Grooming a Border Collie Dog's Legs

Long, feathery hair is a trait of the border collie.
i Kane Skennar/Photodisc/Getty Images

The border collie’s dense, soft undercoat and a coarse outer coat helps protect him from sun, wind and rain. The legs of a border collie generally have a 1970s feathered look. Clipping the legs helps keep the classic, feathered look after seasonal shedding.

Step 1

Place your four-legged friend on a grooming table or counter that is at least waist high. This allows you to view and reach every area of his legs.

Step 2

Brush your border collie’s entire coat with a pin brush. Focus on his legs and remove any mats or tangles with a slicker brush or metal comb. When removing a tangle, work from the end of the hair towards the skin to avoid hurting him.

Step 3

Grab your shears with your dominate hand and pull the hair out from your pooch’s legs with your free hand. Since border collies don’t require shaving or a large amount of clipping, look for only the long hairs that appear out of place.

Step 4

Snip the ends of the long hairs. Evenly cut the hair on your border collie’s legs, then comb the hair backwards, or against its natural growth, and make sure no stray hairs remain. The inside of the leg is not generally hairy on a border collie, so only trim this area if stray or long hairs are obvious.

Step 5

Pick up your furry friend’s foot and look at the bottom. Clip the hairs around his foot pads and between his toes. Do this for all four feet.

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