Bearded collie grooming styles

Often mistaken for the English sheepdog, the bearded collie is a Scottish breed of herding dog. It has a luxurious, long grey and white coat that can be a challenge to manage for such an active dog. The bearded collie was bred to herd animals and is one of the oldest breeds to come from the British Isles.

A puppy cut can vary from breed to breed, but for a bearded collie, it generally consists simply of keeping a 1 inch coat over the entire dog. Because puppy coats tend to be soft and pliable and not as prone to matting as the adults, the puppy cut is ideal. The style is simple to manage and makes it easier to spot clean the puppy, such as wiping off its dirty paws after a romp in the yard. This cut will also keep the bearded collie pup's eyes unobstructed.

Used on dogs with double coats, the teddy bear cut works well on a bearded collie. The teddy bear is pretty self-explanatory as it results in a coat that is fluffy and cuddly, much like the fur of a teddy bear. In order to achieve this coat on a bearded collie, the groomer must make a short cut that is about 1/2 inch or a bit longer. Like a puppy cut, it is easy to maintain and will help you in combing your bearded collie's fur. This cut is performed strictly with scissors to allow for a precision cut at the specific length.

As bearded collies have a particularly long and fast-growing coat, it can become matted easily during their outings. As bearded collies are strong, active dogs that are full of energy, their lower coat can be subjected to quite a bit of punishment. To avoid this, a lamb cut may be in order. This leaves the back, neck and belly a shorter length and the head and tail hand cut into a neat look. Often, bearded collie owners will use this cut and allow the facial hair to grow long and pulled back into a ponytail. This makes the fur manageable without compromising the trademark look of long hair around the face.

All purebred dogs -- particularly those breeds that are well-established in the dog world -- have a specific cut that is used when showing the dogs. The bearded collie's cut allows the coat to flow in the wind as the dog moves. It is about 6 inches short of the ground across the stomach and is one length from the back. The tail is allowed to grow long as well. The facial hair is cut 4 inches below the jawline and is left blunt with a sharp hairline.The ears are allowed to grow a few inches longer than facial hair for a softened natural look.