How To Groom An Australian Shepherd (video)

Dice Smith

Dice Smith

Well-Known Member
Dice Smith

Dice Smith

Well-Known Member
I made this video back in January showing how I groom my aussie Kodi and I thought I'd share it on here. I was wondering how other people groom their aussies and other longer haired breeds. I have never taken Kodi to a groomer and have always groomed him myself using these techniques. Am I doing anything wrong?



And here's the companion piece I wrote for my blog:
http://barklikeyoumeanit.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-groom-australian-shepherd-in-8.html
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
LOVE IT!! I could not read your blog, as it says it is private, and it says "my account" is not linked with your acct, but i don't even have an acct there!:ROFLMAO:
I love the peanut butter idea, this would make it more fun for Buddy than just "stand". GREAT TIP!!

I think my BC's coat would be much like your Aussie's coat. My dogs coat is thick, long and thick and thick, and long and thick. (ha ha)
It'd be nice to see a few moments here or there in normal speed, so ppl watching will understand how fast to brush a dog, and they'd understand it's not done super fast.:LOL: but probably most ppl already know that, i hope!:ROFLMAO:

I've never ever cleaned my dogs ears,:notworthy: i know, everyone will slap me, but, i never have, not for any dogs i've ever had, yet, no dog of mine has ever ever had one ear problem ever. I look in his ears every week or so, but, never clean them, and they always seem fine.

I also dont' brush their teeth, :notworthy: but, it seems a great idea, but, my dog is almost 5 and still has bright white teeth and no yellow at all yet!! (cuz he gnaws toys all day long) remember, dogs can't have human toothpaste.

I do my grooming a lot like you,
i begin with normal human hairbrush, just to discover any sticky stuff or tangles, or seedpods or whatever. I'd rather discover these items using a human hair brush.:LOL: not a slicker or shedder.(ouch!)
I do this kind of brushing most every day.

For a grooming, about once a week or so,
then i use slicker brush,
or a deshedding brush like "ShedMonster" in the summer time, just to thin out his massive coat,
but i never ever use these on his belly or legs or head.

then---if it is summertime-------- i trim out his wind-tunnel, cutting an upside down "V" through his skirt in the back, and trimming down the fur on his skirt on the back, taking great care to never cut the TOP coat, and only trimming the undercoat and more inner areas of his skirt.
I once made mistake of cutting his TOP coat of his skirt off the back and sides of haunches,:( and wow, that took forevvvver to grow back right.:notworthy: ..shiver. He looked goofy for over a year til it grew back.:confused:
I even use hair clips to hold his top coat up out of the way to trim his inner skirt down and thin it out.
I also trim around here and there, to give him a sharp look, shaping his tail, the feathers on his legs, scragglers hanging from his belly, his paws,random hairs that look out of place, etc. Some years i trim his fur hanging down each side of his head, those long pig-tail things around each ear,
other years i don't.

Then i bathe him, if he is due for a bath, or needs a bath. Or if it is shedding season, i bathe my dog A LOT during shedding season.



I never trim him in winter, and although he begins to look scruffy,:rolleyes: i figure he needs every bit of fur to get through the winters HERE!! except i DO trim the fur under paws like you show in your video, i do same thing, but, i do leave a small covering, though, year round, to protect his pads from hot summer cement or icey winter roads, i do leave a small bit of fur on his pads. Whenever buddy comes inside in winter, i check for iceballs in pads and remove any.
 
Anneke

Anneke

Honored Member
I do it much the same as you do.
I start out with the pinbrush to get the coat untangled and remove dirt. Then I use the slicker or an undercoat rake(don't really like that last one, as all the hairs fly around, but they do work very well)
I don't use the rubber brush(forgot how you called it:oops:) as this is actually a brush for short hair. I don't think it does anything for a long coat(my opinion, please keep using it, if it works for you!)
I also use thinning shears on the feathering of the back legs. The lower part gets very thick and scruffy looking on my dogs and I don't like the look of it, when it is cut with normal scissors.
I do clean the ears of my dogs, but only when they are a bit dirty or when they shake their head al lot:oops: I should do it more, I guess.
I have never brushed my dogs teeth. They get enough chewy bones and kibble to have clean teeth. The vet is very happy with how their teeth look, so I won't do it.;)
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
//"I also use thinning shears on the feathering of the back legs."//

this is a GREAT idea, i'd so love to get a pair! i have to get a camera, to show how great i did on Buddy's summer hair-do this year, i did great! (finally...after years of botching it up..:rolleyes: )
the shiney top coat is long and curls around a bit,
and the funky looking undercoat hairs are trimmed short,
in an upside down "V"
looks very good, both from sides and back.

honestly, i did have to do several touch ups, over several days, to get it all juuuust right,
but, i did get it just right this summer!! finally!
 
