Australian Shepherd Grooming Details (Complete Guide)

 The tasks relating to the Australian Shepherd grooming are not a priori very different from those of any other breed of dog. Brushing and untangling the fur before cleaning him by bathing will be necessary. Grooming also includes cleaning the inside of the ears and trimming tail hair. Let's learn!

Australian Shepherd Grooming 

Brushing And Detangling The Fur For 

You must brush your Australian Shepherd before bathing him. This will remove any loose or dead hair from his coat. Without brushing first, these unwanted hairs will form mats in the dog's fur when you go to bathe him. If you don't want to dirty the inside of your house, wash your pet indoors. Place a large bowl in your day, or use a kiddie pool as a tub.

The Australian Shepherd has a thick coat and requires frequent brushing. This makes brushing an essential step for Australian Shepherd grooming. Start by setting up a towel or plastic sheet where you plan to groom your Australian Shepherd. This will make it easier for you to eliminate hair loss during brushing.

Many Australian Shepherds have very matted coats. If necessary, you will need to prepare a mixture of diluted conditioners to detangle it. For this preparation, mix one tablespoon of unscented conditioner with 1 liter of water. Then spray the mixture on your dog's coat before brushing it.

Use a slicker brush to undo the curls in your dog's coat. Grasp the brush firmly by the handle and brush the coat in the bristles direction with short, gentle strokes. Work from the dog's shoulders to the tail. Then brush the sides, belly, and legs.

Cut stubborn curls with a pair of straight scissors. Hold the loop between the thumb and forefinger of one hand and use the scissors to cut the loop at its base. Do not pull on the dog's fur while brushing it. Instead, use a firm wire brush with long, spaced-out bristles for easier brushing. You can also use a soft or medium bristle brush for added convenience.

Cleaning The Fur By The Bath

Start by filling your tub with lukewarm water, about 15 to 20 cm and place your dog inside. Offer him a treat to encourage him to get into the tub if he's not being very compliant. Once he's in the tub, wet his coat with lukewarm water starting at his back. Gently massage the coat to move the fur and allow water to seep. You can use a sprayer or a shower head to force the water to reach the skin.

Pour a teaspoon of dog shampoo into one hand and work it into a lather. Then apply the shampoo to your dog's coat. Gently massage his hair to facilitate application. Apply more shampoo until the dog's entire body has been covered.

Then rinse his coat with fresh water to remove all traces of shampoo. Finally, massage the coat by hand while rinsing it with fresh water to ensure no shampoo residue remains. Otherwise, your Australian Shepherd will get skin irritation. This is true, even if the trace of shampoo left in his coat is tiny.

Then empty the tub and dry your Australian Shepherd's coat with a large bath towel. Massage his body with a towel to remove all traces of water. Use a hair dryer to finish drying his fur. Set the hair dryer to the lowest setting, so you don't burn your skin while drying.

Cleaning Inside Of The Ears

Ear maintenance is essential for an Australian Shepherd grooming. You should especially check that the accumulation of wax in his auditory cavities is not excessive. If the wax in your dog's ears is smelly, that's a sign of infection. In such a scenario, you must get him checked out by a veterinarian.

If the accumulated wax does not give off bad odors, you can remove it using standard maintenance methods. Start by getting a washing solution designed explicitly for dog ears. Then check that your dog's eardrums are intact before pouring the key into his ear canals.

If you are unsure of the condition of his eardrums, have a veterinarian examine them for you. In the event of a problem, he can recommend a unique solution to clean your Australian Shepherd's ears.

You have to use a bit of your strength to keep the animal still when you pour the cleaning solution into his ears. If you are not strong enough for this task, have someone else hold it while you pour the solution. Massage his ears so that the solution is well distributed. Your Australian Shepherd will certainly not have appreciated the sensation of the drops poured into his ears. However, he will appreciate the ear massage that follows.

