Collie – Rough and Smooth
Expert Grooming Article
Collie – Rough and Smooth
One of the oldest of breeds originating in Scotland and Northern England, the Collie was seen and sponsored by Queen Victoria and thus went from being just the Shepherd’s Dog to a loving family dog to even the royal and rich.
Known for his elegant and beautiful appearance, the Collie in both coat forms is true to many of the Scottish and northern English breeds requiring a harsh outer coat allowing him to withstand the bitter winters and outdoor working life. His dense undercoat protected and kept him warm and dry.
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One of the oldest of breeds originating in Scotland and Northern England, the Collie was seen and sponsored by Queen Victoria and thus went from being just the Shepherd’s Dog to a loving family dog to even the royal and rich.
Known for his elegant and beautiful appearance, the Collie in both coat forms is true to many of the Scottish and northern English breeds requiring a harsh outer coat allowing him to withstand the bitter winters and outdoor working life. His dense undercoat protected and kept him warm and dry.
It is a joy to be able to work with such a magnificent and abundant coat and allow it to display all the glory of the silhouette of this magnificent breed in the ring. The secret being always, to retain texture to the coat to exhibit the hallmarks of his working ancestry. He is an outdoor dog and worked in damp, harsh and rough terrain. Like the sheep, he herded, his coat also had to be impervious to the elements.
For best fullness, shampoo the main body of the coat with Plush Puppy Body Building Shampoo diluted 1:5 ( 1 part shampoo to 5 parts water) for even dispersion and economy of use. Nothing gets volume to the coat like this shampoo. It is fabulous!
For the white areas, use Plush Puppy Herbal Whitening Shampoo diluted again 1:5. For the Blue Merles and the Tri’s, you can mix half Plush Puppy Body Building Shampoo and half Plush Puppy Whitening Shampoo to get lift and tone all at once on the main part of the coat. Then use the Whitening Shampoo only on any white areas. The Whitening does not lighten but rather tones, reducing any unwanted warm tones. A rusty reddish tone to some of the black-coated areas can be deepened and the reddish hues reduced using the Whitening Shampoo.
Plush Puppy Black Opal Shampoo diluted 50/50 can be used on badly faded black areas of the coat being mindful not to get it on the white areas. This is a black coloured shampoo for toning black coats, giving depth to faded coats and enhancing natural colour. It is not a dye but a strong stain that contains organic sources with herbal extracts and intense black tone.
In different areas of the coat to get maximum effect rather than using one overall shampoo. Plush Puppy shampoos do more than just clean. They are outcome-oriented for direct results.
For a Smooth Collie, choose Plush Puppy All Purpose Shampoo for shine diluted 1:5. You can also mix half All Purpose and half Whitening Shampoo for reducing unwanted reddish tones or for Blue Merle coats to gain shine and tone.
We call All Purpose the ‘Shine’ shampoo as it features natural Henna stalk extracts that impart a beautiful gloss and shine to your dog’s coat. It is primarily derived from organic sources and also features Alpine and Lichen herbs. It is wonderful to use on normal to slightly dehydrated coats.
For faces and the head use Plush Puppy Let’s Face It. This is a hypoallergenic sulfate free low foaming shampoo designed for faces. It’s no tear formula with the highest quality Blue Cypress Extracts, Panthenol with Pro-Vitamin B and SugaNate. These special ingredients clean soothes, adds moisture, aids healing, and has anti-inflammatory benefits. A small golf ball sized amounts directly to the face and eye area allows you to thoroughly clean without causing irritation. Can be used in and around ears also with the same benefits. Its low foaming design allows easy of rinsing yet complete cleaning.
Now to maintain that texture, don’t use conditioner on the main body of the coat. Conditioner will flatten and soften. Use Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil diluted 1 tablespoon to 4 litres of warm water and saturate the coat to the skin using a large sponge. LEAVE IN AND DO NOT RINSE. This will give tremendous healthy vigour to the coat and yet keep all that harsh texture. Just what is needed for a herding dog’s coat! If you are dealing with a lot of coat, then add 1 tablespoon of Plush Puppy Volumising Cream in with the oil and water mix to save time. Great for out of coat situations or when you just want more coat and who doesn’t?
For the hips and pants where you have greater lengths of coat and want the coat to hang, you need to add a very weak application of conditioner. Remember this flattens and softens, so you will then have to do something after that to keep texture. So mix 1 tablespoon of Plush Puppy Silk Protein Conditioner to 1 litre of warm water and saturate the pants and hips. You can leave in or rinse out. Because this is a weak application, it saves time, gets even dispersion and ensures you can repeat the routine every time. The Collie Smooth does not need this.
