There are a variety of reasons why people wonder if they should try to shave their border collie’s fur.
Should you shave your border collie’s hair? What happens if you trim your border collie hair? A lot of questions are asked for years by collie owners are critical. It’s important to know everything you need to know about how to shave a border collie in this article.
The hair of your border collie should never be shaved. Your shaved Border Collies’ skin is exposed to harmful UV rays, bugs, and other pests when they are shaved.
Can a Border Collie Be Shaved?
One of the most common questions from Border Collies’ owners are asking is “can you shave a border collie?”.
Border Collies should never have their hair cut. In hot weather, a border collie’s coat will help them maintain a stable body temperature.
For a double-coated breed, a single shave can permanently damage their coat. A shaved collie dog is prone to sickness and other harmful elements.
The idea that shaving a collie could make it more at ease and cool is understandable. It makes total sense.
But the thing is, shaving your border collie’s coat won’t have the desired effect. Shaving actually causes more problems than it solves, as I’ll explain in the following paragraphs.
Shedding Your Border Collie
With a long, feathered outer coat, the border collie has a shorter, rougher undercoat. It’s hard to say where the Border Collie stands when it comes to hair shedding. The border collie sheds moderately throughout the year.
In most cases, brushing your dog 2 or 3 times a week to remove unwanted hair is sufficient to keep your border collie shedding under control.
However, twice a year, that shedding takes a dramatic turn for the worse. This is a time of year when your dog will totally blow their coat in preparation for the upcoming winter. Plan to brush your dog daily in order to keep up with the shedding.
5 Reasons Not to Shave Your Border Collie
We’ll go over a few of the reasons why it’s critical to maintain your collie’s thick double coat throughout the year.
1. Protection from UV Rays
The protective guard hairs that make up the outercoat, also known as the top-coat, are thicker and more immune to many things, including UV Rays.
In fact, your collie’s skin is protected from the sun’s harmful rays all year round thanks to the topcoat! If you shave your border collie and leave her exposed to the sun, these hairs will be the first to fall out.
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2. Preventing Overheating
Much of the direct heat from the sun is deflected by the guard hairs, in the same way that UV rays are blocked by the hairs.
Although it may seem that your border collie’s thick hair would keep it warm by absorbing the cold, this isn’t always the case. It turns out that your collie won’t overheat as much because of her thick coat.
3. Protection from Insects and Bugs
Insect and bug repellent is an important but often overlooked feature of the topcoat.
If you live in an area where mosquitoes are prevalent, you may encounter a number of flies that might sting you. Most insects can’t get through your collie’s thick coat. There is no longer any protection from a shaven coat.
4. Protection Against the Cold Winter
We’ve spoken a lot about how great it is in the summer, but don’t forget about the cold! If your collie’s undercoat has developed entirely, it will better protect her body heat.
For reasons that will be detailed further down, shaving her coat in the summer will not allow it to grow back before winter.
5. Resistant to Water
To keep your collie warm and dry in the winter, the outer coat is water-resistant.
Your collie wouldn’t be able to withstand the cold as well if she didn’t have the outercoat. Dogs lose almost all of their capacity to regulate their body temperature when they are wet.
In the winter, it would be incredibly difficult or even hazardous to take your dog for a walk because of the snow.
Why Is a Border Collie Covered in Two Coats?
It’s no surprise that Border Collies have such a thick double coat because of their Scottish herding dog roots. In the Scottish countryside, where they herded livestock in the cold and the heat, a double-coat kept them warm while also allowing them to cool off.
Coarse outer coat and soft undercoat make up the Border Collie’s two coats. Double coats come in two flavors: rough and smooth.
Wispy hairs on the legs, chest, belly, and ears characterize animals with rough coats, which are typically medium to long in length. Wooly and dense, the undercoat is a thick layer.
In the smooth-coated Border Collie, the hair is shorter and there is little or no feathering.
In the spring and fall, Border Collies shed their thick coats. Brushing your pet’s hair on a daily basis is critical during these times to keep up with the shedding.
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Proper Way To Shed Your Border Collie
There is a noticeable increase in shedding in spring and shortly before winter, but it isn’t continuous throughout the year.
Winter’s insulation-serving undercoat is nearly gone by summer, leaving only the protective outer layer.
Because the outercoat is not impeded by its loose fit against the skin, it allows for ample ventilation throughout the coat. This helps keep your collie cool during the summer.
But you may ask your dog groomer for a border collie summer cut since they know how short is the recommended cut for border collies.
Heat Can Be Regulated in Other Ways by Your Collie
Fact! Dogs don’t even use shedding as their major means of temperature regulation!
In addition to panting and sweating, Border Collies and other dogs use their coats to regulate their body temperature.
There are glands on the soles of your border collie’s paws known as merocrine glands that produce sweat (sweat glands).
The preceding sections have shown that trimming the dog coat is not only useless, but it actually exacerbates the condition.
