Grooming for Shelties

Shetland sheepdogs, commonly called "shelties," are long-haired, miniature versions of the collie breed. The breed originated in Scotland, in the Shetland Islands, from mixing border collies with smaller, long-haired dogs, according to the American Kennel Club. To keep your sheltie looking its best, you need to brush its long, dense coat to prevent mats and make sure you keep free of dirt and debris, especially when showing your dog.

  1. Undercoat

    • A sheltie has a dense, soft undercoat, with a long, coarse outer coat. Start brushing the sheltie by grooming its undercoat, which sheds twice per year, in the spring and fall. Prior to brushing, lightly spritz the coat with a mixture of water and a few drops of dog conditioner. Lay the dog on its side on a table. Use a technique called line brushing, in which you part the hair in sections on the dog, and brush it against the grain with an undercoat rake to remove the excess fur. Follow the undercoat rake with a slicker brush to brush away any excess hair.

    Brushing

    • Use a pin brush on the coarse over coat hair, after brushing the undercoat. Brush the thin underbelly, groin, armpits, tail and behind the ears. If you encounter mats in the fur, sprinkle the area with some baby powder to loosen the knotting and brush them out gently. For stubborn matting, use thinning shears to break up the mats and trim them away. Prevent mats by brushing these areas daily with the pin brush and trimming the hair on the hind legs with thinning shears. Finish the outer coat by using a slicker brush to brush and distribute the sheltie's natural oils throughout this rough fur.

    Feet

    • Shelties have feet that require special grooming to prevent problems with walking. Using an electric clipper, clip the hair on the bottom of the feet and between the toes so that it is flush with the paw pads. Trim the fur around the feet into an arch shape, clipping away any stray hairs. Continue to trim the fur behind the back legs from the paws to the first joint with an electric clipper to 1/2 inch in length. Clip the sharp tips of the nails only, avoiding the quick, which contains blood vessels and causes bleeding if you trim too low. File the nails into blunt ends after trimming.

    Bathing

    • Shelties only require a bath three to four times per year, although for show purposes you can bathe the dog more frequently. Place the sheltie in a bathtub and use a hand-held shower attachment to saturate the fur down to the skin, as the over coat is somewhat waterproof. Use a dog shampoo to lather the coat well with your hands, then rinse out the soap thoroughly. Spray the coat with a light spritz of leave-in conditioner, then pat the sheltie dry with a soft towel. Allow the dog to air-dry and brush the coat with a pin brush to smooth it.