So now you have the Rough Collie, oiled on his main body coat, conditioned on his hips and pants, and featherings that are less likely to tangle. Already you are building the silhouette rather than just cleaning only. Now blow dry using a force dryer hose working the hair of the coat against the growth to get maximum lift at the roots. This also removes any dead undercoat keeping the coat rolling most of the time without the usual heavy seasonal shedding. By doing this often enough, and we do this weekly, you can keep an adult male in showable coat for a few years. As the dead coat is removed, the new is allowed to grow. It also helps prevent hot spots by never allowing the coat to felt underneath keeping the skin clear.
Finish with a Plush Puppy Professional Grooming Comb, built for absolute ergonomic comfort in various sizes. The lightweight oval shaped spine combining fine and coarse pins made of hardened stainless steel with anodic oxide finish that reduces drag and static to the coat. Perfect for roughs.
For between show coat maintenance slather Plush Puppy Reviva Coat throughout for an easy leave-in moisturiser. For all underneath and protection of the pee feathers, spray a mix of 1 teaspoon of Seabreeze Oil in 500ml of water. Apply a good dose of the same mix to the ends of the lengths of the Collie coat. Leave in all week. Once a month, mix up an application Plush Puppy Coat Rescue. Add 2 heaped tablespoons to 1 cup water and work through the coat after you have shampooed. Leave in for 15 minutes or for as long as the dog will stay still and then rinse. Apply the Seabreeze Oil as for the show preparation and leave in.
For brushing and refreshing your Collie coat use Plush Puppy OMG. This is a revolutionary grooming spray that lives up to its name. A light spray of OMG and brushing in allows this product to refresh the coat leaving it feeling wonderful. It separates the coat and leaves the most amazing finish. Use the concentrate form at 1:30-40 (1 part OMG to 30-40 parts water). The stronger the mix the stronger their effects.
Using OMG can be a one-off at shows or during the drying process after bathing. This is also an amazing product for regular brushing as it hydrates the coat reducing stress and coat loss. Its active ingredients smooth the cuticle and protect the coat. Just brilliant for dematting, static-free brushing, keeping the lengths of the pants from tangling and giving a great finish to the coat.
OMG never builds up and never goes stringy. A product that took years to develop using amazing technology for maximum effects. A true necessity for the tool kit.
On show day apply Plush Puppy Cover Up Cream which is a great cover for stains or discolouration. Excellent on “red” area on worn elbows and to the white on the muzzle. When you really need to cover stains your whites or intensify white areas, Cover Up Cream will do the trick. Apply with a barely damp sponge using a small amount. Build up coverage as required layer by layer.
Then use powder or chalk as required while the cream is drying. Brush off any excess when dry. Add a tiny bit of Plush Puppy Chalkestral with your fingertips to the white legs to assist holding the white powder you apply. You need something to help grip and to protect the coat from abrasion. Best of all is Plush Puppy Fairy Frost. This ultra-fine and bright white powder that is more effective and innovative than the usual methods of white chalking and adding powder to coats. Fairy Frost will create the brightest white tone that clings all day. Plus, it covers all coats without creating harshness. Fine and easy to use, our formulation means a little goes a long way. Fairy Frost is naturally sourced and contains no chalk or talc. Use this product instead of chalk or mix with your usual white powder. This product is best for glamorous, perfect whites as it never gets clumpy, even when wet. This stays on the coat well and will last the day till washed off. Apply with the Plush Puppy Ultimate Powder Application Brush. Work well into the area where required for enhancing whites and cover. The absolute best for glamorous perfect whites.
Keep on hand Plush Puppy Wonder Wash for “those show day” last-minute emergencies too as this will clean up the whites, pronto. Just spray foam with the fingers and towel off. Wonder Wash is a brilliant quick self rinsing bathing alternative solution for quick and easy clean ups without the need for a complete bath. In moments when regular shampooing is not an option, Wonder Wash will clean, whiten and brighten problem areas on all coat kinds. Always keep our handy Plush Puppy Wonder Wash spray in your tack box. It contains optical brighteners, has a fresh apple fragrance, and violet tone.
At times due to various reasons including the weather static electricity can create flyaways. If this occurs use Plush Puppy Anti-Static Coat Control. This is a lightweight spray infused with extracts of Witch Hazel Leaf, Linden Flower, Birch Bark and Nettle. It also adds to the protection, include a UV filter to stop sun damage and protect against heat strength for the perfect finished look of the coat. This amazing product is idea for this breed and a must for your tack box.
Spray again just before ring-time. I also like a spray of Plush Puppy Odour Muncher for a nice clean smelling dog. It literally deodorises and gives a pleasant fragrance to the dog negating most odours with ease.
Your beautifully presented Collie is quite a sensation in the show ring. He is one of those wonderful dogs who has a working heart but a movie star appearance. He is all dog and can earn his keep, but, is a really pretty face at the same time. His lovely single tracking gait at speed, with good long-reaching stride, shows a well-balanced and capable dog. He is all loyalty and all action. Your job is to ensure he looks at his peak and whilst not a traditional “hairdo” dog, can with that superb coat, take them all on in the glamour stakes. What a magnificent dog!
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