I couldn't imagine that it would be that expensive or that your trips would be that frequent.
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4. blue March 1st, 2009 at 1:06 pm 4

   Brush the Aussie's coat weekly, perhaps more often during shedding season, to prevent matting. Before you start brushing, spritz the coat with a dog hair conditioner diluted with water to detangle. Here's more info:

   http://xrl.us/beg792
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5. DEADGAME! March 1st, 2009 at 1:15 pm 5

   The ONLY "trimming" ever done is tidying the feet & crotch!

   NEVER buzz an Aussie! You'll RUIN the coat!
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