Border Collie grooming: brushing, bathing and shedding
A practical grooming routine for the Border Collie: coat care, baths, nails and ears.
Both coat types are fairly easy to look after. Rough-coated dogs need brushing two or three times a week, with extra attention behind the ears, in the ruff and on the feathered hind legs where tangles form. Smooth-coated dogs need a quick weekly brush. Both shed seasonally, and a rough coat dropping its undercoat in spring can fill a bin bag in one session.
Baths are rarely needed more than every two or three months unless the dog finds something foul to roll in. Check paws after country runs for grass seeds between the toes, a real summer risk for dogs that spend hours in long grass. Active dogs often wear their nails down naturally, but dewclaws do not wear, so check those every few weeks.
Border Collie grooming in numbers
This is an illustrative schedule based on our editorial grooming score, not a breed-specific care protocol. Coat condition, skin problems and professional advice may call for a different routine.
| Task | Planning example |
|---|---|
| Brushing | 2 to 3 times a week |
| Bathing | Every 6 to 8 weeks |
| Shedding | Moderate, year round |
| Nail trim | Every 3 to 4 weeks |
| Ear check | Weekly |
| Teeth | Daily brushing; introduce gently and ask your vet if the mouth seems painful |
Coat
Either a moderately long, dense rough coat with a mane and feathering, or a short, smooth coat, both over a soft undercoat.
Grooming needs
Shedding
Drooling