How to Groom a Bearded Collie: A Groomer's Guide to That Long Double Coat

The Bearded Collie is a lovely dog to groom, right up until you meet one that has been left too long between appointments. That long, harsh, shaggy outer coat over a soft, close undercoat looks wonderful in full flow, but it is a coat that will felt quietly against the skin if the owner is not keeping on top of it at home. Most of the Beardies I see fall into two camps: the well-maintained show-style coat that just needs a thorough brush and bath, and the pet Beardie whose owner has thrown in the towel and wants a manageable trim. Both are legitimate, and knowing how to handle each is the job.

Here is how I work through a Bearded Collie, whether we are keeping the coat long or taking it down.

Assess first, and be honest with the owner

Get your comb to the skin all over before you commit to a plan. The classic matting zones on a Beardie are behind the ears, the beard itself, the armpits, the belly, the trousers and behind the elbows where the legs meet the body. If the coat is holding a full length and mat-free, brilliant, you are brushing, bathing and finishing. If it is pelted, you have an honest conversation: we are not going to cause the dog pain dragging out a solid coat, so either we spend the time carefully and there is a cost to that, or we take it shorter for the dog's comfort and grow it back properly.

Welfare note: A tight, widespread pelt does not come out with brute force. Yanking a slicker through felted coat is painful and can tear skin. If a coat cannot be safely brushed out, clipping the mats away is the kinder choice, even if it means a shorter finish than the owner pictured. Comfort comes before looks every single time.

Step one: brush and deshed before the bath

Never bath a matted or heavily shedding Beardie first, because water tightens loose coat into felt. Start dry. Line brush the whole dog: lift a section, work a thin layer at a time from the skin outwards with a slicker, and move methodically up the body so nothing is missed. Follow with a wide comb to prove each area is clear to the skin. An undercoat rake helps pull the dead soft undercoat, especially through a seasonal moult. Take your time in the beard and the trousers, the two areas owners always underestimate.

Step two: bath and condition

Once the coat is genuinely brushed through, bath with a coat-appropriate shampoo, working it down to the skin through the density. A conditioner suits this coat and helps it comb out cleanly on the dry. Rinse thoroughly, twice if in doubt, as product left in a thick double coat causes itching and a flat finish.

Step three: the high-velocity dry

Dry with a high-velocity dryer while brushing the coat straight, section by section, from the skin outwards. This is where you set that lovely flowing straight coat and drive out the last of the loose undercoat. A Beardie left to air-dry or dried damp underneath will matt within days, so get it fully dry to the skin. Brushing as you dry, with the airflow following the lie of the coat, gives you the clean straight drape the breed is known for.

Step four: finishing the long coat, or the pet trim

For a coat kept long, the finish is mostly tidying rather than sculpting: neaten the feet into a tidy shape, tidy the hocks, trim any straggle under the tail and around the sanitary area for hygiene, and tidy the beard so it is clean and even. The body stays long and natural.

For a pet trim, the aim is a manageable, even length all over that keeps the Beardie looking like a Beardie, not a shorn dog. Many owners are happiest with a shorter, tidy jacket, legs blended in, feet neat, ears tidied and a shaped beard. Use a comb attachment or scissor to your target length, keep the outline balanced, and always leave enough coat to protect the skin. The Royal Kennel Club breed information is a useful reference for the natural breed outline you are working from even in a pet clip.

Step five: ears, eyes and hygiene

Check and clean the ears, keeping any hair management light. The heavy fall of coat over a Beardie's eyes can be tidied so the dog can see comfortably, which owners are always grateful for. Finish the sanitary trim neatly. A final light brush-through and blast lifts the coat and shows up anything you have missed.

Frequently asked questions

How often does a Bearded Collie need professional grooming? Every six to eight weeks for a bath and thorough groom suits most, but this only works if the owner is brushing several times a week at home. A full Beardie coat genuinely needs mandatory regular brushing to stay mat-free; without it, no professional schedule keeps up.

Should I talk owners into a pet trim? Not talk into, but be honest. Plenty of pet Beardie owners cannot or will not brush daily, and for those dogs a shorter, well-maintained trim is far kinder than a long coat that pelts. Match the clip to the home care the dog will realistically get.

How do I handle a badly matted Beardie? Assess to the skin, do not force it, and if it is pelted, clip the mats out for the dog's comfort rather than causing pain brushing. Explain to the owner why, and use it as a reset to start a sensible maintenance routine.

What is the trickiest part of the coat? The friction areas: behind the ears, the armpits and the trousers. They matt first and are the most uncomfortable to work if left, so check them first and prioritise them in your brushing.

Written from the salon floor by Lucy, City & Guilds Level 2 & 3 qualified groomer and owner of Fluffs, a one-to-one dog grooming salon in Wigginton, York. For more professional grooming guides, explore the Fluffs grooming blog.