How To Groom An Old English Sheepdog ~
Copyright 2006© Stacey Hughes Hammond All Rights Reserved Page 4
Trimming The “Ends”
Trimming is something I’m still trying to improve on. Every time I trim I try to do a better job, but for showing an OES trimming is an art, and one that takes time and practice to master. For pets though, it is pretty basic, and if you mess up, relax, it’s only hair, it will grow back J
For cleanliness you should trim your bobtails rear end every 3 months or so, feces can become tangled in the coat back there and that’s a mess no one wants to deal with. (Just so you know though, it will happen, and if it does, pick off what you can, let the rest dry and then brush it out. Don’t try to bathe it or you will have a matted dog… been there, done that) Feeding a good quality food will reduce the incidence of these “dingleberries”
For show, we brush the hair up parallel to the spine and trim in layers. It creates a nice finished look, but I’m not sure that is necessary for pets so I’ll leave that to the real experts. For a pet, simply use a good quality, sharp pair of scissors, longer ones work better. Trim the hair in the bum area to 2 inches or less. For pets, you can follow the roundness of the bum, for show we trim on a slight angle.
Trimming should be done from just above the bum to just below it.
Trimming the feet is a little more complicated for showdogs, we trim in layers to create that “pillar” look. For pets, simply keeping the longer hairs flush with the bottoms of the feet is sufficient. This will reduce dirt, rain and debris tracked in after your pup romps outside.
Trimming the beard is fairly simple, to reduce dirt, food and therefore odors that can accumulate, it’s best to keep the beard to 2 inches or less.
It should be mentioned here that an OES beard does stain. The degree of staining varies from dog to dog and is mostly based on that individuals own ph level. Other things that may affect it are food colorings, water quality (clean and fresh at all times!) as well as what kind of bowl you use. A plastic bowl may harbor bacteria, leading to stain and odor, and possibly sickness. I prefer stainless steel bowls and wash them daily in hot soapy water.
To remove stains, a bluing agent, sold at your local pharmacy in the shampoo aisle is very helpful. The blue in the shampoo tones down the color of the stain and brightens the white. Also, a self-rinse spray in shampoo found in pet supply outlets or at dog shows is good for a quick fix.
Voila! You have a beautiful sheepdog! J
(If not, please follow this link for “How To Shave Down An Old English Sheepdog” (coming in 2007))
Finally, the finished product!
I must give credit to my ever-patient models, Panda and Sky.
As a sidenote, I am hoping this will be useful to those wanting to learn how to groom their sheepdog. As a pet owner I floundered for years trying to learn, and failed miserably for many of them. I have had some wonderful teachers, and have learned a lot through trial and error. I am by no means a professional groomer, nor am I the most experienced, but I think I’ve got the hang of it J
I put a lot of time and effort into putting this article together, the text and images are not to be stolen, reproduced without my permission, or posted on anyone else’s website without my permission. You are welcome to ask, and you are welcome to post a LINK to this article. I would appreciate it if you let me know if you do post a link to this, but it is not required.
Also, I would like to thank Joy Griffiths, Diane Buckland, Amber Dupont, Holly Travis, Dinko Cvitanovic (who graciously showed me how to trim feet), and more for in person lessons, tips and advice, as well as many members of the forum at www.oes.org including Carl Lindon. I hope we can all keep learning together! :)
Happy grooming! J
Sincerely; Stacey Hughes Hammond ~ Lakesong OES www.lakesongoes.com