should i line brush my sheltie?

Answer 1

I have two Shelties, Tatiana and Annabella, this is how I groom them.

Brushing:


Brushing is the most important part of Sheltie grooming. If done right, it helps keep the coat clean and healthy; if done improperly, it will break and damage the coat.
A thorough, weekly brushing is necessary from the skin out to help control shedding and keep the coat and skin healthy. Teaching your Sheltie to lie on its side will make brushing easier.


Lightly mist the coat as you brush with a waterless shampoo such as “Self-Rinse Plus” (mail order from Cherrybrook 800-524-0820 www.Cherrybrook.com) to condition the coat, remove dirt, and keep static electricity from forming as you brush. Even misting with water will help control static and fly-away hair.


Line brushing is the only way to thoroughly remove the loose undercoat. Just running a brush over the top of the coat will not effectively remove any of the loose undercoat. If the loose undercoat is not regularly brushed out, it can lead to severe matting and even skin infections. Mats hold moisture -- this leads to skin infections.
Line Brushing (use pin brush or rake):


Body
- Part hair the length of the Sheltie just below the spine ~~ mist coat
- Brush against (away from you) the coat
- Part next section about 1/2” down and repeat brushing against coat
- Part, mist, & brush line-by-line down side of Sheltie
- Fur around neck is also separated in sections and line brushed
- Roll Sheltie onto opposite side and repeat the above steps


Rear End
- “skirt” can be thinned with thinning shears if too thick
- Brush skirt in sections -- the skirt is a little more challenging to brush out, but don’t neglect this part!
- Trim fur around anus to help keep your Sheltie’s skirt clean from fecal matter.

Answer 2

A thorough once a week line brushing will be good for most shelties. By thorough we do mean line by line right to the skin. Brush a line spray with water and continue until your entire sheltie is done. Do not brush without spraying with water as this will break and damage your sheltie's coat.