Do Border Collies Shed? Find Out More Grooming Facts About These Dogs

Did you know that Border Collies are referred to as furry geniuses and Queen Victoria loved this breed of dogs?

Do you want to know everything about Border Collies and the facts that you need to know about grooming your furry friend? Then read on to more about this incredible dog breed.

Inhabitants of the Anglo-Scottish border region, Border Collies are the smartest canine dogs. Border collies are the dog breed that is working as well as herding. The Border Collies are used for the herding of livestock, particularly sheep.

People consider the Border Collie to be a highly energetic, intelligent, athletic, and acrobatic dog. They are most successful in sheepdog trial competitions and a variety of other dog sports such as disc dog, dog agility, dog obedience, and herding. Among the many domestic breeds of dogs, Border Collies are the most intelligent. Border collies are kept as pets and also for their traditional job of herding all over the world. Generally, Border Collies are dogs of medium size.

Their coat is mostly moderate, it is thick and sheds quite often. The dogs have a double coat that is either smooth or rough and sometimes even curled. The most common color of the breed is either black or white. It might occur in basic dog colors and patterns as well. Some of which include tricolors such as black tricolor which is a combination of black, tan, and white, or red tricolor which is a combination of red, tan, and white.

Border collies might even be white in color or simply blue, brindle, lilac, red merle, blue merle, and Australian red (that is a combination of recessive red, blonde, or gold). While some Border Collies have patterns and combinations of colors, others might have just one color coat.

The eye color of Border Collies is either brown or blue, while some merles might also have eyes of some other different color. The same goes for the ears of Border Collies. While some dogs have fully erect ears, others might have them partially dropped. Some collies might even have fully drooping ears. People believe that sheep are not afraid of white dogs because they consider them one among themselves, hence if you need a Border Collie for herding purposes, experts advise you to avoid the white-colored breed. According to the American Border Collies association, recognizing a dog by its color is insensible and irrelevant. Instead, one should identify a smart Border Collie on the basis of its abilities and attitude.

Although Border Collies might not require much maintenance in terms of grooming, they require high maintenance on account of energy. This means that if you want to get along with your furry friend then you must match his level of energy. Border collies have a characteristic ethic for work like no other breed. If you are an office-going person and have a hectic daily schedule, the Border Collie is not the best choice for you. The best dogs that require the least maintenance include Boston Terrier, Basset Hound or even Chihuahua. So, if you have less time and energy to invest, you must go for one of these.

How much do Border Collies shed?

As mentioned earlier, a Border Collie has a double coat. Its outer coat is smooth, long, and feathered. Whereas, the undercoat is quite rough. If we rank the various breeds on the basis of shedding, Border Collies would lie somewhere in the middle.

Generally, a Border Collie sheds a moderate amount of her throughout the year. If you want to keep the shedding of your dog under control then you must brush his coat twice or thrice a week in order to remove the dead hair. This will avoid plenty of shedding at a time.

While the dog keeps shedding a handsome amount of hair throughout the year, the shedding reaches its peak twice in one year. This happens during the time of spring and fall. In those days, the dogs completely blew off their coat in order to grow a new one.

The double coat of the Border Collie is also called the double-layered fur. This is common to the breeds of working dogs because it makes their body adaptable to different types of weather. The rough undercoat acts as insulation.

Little puppies have a thick coat that is furry and fluffy, which provides them enough warmth for one year. In their transition to adulthood, at the age of two to three years, the thick coat sheds off and a new fur grows.

How do I stop my Border Collie from shedding?

You cannot permanently or temporarily stop your Border Collie from shedding. However, if you wash and brush your dog’s coat regularly, then the shedding can be reduced. Grooming your dog will make him feel relaxed and fresh. Grooming also results in a form of bond that you create with your dog which makes him understand that you care for him.

With due course of time, the fur of Border collie gets dirty and starts stinking. Bathing is an integral part of grooming your little furry. Whether it’s a family pet or a working Border Collie, you should give them a bath once every five to ten weeks but brushing should be a regular process.

Brushing is done in order to remove the loosely held fur and mats. Make sure you bathe your dog with a shampoo that is specifically made for de-shedding canines. Also, check that you do not leave the shampoo in the fur of your dog because that can cause skin diseases and irritation. Hence, you should wash off your Border Collies’ fur at least twice. Professional groomers use a high-power blower which dries the dog’s fur quickly and also removes dead and loose hair.

Grooming is a good way to reduce the shedding of your dog for some period of time. The winter coat of such herding dogs helps them to maintain warmth. A double-coated dog shed a lot of hair, and even Border Collies shed excessively. A Border Collie has a huge coat of hair, and constant brushing of this undercoat will ensure that the excess hair does get shed already, but it will also make some more hair of the undercoat and the top coat quite loose which might encourage hair loss.

For a healthy coat, diet control and eating healthy is very important when it comes to taking care of a dog so it does not fall sick. Dogs love to enjoy whatever dog food is put in their diet without any control, which can be very harmful and make your dog sick. Here is when eating healthy dog food and diet control plays a part to make sure that your dog eats sufficient but not excess and does not fall ill.

Can you get Border Collies that don’t shed?

Getting a dog that does not shed at all is just a myth. Let's burst this bubble. As a matter of fact, there is no such existing dog breed that is non-shedding. Every dog breed sheds little or more amount of hair. The extent of shedding depends on the type of coat that the dog breed possesses.

Saying that a particular dog is non-shedding is basically a sales gimmick that pet store owners use in order to sell their pets. Every variety of dogs sheds some amount of hair in their shedding season. However, there are different breeds of small as well as big dogs that are family-friendly and shed quite less.

For people who suffer from certain types of allergies, dogs with soft and short coats are perfect. Medically, such dogs that also shed less are known as hypoallergenic. Hypoallergenic dogs possess dead skin in their undercoat and hence, do not produce allergens which can, in turn, cause allergic reactions.

If you’re looking for a dog breed that does not shed much of its fur, you must choose dogs that are single coated with short, wired hair.

Having a Border Collie means bearing the trouble of excessive hair shedding but at the same time having a cute little creature to cuddle with. But if you're tired of the constant shedding of your Border Collie, you should choose some other dog. While shedding is normal for most dog owners, some people might even catch allergies triggered by the hair shedding of their dog. As a matter of fact, 65% or more of the households in the United States have pets. But, at the same time, millions pet owners have some or other type of allergy because of their pets.

If groomed properly, there are certain dog breeds that do not shed their hair seasonally. This might be fortunate to the people who catch allergies quickly.

How often should you bathe your Border Collie?

Basically, you need to give your Border Collie a bath only once every three or four months. This might vary in case you take your dog out on muddy adventures to parks or some other places where its fur catches dirt.

Even if you bathe your dog quite often because of the dirt, try not to overdo it. Going beyond the line and bathing your dog regularly can cause skin irritation too. Make sure you brush your dog before you get him in a tub or under a shower. The Border Collie is a breed that tends to shed their hair quite regularly, hence, brushing your dog's hair before giving them a bath is a must, or else you’ll end up with dog hair all over the place.

Avoid using cold water to bathe your pet. Lukewarm water is perfect for your dog. Generally, too much hot water can cause itching and irritation on the skin and also make your pet feel uncomfortable. Hot water will dry out their skin and also prevent them from enjoying a nice bubble bath.

Using regular shampoos or conditioners to clean the fur of your dog is strictly prohibited. Always use a shampoo or a cleanser that has been formulated for dogs specifically. Human products are not appropriate for dogs.

Make sure you protect your dog’s eyes while giving them a bath. Getting shampoo inside the eyes is not a good sign for you as well as for your pet.

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