Slicker Brushes for Australian Shepherds

An Australian Shepherd carries a weather-resistant topcoat over a soft, dense undercoat. The topcoat should be left alone. The undercoat is what mats, what sheds in clumps twice a year, and what makes an Aussie owner feel like they are losing a fight.

The four places that mat first

Behind the ears, in the ruff around the neck, in the britches at the back of the hind legs, and under the front legs. These are friction points, and they are also the spots most owners skip because they are awkward to reach. A curved brush head sits into these hollows in a way a flat head cannot.

Do not cut the topcoat

Aggressive short-pinned slickers snap the guard hairs that keep an Aussie cool in summer and dry in winter. Longer, softer pins pass through the topcoat and work on the undercoat underneath, which is where the loose hair actually is. You should see soft fluff coming out on the brush, not coarse coloured guard hair.

Coat blow season

Twice a year an Aussie will drop undercoat for two to three weeks. Daily brushing during that window removes most of it before it reaches your floor, and it prevents the trapped-hair mats that form when a blowing coat is left alone. A large curved brush for the body and a medium for the legs and ruff covers the whole dog comfortably.