--- title: How to Groom a Border Collie | Fluffs York description: A professional groomer's step-by-step guide to grooming a Border Collie, covering rough and smooth coats, deshedding the double coat, and tidy feathering. --- [![Untitled (400 x 400 px) (250 x 100 px) (1)](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/hubfs/Untitled%20(400%20x%20400%20px)%20(250%20x%20100%20px)%20(1).png)](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk) - [About](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/about) - Pricing & Packages - [Full Dog Groom](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-prices-and-packages-in-york) - [Hand Stripping](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/hand-stripping-in-york) - [Puppy Grooming](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/puppy-grooming-in-york) - [Wash, Dry & Deshed](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-deshedding-prices-in-york) - [Nail Clipping](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-nail-clipping-cost-in-york) - [Gallery](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-gallery) - [Reviews](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/customer-reviews-fluffs-dog-grooming-york) - Resources - [FAQs](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/faqs) - [Blog](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks) - [Contact](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/contact-fluffs) Grooming Knowledge Base # How to Groom a Border Collie: A Groomer's Step-by-Step A professional groomer's step-by-step guide to grooming a Border Collie, covering rough and smooth coats, deshedding the double coat, and tidy feathering. [Lucy](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/author/lucy) Jul 31, 2026 --- The Border Collie is a lovely breed to groom precisely because it asks for restraint. This is a natural working dog and it should leave the salon looking like one, clean, deshedded and neatly tidied, never sculpted or shortened. The main skill is knowing you are dealing with a double coat that comes in two varieties, rough and smooth, and treating both with a deshed-and-neaten mindset rather than reaching for comb attachments. Here is how I work through a Border Collie on the table. ## Understanding the coat first Border Collies come in two coat types. The **rough coat** is the classic look, a medium length double coat with a soft undercoat, a weather-resistant topcoat and pronounced feathering on the legs, chest, underbody and tail, plus a fuller mane around the neck. The **smooth coat** is shorter and coarser all over, still double, but with far less feathering. Both are working double coats built to handle weather, so both are deshedded and never shaved. The difference in practice is simply how much feathering there is to tidy at the end. ## Step 1: Pre-bath brush and deshed Start dry. Brush and rake through the whole coat to lift loose undercoat and find any mats. On a rough Collie the trouble spots are behind the ears, the mane, the armpits, the trousers and the feathering behind the legs, all classic tangle traps. Clip out any felted mats rather than dragging at them. This dry deshed with an undercoat rake and slicker removes the bulk of the dead coat and makes everything that follows more effective. > **> Welfare note:** Both Collie coat types are functional double coats, so a healthy one should never be shaved to the skin. Shaving removes the dog's insulation and sun protection and the regrowth is often patchy and coarse. If a matted rough coat has gone past saving in places, clip those areas out kindly rather than causing pain, and talk the owner through better home care going forward. ## Step 2: Bath with a deshedding wash Bathe with a good deshedding or coat-release shampoo, working it down to the skin, paying particular attention to the dense mane and trousers on a rough coat. Follow with a conditioner to help loosen the remaining undercoat. Rinse thoroughly until the water runs completely clear, because residue trapped in a double coat irritates the skin and dulls the finish. ## Step 3: High-velocity dry The high-velocity dryer is your main deshedding tool. Work systematically over the whole dog, directing the air down to the skin to blast out loosened undercoat, and follow the airflow with a rake to gather the coat it lifts. Dry all the way to the skin, especially through the mane, the trousers and any heavy feathering. A coat that feels dry on the surface can still be damp underneath, and trapped moisture is where matting and skin problems start. ## Step 4: Final deshed and neatening Once dry, go back through with the rake and slicker to remove the last of the loosened undercoat until the coat combs cleanly. Then tidy, lightly and naturally: - **Feet:** Trim between the pads for comfort and grip, and neaten around the foot into a tidy shape. - **Hocks:** Tidy the feathering behind the hocks into a clean line so the dog looks balanced from behind. - **Feathering:** Neaten stray, wispy ends on the legs, tail and underbody so the feathering looks intentional rather than ragged. On a rough coat, tidy the tail into a clean shape without carving it off. - **Sanitary area:** A discreet hygiene tidy. On a smooth coat there is far less feathering to address, so the job is mostly a thorough deshed with a light tidy of the feet and rear. On both types the body coat stays natural and is never clipped down. ## Step 5: Final checks Comb the whole dog through to confirm the deshed is complete and no tangles remain in the feathering, check the nails and pads, wipe the ears and assess the outline from all angles. A finished Border Collie should look clean, athletic and naturally shaped. ## Frequently asked questions **How often should a Border Collie be groomed professionally?** Every eight to twelve weeks for general upkeep, tightening to every four to six weeks during the heavy spring and autumn moults. Rough coats with feathering benefit from more regular attention to keep the fringing tangle-free. **Is a smooth coat Border Collie less work than a rough coat?** Generally yes. The deshedding process is the same, but there is little to no feathering to tidy, so the finishing stage is quicker. Both still need a proper deshed and both should never be shaved. **Can I shave a Border Collie to reduce shedding?** No. Shaving a double coat does not stop shedding, it damages the coat and removes the dog's temperature regulation and sun protection. The correct approach is thorough deshedding, which reduces loose coat and actually helps the dog stay cool by improving airflow. **How do I stop the feathering matting between visits?** Keep it tangle-free at the salon, be honest with the owner about regular home brushing of the legs, chest and behind the ears, and clip out rather than tease any mats that have already pelted. Prevention through home care beats de-matting every time. --- *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](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks).* Further reading: the [Royal Kennel Club Border Collie breed standard](https://www.royalkennelclub.com/breed-standards/pastoral/border-collie/), an explanation of the [double coat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_coat), and our [dog deshedding service in York](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-deshedding-prices-in-york). [Grooming Knowledge Base](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/tag/grooming-knowledge-base) ## Similar posts Grooming Knowledge Base ### [How to Groom a Maltese: A Groomer's Step-by-Step](https://www.fluffsyork.co.uk/dog-grooming-tips-and-tricks/how-to-groom-a-maltese) A professional groomer's step-by-step guide to grooming a Maltese, covering the silky single coat, puppy cut versus full coat, and managing tear... 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