Dice Smith

Dice Smith

Well-Known Member
Anneke said:
I do it much the same as you do.
I start out with the pinbrush to get the coat untangled and remove dirt. Then I use the slicker or an undercoat rake(don't really like that last one, as all the hairs fly around, but they do work very well)
I don't use the rubber brush(forgot how you called it:oops:) as this is actually a brush for short hair. I don't think it does anything for a long coat(my opinion, please keep using it, if it works for you!)
I also use thinning shears on the feathering of the back legs. The lower part gets very thick and scruffy looking on my dogs and I don't like the look of it, when it is cut with normal scissors.
I do clean the ears of my dogs, but only when they are a bit dirty or when they shake their head al lot:oops: I should do it more, I guess.
I have never brushed my dogs teeth. They get enough chewy bones and kibble to have clean teeth. The vet is very happy with how their teeth look, so I won't do it.;)
Click to expand...
Oh thank you!!! I've always wanted to do something about the feathering on Kodi's legs too because it always gets so thick and heavy looking. I've never heard of using thinning shears, but I'm definitely going to buy some and try them out on Kodi. Thank you for the wonderful tip. (y) I hope Kodi's rear end ends up looking as cute as Cooper's in your photo!!! :p
 
Dice Smith

Dice Smith

Well-Known Member
tigerlily46514 said:
//"I also use thinning shears on the feathering of the back legs."//

this is a GREAT idea, i'd so love to get a pair! i have to get a camera, to show how great i did on Buddy's summer hair-do this year, i did great! (finally...after years of botching it up..:rolleyes: )
the shiney top coat is long and curls around a bit,
and the funky looking undercoat hairs are trimmed short,
in an upside down "V"
looks very good, both from sides and back.

honestly, i did have to do several touch ups, over several days, to get it all juuuust right,
but, i did get it just right this summer!! finally!
Click to expand...
Yes!!! You need to get a camera so I can see pics of Buddy's new haircut :D I'm sure he looks stunning! :love:
 
Dice Smith

Dice Smith

Well-Known Member
tigerlily46514 said:
LOVE IT!! I could not read your blog, as it says it is private, and it says "my account" is not linked with your acct, but i don't even have an acct there!:ROFLMAO:
I love the peanut butter idea, this would make it more fun for Buddy than just "stand". GREAT TIP!!

I think my BC's coat would be much like your Aussie's coat. My dogs coat is thick, long and thick and thick, and long and thick. (ha ha)
It'd be nice to see a few moments here or there in normal speed, so ppl watching will understand how fast to brush a dog, and they'd understand it's not done super fast.:LOL: but probably most ppl already know that, i hope!:ROFLMAO:

I've never ever cleaned my dogs ears,:notworthy: i know, everyone will slap me, but, i never have, not for any dogs i've ever had, yet, no dog of mine has ever ever had one ear problem ever. I look in his ears every week or so, but, never clean them, and they always seem fine.

I also dont' brush their teeth, :notworthy: but, it seems a great idea, but, my dog is almost 5 and still has bright white teeth and no yellow at all yet!! (cuz he gnaws toys all day long) remember, dogs can't have human toothpaste.

I do my grooming a lot like you,
i begin with normal human hairbrush, just to discover any sticky stuff or tangles, or seedpods or whatever. I'd rather discover these items using a human hair brush.:LOL: not a slicker or shedder.(ouch!)
I do this kind of brushing most every day.

