An Aussie can look tidy from across the room and still be carrying a winter's worth of loose undercoat. That's the trick with this breed. The outer coat sheds dirt and water well, so the dog looks fine, while the soft layer underneath packs down against the skin. Australian Shepherd grooming is mostly about getting to that layer, keeping a few friction spots from felting, and deciding how much tidying you want on the feathering.
What the breed standard says about the coat
The AKC breed standard for the Australian Shepherd describes hair of medium texture, straight to wavy, weather resistant and of medium length. It says the undercoat varies in quantity with variations in climate. The hair is short and smooth on the head, ears, front of the forelegs and below the hocks. The backs of the forelegs and the britches are moderately feathered, and there's a moderate mane and frill, more pronounced in males than in females.
Two lines in there matter for a pet owner. The first is the undercoat note. Two Aussies from the same litter can end up with very different amounts of fluff depending on where they live and how they spend their days, so your dog's brushing needs may not match the dog down the street. The second is the map of where the long hair grows. The mane, the frill on the chest, the backs of the front legs and the britches are where you'll spend most of your brushing time.
Where an Aussie mats first
- Behind the ears. The ear leather itself is smooth, but the soft hair right behind it is fine and wispy, and it knots into little felted clumps you can feel before you can see.
- The mane and frill. This is the thickest part of the coat. A collar or harness rubbing here all day will press the undercoat into a mat.
- Armpits and the backs of the front legs. Every stride rubs this feathering together.
- The britches. The pants on the back of the thighs collect burrs, mud and whatever your dog sat in. A dog who loves a field walk in a Missouri fall comes home with half the hedgerow in there.
- The area around the tail. The standard calls for a docked or natural bob tail, though plenty of pet Aussies have a full one. Either way, the dense hair around it can tangle and hold moisture.
Coat blowing: the twice-a-year flood
Like most double-coated breeds, Aussies tend to drop a big load of undercoat a couple of times a year, usually as the seasons turn. For a few weeks it can feel like you're brushing a second dog out of your first one. That loose hair has to go somewhere. If it doesn't come out with a brush, it gets trapped by the outer coat and starts to pack in, and packed undercoat holds heat and moisture against the skin.
A bath followed by a thorough blow-dry loosens a lot of that undercoat at once, which is why a de-shed groom during a coat blow can make such a visible difference. Once the dead coat is out, we stop. If a dog keeps dropping hair after that, it's likely stress shedding rather than more undercoat, and brushing on won't help the coat or the dog.
Brushing an Aussie at home
You don't need a drawer full of tools. Three cover it:
- An undercoat rake to pull out loose underfur, mostly during a blow.
- A slicker brush for the outer coat and the feathering.
- A metal comb to check your work.
Work in sections. Lift the coat with one hand, brush the layer underneath down and out, then move up an inch and do it again. When the comb slides from skin to tip without catching, that section is done. Spend extra time behind the ears, the frill, the armpits and the britches, since a quick pass over the back won't reach any of them.
How often depends on the dog and the season. Plenty of Aussies stay in good shape with a solid brush-out once or twice a week, then need something closer to daily attention while the coat is blowing. More isn't always better, though. Running a slicker over the same patch again and again can scrape the skin, which we wrote about in can you brush your dog too much.
Bathing and drying
An Aussie doesn't need frequent baths. That weather-resistant coat lets a lot of dirt shake off once it dries. When you do bathe, the drying is where the work is. A dense undercoat that stays damp near the skin can start to smell and can tangle as it dries. Towel off well and keep going until the coat is dry all the way down, not just on the surface. If your dog comes in wet from rain or a creek, the same rule applies, especially in the frill and britches.
Trimming: how much is up to you
The breed is meant to look natural, and most of an Aussie's coat doesn't need cutting at all. There are still a few spots where a light tidy is a reasonable choice:
- The feet. Hair between the pads can be kept short for grip on hard floors and to give burrs and ice less to hold on to. The tops of the feet can be tidied into a neat shape or left natural.
- The britches and sanitary area. A little shorter here can keep things cleaner, at the cost of some of that fluffy look from behind.
- Behind the ears. Thinning the wispy hair can cut down on the felted clumps.
- The feathering on the front legs. You can leave it full, tidy the ragged ends, or take it shorter. Each has trade-offs, and our post on whether to trim or leave feathering walks through them.
Tell us at drop-off how natural you want your Aussie to look, and we'll tell you what we see in the coat.
Should you shave an Aussie?
It's a tempting idea once summer arrives. Shaving a double coat can change how it grows back, and that undercoat does a job for the dog. A shave can also be the most practical option when a coat is matted past brushing out. We never shave a dog down without talking to you first. Before you decide either way, read our post on shaving a double-coated dog, which lays out both sides. If you're weighing it for a skin problem or heat issue, ask your vet too.
How often an Aussie needs a groom
It depends on the coat and how much brushing gets done at home. One approach is a bath and de-shed every six to eight weeks, with brushing at home in between. Another is a groom mainly when the coat blows, plus nail trims as needed. Neither is wrong. The signs it's time are easy to spot: tufts of undercoat working their way out on the flanks, a comb that snags behind the ears, or a coat that stays damp and smelly long after a rainy walk.
If your Aussie's coat is getting ahead of you, book a groom with us. We'll talk through the options with you, and your dog goes home with a free bandana or bows.