When the massage is complete, step back a bit to let him shake his head. Then wipe the surfaces of his ears with cotton balls. Don't push the cotton balls into his ear canals. This may injure the eardrum. This same provision will still apply even if you use cotton swabs or a clean cloth to clean the surface of his ears. 

Tail Hair Trimming For Australian Shepherd Grooming

Regular tail hair trimming is an essential aspect of Australian Shepherd grooming. This task aims as much to maintain his appearance as to maintain his health. A dog's tail is indeed an actual dust nest and a prime location for parasites.

Start by grabbing the dog's tail with your thumb and index finger. Locate the tailbone with your fingertips. Then use thinning scissors to trim the tail hair following the line of the bone. The fur of an Australian Shepherd is both longer and thicker than that of other herding dogs. You will have to make several cuts before you get the right length. 

 The Australian Shepherd Dog at a Glance

The Australian Shepherd robust, compact, and solid on its legs.

He has a strong, slightly curved head and wide skull due to the heritage of his ancestor, the dingo. Muscular cheeks and jaw muscles are powerful in appearance. His ears are medium in size and pointed, he has a suspicious look and strong teeth that give the Australian Shepherd a slightly intimidating appearance.

The Australian Shepherd's neck is exceptionally muscular and somewhat plump. His shoulders are broad, and his chest is deep. The tail is set low and hangs at the level of the knuckles. Their solid frame is 17 to 20 inches at the withers, males slightly longer than females.

His double coat is on the outside; he has protective and moderately short hair, straight and of a medium texture, and on the inside, it is a short and dense layer. There are two cattle herder color schemes: red and blue spots. The "blue-legged" ones, as they are called by the varieties, are blue or with blue flecks, with black, blue, or light brown markings on the head; while the inner layer is light brown. The red variety also has red spots (because of its Dalmatian genes), with or without dark red spots on the head.

Personality

Likes to be assigned jobs, the Australian Shepherd is vigilant, intelligent, watchful, and courageous. He is highly reliable and brave; they have a tenacious sense of duty. Loyal to their owners and wary of strangers, they are fiercely protective when employed as watchdogs, even though they are not barkers. The Australian Shepherd tends to be aggressive towards other dogs and displays dominance and herding behaviors towards children.

Living With Australian Shepherd

These dogs are highly energetic and require ample opportunity for exercise. They are certainly not suitable for apartments, cattle herders are better when they have assigned tasks. They can be more destructive when they are bored.

The cattle herder can be in any climate. They shed their hair once or twice a year. It is advisable to brush him weekly to keep his coat healthy.

Products For Australian Shepherds

History

The Australian Shepherd was a real adventure in creating him. The breed as we know it today is the culmination of many experiments to create the ideal dog for herding shepherds in Australia. The need to raise the shepherd's creation dog arose in the 1800s when settlers spread to western Sydney to utilize the vast grasslands of that region. Here the lands were often hundreds, even thousands of square miles without fences or limitations. For the English shepherd herders used for grazing at the time, the high temperatures, difficult terrain, and long grazing distances were too much to handle. In addition to their ability to bark and point, which is desirable when working with quiet sheep and cattle, they caused cattle to stampede.

Many trial and error trials followed. Eventually, a winning formula was found. Highland smooth-coated collies imported from Scotland were crossed with the native and wild dingo dogs to produce quiet, hard-working dogs known as "Hall's Hellers". Heelers were crossed with imported Dalmatians to instill horse love and loyalty to their master. These spotted Bagust dogs (by brothers Jack and Henry Bagust) were crossed with black and tan Australian Shepherds, sheepdogs valued for their hardiness to work. The result was similar in build to the dingo but thicker. Both red and blue varieties were produced, gaining great popularity.

Their herding-style hard work and devotional obedience to their owners made these dogs highly regarded by owners. By the end of the 1800s, the breed (known initially as the Australian "heelers" and later as the Australian Shepherd ) was widely recognized and standardized in Australia. The Australian Cattle Dog was accepted by the American Association of Dogs (AKC) registered in 1980.