Brushing a Border Collie

Run your hands through the dog’s coat before you brush to check for mats. Border collies have thick, soft undercoats and longer outer coats, which often tangle together in large mats. Feel behind the ears. Loosen tangles gently with your fingers, taking care not to pull the hair and hurt the dog.

Brush the exposed coat with a slicker brush. Slickers have small, closely spaced teeth that catch dead hair and pull it to the surface. Border collies have an extremely dense undercoat, and slickers are the quickest way to remove dead hair. Brush the dog’s face and ears, paying special attention to the mat-prone patch of hair behind each ear. Work down the dog’s side to her hindquarters, brushing in short, quick strokes.

Remove mats with a mat rake. Start at the tip of the mat and comb in small sections, moving from the end of the hair to the roots. Spray stubborn mats with coat conditioner to lubricate the hair and loosen tangles.

Comb the dog with a fine-tooth comb to clean up stray hair and give the dog a smooth, finished appearance. Border collies are noted for their smooth, glossy coats, and the comb encourages the coat to lie down.