Coat Type and Maintenance

The Old English Sheepdog is naturally long haired over his entire body. Whilst not hypoallergenic they generally do not shed. The coat has a tendency to form mats and tangles if not brushed on a regular basis. The exact frequency needed to keep the coat in good condition will vary depending on the length of the coat as well as the life-style of the dog but daily brushing is recommended.

If not kept in good condition skin can become inflamed or even infected due to poor air circulation.

Professionally Grooming an Old English Sheep Dog

The Old English Sheep Dog requires regular visits to a professional groomers wo have knowledge and experience of the breed. Frequency is dependent of coat length, life-style and how often he is brushed between grooms. We would recommend no more than 8 weeks between professional grooms.

The process of professionally grooming an Old English Sheep Dog would generally start with a pre-clip. This is where excess coat is clipped prior to bathing and drying. This helps ensure that the shampoos and conditioners have maximum and effect and also reduces drying time.

Due to the size of the dog and the amount of coat bathing and drying can take anywhere from an hour to an hour and half.

My Best Friend Professional Dog Grooming always use high quality natural shampoos and conditioners and do not use drying cabinets, ever!

The drying process is undertaken in 2 stages. Firstly after removing excess water with a towel a high powered “blaster” is used to blast away water from his coat. Once the coat is damp, rather than dry, a finishing dryer is used and the groomer will fluff dry the coat whilst constantly brushing to ensure a perfect finish.

Once bathed, dried and fluffed the coat is ready to be cut and styled to the owners requirements. This involves both clipping and scissoring and is a highly skilled job!

Professionally Grooming an Old English Sheepdog can take up to 3 hours and will cost between £80 and £120. Take look at this vid to show you how we do it….