For a grooming, about once a week or so,
then i use slicker brush,
or a deshedding brush like "ShedMonster" in the summer time, just to thin out his massive coat,
but i never ever use these on his belly or legs or head.

then---if it is summertime-------- i trim out his wind-tunnel, cutting an upside down "V" through his skirt in the back, and trimming down the fur on his skirt on the back, taking great care to never cut the TOP coat, and only trimming the undercoat and more inner areas of his skirt.
I once made mistake of cutting his TOP coat of his skirt off the back and sides of haunches,:( and wow, that took forevvvver to grow back right.:notworthy: ..shiver. He looked goofy for over a year til it grew back.:confused:
I even use hair clips to hold his top coat up out of the way to trim his inner skirt down and thin it out.
I also trim around here and there, to give him a sharp look, shaping his tail, the feathers on his legs, scragglers hanging from his belly, his paws,random hairs that look out of place, etc. Some years i trim his fur hanging down each side of his head, those long pig-tail things around each ear,
other years i don't.

Then i bathe him, if he is due for a bath, or needs a bath. Or if it is shedding season, i bathe my dog A LOT during shedding season.



I never trim him in winter, and although he begins to look scruffy,:rolleyes: i figure he needs every bit of fur to get through the winters HERE!! except i DO trim the fur under paws like you show in your video, i do same thing, but, i do leave a small covering, though, year round, to protect his pads from hot summer cement or icey winter roads, i do leave a small bit of fur on his pads. Whenever buddy comes inside in winter, i check for iceballs in pads and remove any.
Click to expand...
Ugh... my blog has been messing up sooo much lately :eek: Everyone I talk to that has a blogspot acct says the same thing is happening to them to. Figures. :rolleyes:

I probably should have slowed down some of the video. I hope no one out there watched this and brushed their dog that fast...:eek: I will definitely add a note in my description of the video on youtube in case someone doesn't get it. O_o Boy, would that hurt!!

The toothpaste I use comes in a kit and is specificlly made for doggies. :D Although, Kodi still doesn't like to use it! :p

My chihuahua's ears hardly ever get dirty and I hardly ever clean his. Kodi swims so much that his ears get dirty faster. And someone once told me aussies are more prone to ear infections than other breeds so I've become a stickler for keeping them clean, much to Kodi's dismay...:LOL:

I definitely need to trim Kodi's back end. I never really have before because I wasn't sure how. I think Buddy looks absolutely gorgeous in all the pics of him I've seen. I've always wanted to try the shedmonster. How do you like it? Someone else told me to try the furminator too. You need to post more pics so I can see his cute new haircut! :love:
 
Dice Smith

Dice Smith

Well-Known Member
tigerlily46514 said:
Dice, i was having a similar problem with double-posting by accident, along with some other lil random problems,
and
it turns out, i needed a new mouse.
Click to expand...
I was actually on my laptop at my sisters and her internet was giving me trouble :confused:
Is there anyway to delete this thread? I still haven't quite figured out how lol. :rolleyes:
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
//" I definitely need to trim Kodi's back end. I never really have before because I wasn't sure how "//

well, hopefully, you will NOT make mistake i did. :notworthy: I botched up my dog haunches fur so badly, that even strangers were asking me, "what happened to his coat back here?":ROFLMAO:
My huge mistake was,
i just cut all the fur on his haunches down short. all of it, top coat and all. :notworthy: Oh wow, he looked funky funky funky! don't do this! i was an idiot, my intention was good----to helpmy dog tolerate the heat better,
but the result made my dog a laughing stock! All his funky fuzzy undercoat was on display, and all his lovely topcoat was now gone. His entire rear end looked like a cotton ball of fuzz.

and it took YEARS for that topcoat to grow back!!!!!!!! YEARS!!
weirdly, the fuzzy looking undercoat grew back in, immediately,
but NOT the glossy shiney topcoat...:(
so there is my dog, walking around with fuzzy looking cottony looking fuzz on the back of his hauches.....for years.


Other dogs pointed at him and laffed.:rolleyes:
okay, maybe i am exaggerating a little bit there:ROFLMAO: . but he looked FUNKY!


now, this year, it is all grown back in, all of it, topcoat and all.:D
i FINALLY got it right.
I first used the shedmonster,
to thin out his hair.
especially thinning out the fuzzy undercoat.

I hold up his topcoat on his haunches,
and brush the undercoat hairs out and off.

