Scottish Border Collie Undercoat Strip

This is Maya a 2 year old Scottish Border Collie.

People had suggested she get clipped short as her was owner was concerned about Maya coping with the heat up here in the tropics, but he didn’t want to lose her beautiful long glossy coat. This was only her second groom, having had one puppy groom elsewhere.

The school of thought is that these double coated breeds should be insulated from the heat as well as the cold. They should be brushed/combed regularly to keep knots, matting and shedding under control which also is beneficial to the condition of their skin and hair. Mayas owner is more than happy to brush and comb his girl regularly.

I brushed/combed her first to make sure there were no knots or matts then did the undercoat strip. Next, I trimmed her nails, cleaned her ears, clipped her delicate/sanitary areas, paw pads, under her front legs, groin, bottom and a strip up the belly. She was shampooed and conditioned with organic products, given a towel down, (everybody loves a towel down) then a blow dry. Then she was given another brush and comb. By this time, Maya let me know she’d  had enough. You do have to be careful because you can aggravate the skin and give them brush burn. Lastly I tidied her head, body, feet and tail with scissors.

This was my first undercoat strip of Maya. Her owner now brings her to me every month for a pampering session, as I like to call it. You do need to be religious with undercoat strips, every four weeks for the first 6 months is preferable. What we’re trying to achieve is to be able to part the hair and see down to the skin without any downy undercoat.

Maya is such an amazing girl to groom and she does love showing off her “new do”. I’ll keep you updated.