Collie grooming in Gloucester, MA

The AKC standard describes the rough collie's outer coat as straight and harsh to the touch, over an undercoat so soft, furry and close that it is hard to see the skin when the hair is parted. The coat is abundant everywhere but the head and legs, very full in the mane and frill, long and bushy on the hips and profuse on the tail. The smooth variety is judged by the same standard but has a short, hard, dense, flat coat, still with an abundance of undercoat.

That difference decides the groom. The AKC's grooming notes say smooth collies will not mat but still need their undercoat brushed out when they shed, while rough collies need attention to avoid mats, especially behind the ears and elbows. On the AKC's figures males weigh 60 to 75 pounds and females 50 to 65, so most collies sit in one of our two middle bands.

The AKC's grooming notes for collies give an unusually specific schedule. Spayed females do a big shed once a year. Intact females shed about three months after their heat cycle, and males shed around their birthday. So the shed you are bracing for in April may arrive in August instead. Watch the dog rather than the calendar: tufts of soft undercoat lifting at the hips and behind the ears are the start.

Book the bath with Shed Release, $10, as the shed begins, and the loose undercoat comes out in the studio in one visit. Leave it, and on a rough collie the undercoat packs into mats behind the ears and at the elbows, the spots the AKC names. Dematting is $15 per 20 minutes on top of the visit. A smooth collie will not mat, but without a de-shed its undercoat still ends up on your floor.

The AKC's fix for rough-collie mats is a weekly brushing down to the skin, which also keeps the coat and skin healthy. Work in sections through the mane, frill and hips, then comb behind the ears and at the elbows, where it catches first. A smooth collie needs less, but its undercoat still has to come out during the shed. The AKC adds that collies thrive on positive teaching methods, and that applies to standing for the brush at home.

Cape Ann winters are kind to a collie coat; the beaches are less kind. At the time of writing Good Harbor allows dogs on even-numbered days from October 1 to March 31, and wet sand sits in the hip and leg feathering. Rinse with fresh water that evening and dry the coat before brushing. For a groom on a daycare day, the Pup Van collects in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea for $10 each way.