Sheltie grooming
Shetland Sheepdog grooming in Gloucester, MA
A Sheltie looks like a rough Collie in miniature, in the AKC's words, and it carries a heavy coat on a dog of 15 to 25 pounds. Most of that coat sits in the mane, frill and pants, which is exactly where it tangles. Here is what each visit does, when to book it and what it costs.
The coat
Long, harsh hair over a dense undercoat, with a mane, a frill and pants that carry most of it
The AKC standard describes the Sheltie's double coat as long, straight, harsh outer hair over an undercoat that is short, furry and so dense it gives the whole coat a stand-off quality. The mane and frill should be abundant, especially in males. The forelegs are well feathered and the hind legs heavily so, but the hair below the hock is smooth, as it is on the face, the ear tips and the feet. The AKC's grooming notes say the coat sheds considerably.
That dense undercoat is why a Sheltie can look neat on top while it knots underneath. The AKC tells owners exactly where to look: behind the ears, under the elbow on each front leg and in the pants under the tail. Those are friction points. The ears rub against the frill, the elbows swing against the chest, and the pants sit on every surface the dog does, including wet sand.
- Mane and frill: abundant, fuller on males
- Pants under the tail: thick, and a mat trap
- Behind the ears and under each elbow: check weekly
- Face, ear tips, feet and below the hocks: smooth
The tidy
Full service on a Sheltie tidies the feet, hocks and ear tips and leaves the rest of the coat full
The full service adds a breed-specific or custom haircut to the bath, and the breed-specific version for a Sheltie follows its standard: the hair around the feet and between the pads neatened so the foot looks smooth, the feathering below the hock trimmed close, and the ear tips tidied so the outline reads clean. The mane, frill, pants and tail are brushed out and left full. If you prefer a shorter custom look on the feet or pants, bring a photo.
Shaving is the one thing the AKC rules out. Its Sheltie grooming notes say shaving is not recommended, because the coat protects against sunburn and heat as well as cold. A Sheltie that is struggling in a humid Cape Ann July needs its loose undercoat cleared, which is what Shed Release does for $10, plus shade, water and walks in the cooler hours. A badly matted coat is a separate conversation with the groomer at check-in.
How often
A bath when the coat needs it, Shed Release in a heavy shed, and dematting if the pants are left too long
The AKC says a Sheltie needs a bath only occasionally, so professional visits follow the coat rather than the calendar. Book a bath with Shed Release as each heavy shed starts and the undercoat begins to lift on the pants and behind the ears. Book a full service when the feet look furry and the hocks have grown feathery. Between those, weekly brushing at home, more often in a shed, does most of the work.
Skip the home brushing for a few weeks in a shed and the loose undercoat packs into felt behind the ears, under the elbows and in the pants. Working that out is dematting at $15 per 20 minutes on top of the bath or full service, so a small dog can end up with a bigger bill than a well-brushed large one. Rebook before you leave the desk and $5 comes off the next visit.
- 01
Shed starting: bath with Shed Release, $55 or $65 plus $10
- 02
Feet furry, hocks feathery: full service, $75 or $85
- 03
Every week: brush the mane, frill and pants to the skin
- 04
In a heavy shed: brush every few days and check the elbows
- 05
Rebook at pick-up to take $5 off
Price by size
Most Shelties pay $55 for a bath and $75 for full service; a Sheltie over 25 pounds pays $65 and $85
The AKC puts the breed at 13 to 16 inches and 15 to 25 pounds, which is our smallest band: $55 for the bath and $75 for the full service. A larger Sheltie over 25 pounds moves to the 26-to-50 band at $65 and $85. Shed Release adds $10 to either, and the groomer confirms the band and the final price at check-in after looking at the coat.
The add-ons a Sheltie uses are small: nail clipping at $16, which the AKC says should be done regularly, a $10 sanitary trim to keep the pants clean, and a $10 face trim for the ears between full grooms. The AKC also notes that Shelties can be quite vocal, so if yours barks at the dryer, say so when you book. Unlimited daycare members take 15 percent off every groom.
| Sheltie visit | Up to 25 lb | 26 to 50 lb |
|---|---|---|
| Bath: wash, blow-dry, brush-out | $55 | $65 |
| Bath with Shed Release | $65 | $75 |
| Full service: feet, hocks and ear tips tidied | $75 | $85 |
| Nail clipping | $16 | $16 |
| Dematting | $15 per 20 minutes | $15 per 20 minutes |
At home
Brush weekly, more in a shed, and rinse the sand out of the pants after a beach day
Weekly brushing is the AKC's minimum, with more during the shedding season to take loose hair out before it drifts around the house. A pin brush or slicker through the mane, frill and pants, working from the skin out, then a comb behind the ears and under the elbows, covers it. Our how-to on de-shedding a double-coated dog at home walks through a full session for the heavy weeks.
On Cape Ann the pants are what suffer. At the time of writing Wingaersheek allows dogs off leash on odd-numbered days from October 1 to April 30, and a Sheltie that sits down on wet sand brings it home in the pants and the hock feathering. Rinse those with fresh water the same day and dry them before you brush. From April to November, tick season, part the frill and check under the elbows after any trail walk.
- Weekly brush to the skin, more often in a shed
- Comb behind the ears and under each elbow
- Rinse sand from the pants and hocks the same day
- Check under the frill for ticks, April to November
At Dogtown
Where a Sheltie's groom fits
Book the bath or full service on its own, or add it to a daycare day and collect a brushed-out Sheltie in the afternoon.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
How much does a Sheltie shed?
What does a Sheltie full service trim?
Where do Sheltie mats start?
My Sheltie barks through the whole groom. Is that a problem?
Can my Sheltie be groomed during daycare?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Book a tidy for your Sheltie.
Choose the bath or full service for your Sheltie's weight online or in the Dogtown app, and add Shed Release when the pants start to fluff out.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