Your Border Collie’s Coat Will Be Damaged for Years by Shaving It
If the two layers are shaved back together, long-term damage might result.
The undercoat of your border collie will eventually outgrow the topcoat if you keep it trimmed. As a result, it isn’t the best idea.
As the undercoat develops quicker, it is normal for it to entangle, thicken, and finally connect with the outercoat. Unfortunately, this has the unfortunate effect of obliterating the coat’s natural texture. It’s quite impossible to remedy if this happens.
Essential duties are impossible to be carried out because of this condition. Additionally, the coat will no longer be able to protect its users from the sun, which might result in overheating and discomfort.
Is this an ongoing problem? Because of the high probability of failure, taking a risk would be a mistake.
Is Trimming Good for Border Collies?
Your collie’s coat may benefit from a little trimming, and it won’t be as damaging to her as shaving would be.
For the avoidance of doubt, shave and trim are not synonymous. If your Border Collie has an area of hair that is troubling them, clipping may be all that is necessary.
Tail, paw, and ear hair may get rather long on your collie.
It’s logical that dog walkers would want to keep the hair on their dogs’ tails and paws trimmed, since these regions may become rather filthy.
If your collie’s ears get irritated or infected, trimming down the hair around the dog ears is a good idea.
Trimming your collie’s hair if it doesn’t bother her is a waste of time and effort.
READ MORE: Border Collie Ears: Everything You Need to Know
Can You Cut Border Collie Hair?
During the shedding season, it will be more difficult to trim your Collie. It’s possible that some Border Collies shed more than others. Your dog’s coat type determines how much she sheds on a regular and annual basis.
It’s not uncommon for the longer-haired Collie to shed more than the shorter-haired Collie, but this time around it appears to be the other way around.
As a result of their longer, rougher, wavy or curly hair, Border Collies with these coat types are less likely to shed. Until you begin grooming your Collie, you may not notice much in the way of shedding hair.
This means that when it comes to trimming, the shedding season and non-shedding season are the same.
You may want to know how to shave a border collie’s hair but always keep in mind that a Border Collie should only have its hair cut if it is absolutely necessary.
If you need to do any trimming on your dog, be extremely careful when removing hair from the ears, tail, and feet. Trimming ears for the first time is not recommended for those who have never done it before.
Collies’ tails get filthy and hairy quickly, especially on the underside. However, this does not imply that it should always receive the scissors’ best blades. Trimming too much can give your pet a lopsided and unbalanced appearance.
Pay particular attention to furs with hairs that are the longest possible. After that, make sure to trim in a straight line.
So, if you’ve been searching “can you shave a collie?” then this is the answer. NO, unless it’s for your border collie’s health, you should not.
How to Bathe a Border Collie
The Border Collie does not need daily bathing, however they do require brushing on a regular basis.
This breed is normally washed every three months or so.
The frequency of dog baths might be increased in the event of a very muddy excursion. The last thing you need are muddy footprints all over your home! Do not overuse washing, since this might cause irritation to your dog’s skin.
Here are a few tips for washing your border collie.
• Brush your Border Collie before you take him to shower. It’s important to brush your dog before putting them in the bath because this breed sheds a lot. Otherwise, your bathtub will be covered in dog hair!
• Use water that is lukewarm. Your pet’s skin may get irritated and inflamed if the water temperature is too high.
• Invest in high-quality dog hygienes. Never use human shampoos, conditioners, or cleansing products for your dog’s hair. Animals shouldn’t be exposed to human products.
• Ensure their eyes are protected. If the soap goes into your dog’s eyes, they will get hurt. Make sure to protect your pet’s eyes when rinsing out shampoo or conditioner.
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Additional Grooming Tips for Border Collies
Brushing and bathing your border collie on a semi-regular basis, as well as trimming their nails, are all important parts of border collie grooming.
If you don’t clip your pet’s nails on a regular basis, they may suffer from significant pain or discomfort. Cut your dog’s nails at least monthly.
Your dog’s nails should be clipped as quickly as possible if you can hear them scrape the floor as they go past.
Your dog’s nails may bleed if you cut them too short, making it more difficult to clip them. A professional groomer is always an option if you’re worried about doing your own nail trims.
Final Thoughts
In addition to looking adorable, a border collie with long hair helps keep the dog cool and protects his skin from the sun. Keep in mind that if you decide to go with a short, sporty hairstyle, you’ll have to make up for the lost protection.
This is why your Border Collie should not be shaved. Allow him to spend his days in the shade and near a fan or air conditioner vent if possible. He should never be left out in the sun for long periods of time, especially if he has a white or light-colored coat.
Make sure to take him for a walk at sunset and provide him with a small sweater or warm place to cuddle up if the weather turns cold.
It’s been a pleasure having you here today. Please let us know if you have any further questions about shaving a border collie‘s coat.
To learn more, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me, and we will do our best to respond to them.
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