Then, i put him in a stand,
and use my hand or some hairclips, to hold the topcoat out of the way,
to never ever cut the topcoat at all,
and ONLY cut the fuzzy undercoat of his skirt....i sit behind buddy and i cut an upside V in that skirt, but i never ever cut that topcoat again.
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
//". I've always wanted to try the shedmonster. How do you like it? Someone else told me to try the furminator too."//


Well, the shedmonster cost $14 to $19
and the furminator starts at $50 to $70.
First time i used Shedmonster
i got an ENTIRE BAGFULL of fur off of Buddy. I should have weighed the bag. It looked like a medium sized dog was IN the bag!!:eek: My dog HAD TO feel cooler,

that had to feel like getting a sweater taken off.


I love my Shedmonster.
Dog felt entirely different when i ran my hand through his now thinner fur. His fur was very silky feeling, very shiney, and seemed so so much thinner/less thick.


Buddy generally likes this comb, too, and sometimes sleeps while i use it, but I do suspect deshedding tools sort of pull the furs out a bit, now and then,
and now, i only use it for briefer periods of time, than i did that first time.

but sometimes, when i am using shedmonster, Buddy looks at me,
which makes me wonder it may have hurt a bit here or there.

so now, i keep his deshedding sessions short,
doing his back one day,
wait a few days...
his haunches another day, etc.
wait a few days....

his shoulders another day,
and so on. sometimes i do that. Depends.

I think the furminator would be much the same. some people say the Furminator inner edges of comb are actually razors and cut the fur shorter, but, i don't know if that is true.


the Shedmonster comb has very smooth rounded edges, and i've run it over my inner wrist, it is NOT sharp at all, nope, but, it *might* tug on hairs now and then,
ESPECIALLY if you don't keep removing the fur off of the comb itself. If the comb itself fills up with fur, i think it then begins to tug a bit on the dog.

The Shedmonster can be bought online,
or at Walmart.
(most petsmarts do not sell it on their store shelves, only online)
Here's the weird part:

the Shedmonster for short hair dogs, is labelled "for short hair dogs" and that package shows a lab and a cat on the front of the box. That one costs $19. The short hair version of shedmonster does NOT get good reviews, is ineffective.




the Shedmonster for long hair dogs, the box is NOT specifically labelled for "for long hair" at all,
but THAT package shows a golden retriever and a cat on the box. It often costs only $14 at walmart, which is odd, that the long hair version often costs less than the short hair version.:eek:
http://www.amazon.com/ShedMonster-De-Shedding-Tool-Medium-Coats/dp/B0052YFPWM
so that's my two cents on the Shedmonster,
i like it!! My dog likes it *most* of the time, if i keep the comb itself all empty of fur.
 
Anneke

Anneke

Honored Member
Dice Smith said:
Oh thank you!!! I've always wanted to do something about the feathering on Kodi's legs too because it always gets so thick and heavy looking. I've never heard of using thinning shears, but I'm definitely going to buy some and try them out on Kodi. Thank you for the wonderful tip. (y) I hope Kodi's rear end ends up looking as cute as Cooper's in your photo!!! :p
Click to expand...
Cooper has a very easy coat. It doesn't tangle at all. I run a pinbrush through it and he's done. Only when he sheds, I use all the other brushes.
His "skirt" is very long. I once cut it with normal scissors. My trainer(who is an aussie breeder) asked me what on earth I did to him:oops: She told me to bundle all the hair on one side up, like you want to make a ponytail, then twist it a few times and then cut the tips off at heel hight. Then thin it out with thinning shears. All this after a good run through with a brush and comb.
So that's how I've been doing it.
Jinx her coat is much shorter and even easier to maintain.
 
abby_someone

abby_someone

Well-Known Member
Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!!! I have an Aussie with a HUGE, fluffy coat!!!!
Kato.jpg
I only have one photo on my computer, they are all on my phone. His coat is LONG! I am always hairy. =) Also, his hair balls up behind his ears and on his shoulders. I took him to the groomer and she had to shave a little bit, under his collar and on his shoulders a bit. I bought proper grooming supplies after that and keep him brushed out.
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
ABby, you can add in your email address,
like
"[email protected]"
to your cell phone contact list,
adding it AS A PHONE NUMBER,
and you can then send your photos to your email address.;)
again--------do NOT add it where contact list lists email addreses,
but instead,
type in your email address in where PHONE NUMBERS are to be put.

worth a try anyway. it does not require you have internet svc on your phone,
the cell phone will only count it as a "text" msg to your computer. it's weird, i know, but i text ppl from my computer to their cell phones.
 
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