How to Groom the Head of a Smooth Collie for Show

Your smooth collie's head is the first thing the judge sees in the show ring. The judge will examine the dog for expression and head shape. Correct grooming and trimming can enhance your dog's appearance. The head should appear to be a lean, blunt wedge, smooth and finished with parallel planes of equal length separated by a slight stop. These characteristics can be highlighted by grooming. Trimming the head takes time and practice to learn. Enlist the help of a collie breeder to demonstrate the technique, if possible.

Things You'll Need

  • Small round-tipped scissors
  • Thinning shears
  • Blunt straight scissors
  • Greyhound comb
  • Small slicker
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Instructions

    • 1

      Trim your collie's whiskers. Use a small, round-tipped pair of scissors to enable you to cut just the whisker and not the fur. Cut one whisker at a time, holding the dog's muzzle with your other hand to steady it. Rub the muzzle with your hand to bring the whiskers up as you cut so you can trim to the base.

    • 2

      Trim the head with thinning shears. Lay the scissors on top of the head behind the eyes parallel to the skin and cut once. Move the scissors toward the back skull and repeat with one cut each time. Smooth the hair with a small slicker to see that it lies smooth and even.

    • 3

      Lay the thinning shears along the side of the dog's cheeks and trim toward the neck with one cut each time. Slicker and check for smoothness. Avoid cutting too close to the skin.

    • 4

      Use blunt, short scissors to trim the ears. Use a greyhound comb to pull the hair away from the edge of the ears and carefully trim until it is even, following the ear's natural curve. Trim the long strands of hair inside the ear as well.

    • 5
      Use thinning shears to trim the ears.

      Brush the hair on the ear up with a small slicker. Use the thinning shears to trim the ear. Hold the tip of the ear with one hand between your index finger and thumb. Bend it slightly and trim along the top line. Continue trimming, moving the ear down your finger and trimming the top line until you reach the base. Brush the hair again to check that it's even and smooth.

    • 6

      Use the thinning shears to trim any long hair around the base of the ear. Fold the ear against your hand and down to the side to check for spikes on the base between the ears. Avoid trimming too much. Cut a small amount and repeat if needed. Follow this process with the other ear. Brush with your slicker and check to ensure both ears are trimmed evenly.

    • 7

      Slicker the hair forward under the dog's jaw. Place the thinning shears against the skin and make one cut. Move the shears across the jaw making one cut each time. Brush the hair back and check that it is smooth.