Grooming an aussie is fairly simple. The key is keeping them brushed out on a weekly basis. They will most likely blow their coat twice a year. Aussies are double coated. That means they have a topcoat and an undercoat. Get yourself a couple of good tools and you can totally do it yourself. No two aussie coats are exactly the same, oddly enough. An aussie with show line heritage will have long, silky, slightly wavy hair with an undercoat that is really thick. A working line heritage will have shorter, curlier topcoat with a more manageable undercoat. Both have to be brushed regularly and trimmed up around the hind end (butt curtains), belly, legs and feet.
My grooming regimen is a thorough brushing weekly, clean their ears with a cotton ball and alcohol (not dripping wet), trim the hair in between the pads of their feet, trim their toenails and shape up around their backside. During the hot months I shave their bellies so they can feel the cool floor. Request a sanitary cut if you go to a groomer. I use 3 different brushes. A rake. A slicker. And a furminator. I don't recommend a furminator but sometimes that undercoat is too much for a rake or slicker. Stay on top of it and you won't need a furminator. For some odd and blessed reason, aussies don't stink. They just don't have an odor. Bathing is only necessary maybe every 5-6 weeks. |