They don't need endless trips to the groomers, but they do need general upkeep on your part to prevent mats and keep them looking tidy. Brushing is the best thing you can do for your Aussie! This breeds sheds quite a bit, so it's important to get those dead hairs out of there—plus it helps stimulate the skin.
Australian Shepherds are active and intelligent dogs that make great companions. They require regular brushing, tick and flea checks, ear cleaning, and nail trimming. They also require regular veterinary care and should be groomed regularly.
Professionally groomed Aussies should easily be able to be maintained with only monthly grooming, even if you choose to never brush your dog between grooming.
Final Thoughts. You should now have your answer to your question 'what age should I start getting my puppy groomed. ' With only a bit of preparation, your pup should have a great experience when they arrive for their first grooming session between 10 and 16 weeks of age.
Double coated dogs like Golden Retrievers, Huskies, Border Collies, Pomeranians, and Australian Shepherds have two layers of fur. The bottom layer, closest to the dogs skin, is very thick and dense. This layer is referred to as the "undercoat." The top layer is stiffer and usually coarser.
The only time you should shave or trim a Miniature Australian Shepherd is at your vet's recommendation, usually due to a health issue. Some dogs are prone to allergies.
The quick answer is, no, you shouldn't shave your dog in summer. And this doesn't just apply to super-furry Northern breeds, but to other double-coated breeds as well. Herding breeds like Aussie Shepherds, Border Collies and Shelties are double-coated.
The Aussie Is Losing Its Puppy Coat
This typically occurs when the Australian Shepherd is between 6 months to 1 year of age and will involve your Aussie shedding its soft puppy coat for a more dense adult coat. This typically lasts for a month at most.
Aussies shed year-round with two heavy shedding seasons in the spring and fall. These two types of shedding occur because Australian shepherds have a double coat. The Australian shepherd's coat features a dense undercoat and a slightly coarse topcoat (sometimes referred to as the outer coat).
Aussies are cotton ball fluffy when they're tiny and then they loose all that fluff and have this thin, soft, wispy chicken feather coat for a while during their adolescent phase. As they get closer to being 1 year old they finally get a long, slightly more dense and coarse adult coat (see pics below).
Grooming. Keeping your pup well-groomed can help them look and feel their best. Miniature Australian Shepherds will need to be brushed multiple times a week. This not only helps keep their coat healthy, but it can additionally help catch the loose hair before it is shed throughout your home.
The Aussie's desire to cuddle
Dogs in general are known for being happy, cuddly, sweet, and soothing for a human to pet. Some breeds are, by nature, more affectionate than others. While the Aussie will typically reserve cuddling for one person or a group of trusted people, sometimes he won't want to cuddle at all.
When an Australian Shepherd is shaved, its natural oils and protection against mother nature are removed. This may include new problems for your Aussie such as skin irritation, getting sunburnt, and similar. Secondly, shaving their fur tends to yield a more negative impact on the fur's overall health once grown back.
Australian Shepherd dogs are one of only a few breeds that can boast the rare feature of a naturally bobbed tail. While not every Australian Shepherd dog is naturally tailless, about one in five Aussies are born without a tail.
Dogs such as golden retrievers, German shepherds, Siberian huskies and any dog that seasonally sheds huge clumps of fur (part of its undercoat) should never be shaved. It is a misconception that shaving will help keep a dog cool on hot days.
Do NOT shave this breed, as it messes up the delicate balance of the coat, which insulates them from heat and from cold by holding a layer of temperate air close to the body. The coat may never grow back the same if this breed is shaved.
Australian Shepherds enjoy cold weather, but cannot live outside in it.
All aussies get matted behind their ears, as does any other dog with long fur. This is happening because you are not brushing your dog enough. You need to brush her fur daily, or at the very least weekly. This applies to her entire body, not just her ears.
But clipping short ANY double coated breed, even once, can and often does cause serious permanent, irreversible damage to a dog's beautiful natural coat. Further, using clippers to take off a smooth coat, flat coat or wire coat is also not recommended as it can cause other kinds of problems.
Most Mini Aussies usually have medium-length coats with fur that can be straight or wavy. There are some short-coated Mini Aussies that have shorter, flatter, less feathery fur, but they are less common than long-haired Aussies.
The most common breed known to have hair are poodles, but you are not limited to only poodles. The great thing about dogs with hair is the fact that they don't shed nearly as much as a dog with fur.
Shaving your Australian shepherd's coat could expose its skin and increase its risk for getting a sunburn. Always leave about 1⁄4–1⁄2 inch (0.64–1.27 cm) of your dog's coat when you're trimming it to protect its skin.
Some basic supplies that your new four-legged friend will need are a harness or collar, a leash, identification tags, food and water dishes, a high-quality puppy food, a crate, a bed, and chew toys. Puppy pads and baby gates are good to have on hand, too.