Below is just one way an Old
English Sheepdog owner tends to a dog's foot hair. Dogs often need to be slowly
desensitized to any new process. You need to proceed slowly,
respect the dog's limits, praise and reward lavishly so the dog will learn to
tolerate it. Only you know your dog and how he or she may respond.
Seek assistance from a professional if there is any chance your dog could be
harmed by it's exuberance or fear or if the dog could display an aggressive
behavior. Follow all product safety instructions provided by individual
manufacturers. Try to make grooming a special one-on-one time that both
you and your dog will look forward to. These instructions are
offered as-is and without guarantee or warranty.
Tools
Used In This Photo Demo:
Chris Christensen Gold Pin Brush-
27mm, Untangler®
7" Comb with stainless steel
rotating teeth and 7.5" scissors
Classic Canine- Heritage®.
I
always make the first scissor cut
across the hair at the front of the
foot, just in front of the toe nail
tips. I then go around the foot
making an arc. I've started on
the sides before but didn't end up
with a rounded front so I now start
with the cut straight across the
front.
Trimming An
Old English Sheepdog's Feet
This boy just had his foot hair
trimmed. Before
trimming feet, I make sure toe nails
have been trimmed to the proper
length. His nails had recently been
trimmed with a nail grinder. Trimming
the nails before trimming the feet
allows me to trim his foot hair as
short as possible.
You may want to leave the hair in
the front a little longer so the toe
nails stay hidden when you fluff the
hair.
I also
take my scissors and lie them almost
flat on the table so I can very
carefully trim the bottom edge
around the foot. I'm careful
to avoid cutting the pads or nails.
This boy has sweaty feet so I try to
keep the hair as short as possible
but still keep him in a little
longer coat.
I also keep the hair between the
pads short.
Front Feet
He has freshly washed and dried feet.
I comb out the hair all the away
around the foot.
The first cut is straight
across the front of
the foot, slightly before the tip of
the toe nails.
It usually takes a few cuts to get
all
the hair to the same length.
Starting on the outside, I trim the
hair so it rounds toward the front.
Trimming from the
front
to the inside area of the
foot.
You can gently press the hair down
in
order to trim hair that's been
missed.
Combing the foot out again.
You can see the hair that was missed
and the
importance of combing out the hair
as you trim.
Trimming toward the back of the
foot.
A quick comparison of one foot
before being
trimmed and the other close to being
finished.
You can also pick up the paw and
trim stray hairs from the bottom.
The back of the front feet.
Comb it out again and trim the
hair on the back of the
foot...
and continue cutting around
from the back
of the foot toward the front.
I blow off the legs when finished
to remove hair clippings.
Back Feet
I make the first cut straight across
the front of
the foot. I try to leave the
hair just slightly longer than the
front of the toe nails so they stay
hidden.
The round cut around the foot on
first one side...
then the other.
I comb out the foot and
trim any
longer hairs that were missed.
I trim any hair that I've missed
I move to the back of the foot and
comb the hair out. Lifting the
foot
allows me to comb the hair straight
down.
I trim up the back of the foot.
I like to trim this
area a little shorter so the dog has
better
traction. Especially if a dog
has hip problems.
Continue to round the foot up.
I carefully trim around the base of
the foot by lying the scissors
almost flat.
The finished foot.
Comparing the finished foot with the
one that hasn't yet been trimmed.
trim the
other back foot in the
same manner.
Lots of
treats during the washing, drying
and trimming but the final payoff
for
being such a good boy was to go
outside.
Copyright 2010- J.
Dunne. All rights reserved. The photographs and
instructions on this page are the property of the author. Do not
reproduce or copy for public use without written permission from the author.
Until You Find Me 3946 Park Lane - Traverse City, Michigan 49686
Old English Sheepdog &
Shaggy Dog Rescue Assistance.
