Ziggy

This week’s Klip Joint Dog Grooming dog of of the week is Ziggy, a happy Sheltie.

The Shetland Sheepdog is a small, double coated, working dog, agile and sturdy. Shelties have a double coat, which means that they have two layers of fur that make up their coat. The long, rough guard hairs lie on top of a thick, soft undercoat. The guard hairs are water-repellent, while the undercoat provides relief from both high and low temperatures. Mats can be commonly found behind the ears, under the elbow on each front leg, and in the fluffy fur on the hind legs (the “skirts”), as well as around the collar (if worn). Shaving these dogs is very bad for their skin and some do not regrow any significant amount of hair after being shaved, a condition known as alopecia. It should be noted that Shelties shed in clumps which can be pulled or brushed out of the main coat, rather than individual hair. This makes them much easier to groom and clean-up after than many smooth-haired dogs, which leave loose fur in their space.

Shelties have a high level of intelligence. According to Dr. Stanley Coren, an expert on animal intelligence, the Shetland sheepdog is one of the brightest dogs, ranking 6th out of 132 breeds tested. His research found that an average Sheltie could understand a new command in less than 5 repetitions and would obey a command the first time it was given 95% of the time or better.

We think Ziggy understands that regular grooming is important to keep dogs healthy and smiling.

Ziggy – Sheltie