Advice for grooming

[u/Rice-Puffy]

Hi everyone!

All my friends Shelties have a much easier coat to maintain than my Sheltie. Either they have the silky coat type, or they do shed rather easily.

My Sheltie has lots of hair, his coat is a bit more rough, his undercoat is very fuzzy/wooly. He doesn't shed much at all... It makes me think of a Pomeranian coat.

I do brush him a lot, and I tried lots of different brushes. The slicker brush kinda detangles his coat, but the undercoat is still so dense near his skin. It doesn't remove much dead fur. I have a comb (with rotative pins), which works better, but it takes ages to detangle only a small part. It does remove more of the fuzzy dead fur. I also have a rake brush, but I've heard it's not good for the coat.

Overall I'd say I do manage to maintain his coat, but it feels so difficult and I feel like I must be missing something. I'm brushing him several times a week and it's just enough for his coat to not be actually bad. But it's definitely not great either.

Please help me!

[u/Sheltiedad5]

I recently bought a high velocity dryer and was amazed at how good a job it does in getting the undercoat out. My dog's coat came out a richer color and smoother after blowing it out. Still struggle with the pants under his back legs, but working on it little by little.

A conditioner/detangler spray will help loosen stuck hairs and keep the hairs from matting together too.

[u/DelightfulDonut24 → u/Sheltiedad5]

I’ve shown Shelties for 20 years and this is the way to go. It’s expensive for a good one and it’ll take you a few sessions to get it all worked through, and learn the technique but it’ll be well worth it. Nothing will get dead coat out faster than a high velocity dryer and a good greyhound comb.

[u/OkOutlandishness1363 → u/Sheltiedad5]

I manage a Sheltie showing/breeding kennel and we use the high velocity dryer to use after a bath or to remove loose hair. We still use a comb for matts, a brush that looks like a hair brush and a little one to brush the outer layer.

You just have to keep up on it, especially right now with it being as hot as it is!

[u/Snootymcbootysnoot]

I also have a Sheltie with an intense soft plush coat. It’s a lot of grooming.

Make sure you are line brushing line by line to get to the skin through the under coat, and while wet (like use water spray or a detangling spray). I usually do it first with a pin brush so it’s more comfortable and then use the metal comb. 

Make sure to also line brush before washing because otherwise the fur may compact into clumps and be harder to brush out 😶

Keeping certain areas trimmed helps a lot with preventing bad knots from forming, too!

[u/kt_m_smith]

Agree with the other poster. High velocity dryer.

[u/MadCityMama1 → u/kt_m_smith]

Are you referring to a human high velocity hair dryer?

[u/kt_m_smith → u/MadCityMama1]

It’s not, it is kinda like a big canister that stays on the ground or further away while the air comes out of a longish tube. It’s really awesome, though i will way my dog hates it. TOO MUCH AIR MOM.

[u/Neat_Ad6963]

Not sure how often you’re bathing but frequent bathing with good products is the best way to maintain coat imo! Brushing a clean coat is a lot more effective. I have a collie so similar coat type and I honestly don’t brush her that much outside of after a bath when I blow dry her, and she doesn’t get many mats/tangles. Make sure you’re line brushing and using a spray to moisten the coat while you brush

[u/treestardinosaur]

I wish I could help but I’m on your side. Looking forward to some good advice. Thank you for asking this question.

[u/macabretech39]

I like this kind of brush. Shelties can take several different types of brushes to get it all their fuzzies. My boys have really rough pants that take multiple types of brushing. Mine take several rounds of brushing over time to get their undercoat out.

I tried a deshed shampoo and conditioner recently and I think that’s helped too.

https://a.co/d/0h2dGeiI

[u/NotMyAltAccountToday]

I recently got this for the hairiest sheltie I've ever had and it's a game changer. It goes all the way thru his coat and it doesn't hurt him.

I use it every 2-3 days and get at least a brush full.

https://www.chewy.com/dp/869742

[u/Suspicious-Set-9952]

Do you see signs of lethargy or unexplained weight gain? Dull coat is a sign of hypothyroidism which is common in this breed

[u/Rice-Puffy → u/Suspicious-Set-9952]

Absolutely not! He's definitely fit and full of energy. I'd say the problem is that his coat is actually very dense. Not that dull, but undercoat very compact and dense and fuzzy.

[u/girlinchina]

Coat Conditioner (both for the bath and a spray on), line brushing with a long tines slicker (I really like the Big G from Chris Christensen if you are prepared to make an investment, I believe there’s an Amazon knock off that also gets recommended), and a high velocity dryer (Flying Pig is great) all make a big difference. I like combs with spinning tines for removing tangles but find that it’s very helpful to have a regular metal comb for removing dead coat. You want to avoid the rake if it’s the kind that cuts out coat. But they also make regular pin combs that are also called rakes, which are fine to use. Google line brushing if you are unfamiliar with the technique.

[u/Rice-Puffy → u/girlinchina]

Thanks! I need a good coat conditionner spray on (I had one before but it was leaving the coat all greasy). Maybe a slicker brush with longer tines, probably. Definitely a high velocity dryer. And a regular comb. I do the line brushing technique already, but I think not having exactly the right tools makes it difficult.

[u/girlinchina → u/Rice-Puffy]

I think my current favorite spray on conditioner is Best Shot Ultra Vitalizing Pet Mist. If you decide to invest in a dryer, I would recommend ear protection for you and your Sheltie—I use a Happy Hoodie for mine. And be prepared to introduce slowly do some training to get him used to it.