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. Australian Shepherd's also shed moderately, so they may not be the best dog breed for those with allergies.
To groom Australian Shepherds, we recommend using the best brush for Australian Shepherds. Brush your dog at least once a week to prevent matting and remove the loose undercoat.
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).
BRUSHING. It is important to start brushing your dog from the early days when he/she joins your family. Brush your dog from head to toe at least 4 times a week until the adult coat is fully established. Your puppy will likely be around 18 months old when the adult coat is established.
Australian Shepherds are active and intelligent dogs that make great companions. They require regular brushing, tick and flea checks, ear cleaning, and nail trimming. They also require regular veterinary care and should be groomed regularly.
Dogs generally find lukewarm water most comfortable. Brush Your Dog First. Brushing helps remove dirt and prevent mats. if you don't brush your dog first, you may spend more time than expected detangling your pet's wet fur.
Your Aussie may require time to adjust to a new life and learn to trust you before he feels comfortable enough to cuddle with you. To cuddle means to be vulnerable, and your dog may just need patience and time to understand that his vulnerability won't put him in a position to be hurt.
Bathe Your Dog 1-2 Times a Month
Regular grooming is good, constant grooming is bad. Try not to bathe your Aussie more than 1-2 times per month because you'll risk removing the natural oils from their coat. Use a deshedding dog shampoo to add vitamin E and fatty acids into their coat to help reduce excess shedding.
You can help the undercoat out by brushing your Australian Shepherd's fur. Brushing will also prevent the hair from tangling and matting on its way out. This make shedding is a pain-free experience for your Aussie. It's recommended that each week, you brush your pup at least twice.
1. A High Quality Slicker Brush. The slicker brush is the number one dog brush recommended by grooming professionals for Australian Shepherds. It is actually the type of brush you want to start with when grooming your dog because it helps break up any knots and prevents matting.
Most Australian Shepherds enjoy the water and are quite amenable to baths. In hot climates, you may be able to bathe your dog outdoors with a garden hose, provided the water is not too cold. Otherwise, a rubber mat on the bottom of a bathtub or shower stall will provide secure footing and prevent him from slipping.
Brush in the direction of hair growth. Don't use too much pressure so that it hurts your dog's skin; instead, apply firm strokes that will help remove dead hairs. Then use a shedding blade to grab dead hairs all over the coat. Shedding blades are an excellent way to help reduce shedding and prevent mats.
While an Aussie may be left home alone for four to six hours at a time, crate training may be necessary for the dog's safety.
Some australian shepherd's have trouble digesting protein, fats, carbohydrates, or fiber. Digestive enzymes help your australian shepherd break down and absorb each of these nutrients. Failure to absorb nutrients can result in bouts of runny poos, so these vital enzymes can help.
Brush frequently.
The more often you brush your dog, the more hair you will remove to avoid excess shedding. During the shedding seasons of fall and spring, brush your dog at least twice a week—more if you have time.
Australian Shepherds Coat Characteristics
Australian Shepherd shedding is year-round, too, though you'll notice a surplus of shedding during spring and fall.
As we've mentioned, Australian Shepherds do shed considerably. They are a double-coated breed, so you can expect a healthy amount of year-round dog fur left in your home, and on your clothes. Because they are double-coated, they also have two periods of time each year where their fur sheds more considerably.
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.
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.
Australian shepherds are known as Velcro dogs because of their strong bond with their humans. They crave attention and love being near the people they care about. So if your Aussie is always following you around, it's a sign that they adore you and want to be close to you at all times.
If your dog follows you everywhere then it's a sign that they trust and love you and that you make them feel safe. Following you very closely can be a sign that they're bored, they want something, they're feeling scared or are just being nosy.
Begin by finding a time when your dog is the most calm and relaxed. If they're a ball of energy in the morning, brush their teeth when they've mellowed out at night. Every time you brush your dog's teeth, you should be brushing them around the same time of day at least three times each week.
The worst time to brush your dog's coat is right after a bath while their hair is wet. Because brushing your dog when his hair is wet can be quite painful, while also creating more tangles and knots. That's why you should always brush dogs before you bathe them and then just let it all dry naturally afterward.