Professionally groomed Aussies should easily be able to be maintained with only monthly grooming, even if you choose to never brush your dog between grooming.
Australian Shepherds are loyal dogs, and they make great companions. In addition, they are also good with children. Australian Shepherds are relatively easy to care for when it comes to grooming. They only need to be brushed once or twice a week, and they only need to be bathed every few months.
You should now have your answer to your question 'what age should I start getting my puppy groomed. ' With only a bit of preparation, your pup should have a great experience when they arrive for their first grooming session between 10 and 16 weeks of age.
The Aussie Is Losing Its Puppy Coat
This typically occurs when the Australian Shepherd is between 6 months to 1 year of age and will involve your Aussie shedding its soft puppy coat for a more dense adult coat. This typically lasts for a month at most.
The only time you should shave or trim a Miniature Australian Shepherd is at your vet's recommendation, usually due to a health issue.
Aussies are cotton ball fluffy when they're tiny and then they loose all that fluff and have this thin, soft, wispy chicken feather coat for a while during their adolescent phase. As they get closer to being 1 year old they finally get a long, slightly more dense and coarse adult coat (see pics below).
Your Aussie will bond to his family and be protective of and loyal to them. Many dog owners are surprised to learn that even though Aussies have strong guarding and herding instincts, they are sweet and cuddly indoor dogs that can even be kept in apartments.
So a regular brush, even once per day when they are blowing coat (seasonal shedding) is going to significantly reduce this problem. The second reason brushing helps is because it helps maintain your dog's coat, by spreading the oils of the coat evenly over his skin.
The quick answer is, no, you shouldn't shave your dog in summer. And this doesn't just apply to super-furry Northern breeds, but to other double-coated breeds as well. Herding breeds like Aussie Shepherds, Border Collies and Shelties are double-coated.
There is minimal evidence that Australian Shepherd health problems are influenced by the age of neutering. Owners of either sex are therefore free to choose the age of desexing that suits them best. Recommendation: between 6 and 12 months for males, and one year for females.
Australian Shepherds Coat Characteristics
Australian Shepherd shedding is year-round, too, though you'll notice a surplus of shedding during spring and fall.
Brush this breed at least weekly, though daily is better. They have a tendency to get all matted up, and when it's hidden under the top layer, it's hard to tell just how bad things are. In order to penetrate the fur to the skin, it's recommended to use a comb or slicker brush with long pins to work its way through.
Generally speaking, an introductory grooming session costs between $30 and $90. But, of course, this price range can vary depending on several factors. Therefore, assessing each pup's requirements is essential to calculate the cost accurately.
When an Australian Shepherd is shaved, its natural oils and protection against mother nature are removed. This may include new problems for your Aussie such as skin irritation, getting sunburnt, and similar. Secondly, shaving their fur tends to yield a more negative impact on the fur's overall health once grown back.
The two layers of fur grow at different rates. Shaving can cause permanent damage to the coat, causing it to be unbalanced and unable to provide adequate insulation and protection. As a result, the coat may grow back in uneven patches, have a ragged or unkept texture or may never grow back at all (shave shock).
Shaving your Australian shepherd's coat could expose its skin and increase its risk for getting a sunburn. Always leave about 1⁄4–1⁄2 inch (0.64–1.27 cm) of your dog's coat when you're trimming it to protect its skin.
Australian Shepherd
Despite their high energy, Aussies are usually quiet. They may bark to alert their owners of a stranger or an unfamiliar situation but other than that, you won't hear much from them.
The breed is considered highly intelligent and easy to train. Aussies are known for being especially eager to please their owners. True to their herding instincts, Aussies are very protective of their families and territory and will let you know if strangers approach, but they are not considered aggressive.
Giving an Aussie the stimulation they need
Of course, Aussies need plenty of physical exercise: no less than one hour per day, and preferably upwards of two hours. This goes for both standard and mini Aussies. Beyond the physical however, Aussies need to work out their brains.
Australian Shepherds are known for their fierce loyalty with one person, that doesn't mean every Shepherd will act like that. Some Shepherds might not build a particularly strong bond with any one family member. Others might like one of you more than another, but they don't sit on you to show it.
While adaptable, the loyal and devoted Australian Shepherd does best with its people nearby. They are often demanding of attention and they do not like to be left alone.
Aussies can be very clingy. They crave human companionship and love being included in pretty much everything you do, including being involved in all family activity. Since they require an active lifestyle, they will want to join in everything and anything that is going on around them.
No, there's generally no need to give your Australian Shepherd a haircut. The only exception is trimming the hair around the feet, legs, and ears, which can get long. You will also have to cut out matts if your dog's hair gets tangled. In today's article, we'll discuss the coat of the Australian Shepherd in-depth.