Reddit mentions of Pet Grooming Tool - 2 Sided Undercoat Rake for Cats & Dogs - Safe Dematting Comb for Easy Mats & Tangles Removing - No More Nasty Shedding and Flying Hair

Furminator is okay, but an undercoat rake like this is what a groomer would use, and will do much better to not damage the topcoat. I use one on my aussie and he loves it.

Be careful with a teddy bear cut on a Pom. It’s not advised. The hair likely will not grow back in some places. They have a double coat like some larger breeds (e.g. Malamute) which should not be cut short. For summer time, just have their undercoat thin out using an undercoat rake such as this...

Pet Grooming Tool - 2 Sided Undercoat Rake for Cats & Dogs - Safe Dematting Comb for Easy Mats & Tangles Removing - No More Nasty Shedding and Flying Hair https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EZ7UOCM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Fl18AbCVDYKW1

Okay, I was told the same thing about the furminator and my breeder suggested buying this instead-Pet Grooming Tool - 2 Sided Undercoat Rake for Cats & Dogs - Safe Dematting Comb for Easy Mats & Tangles Removing - No More Nasty Shedding and Flying Hair https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EZ7UOCM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_7dkKDb6RZNP1E

For the brushing that people are recommending, make sure to use an undercoat brush (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EZ7UOCM/) and or a slicker brush but not the furminator blade type brush. We didn't realize this initially for our Aussie. Your dog should naturally maintain the outer coat but you'll want the rake to get the undercoat. It was a shocking experience the first time we brushed him with it.

As others have said, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight with no water is really what you need to worry about. We live in Texas and while summer clearly isn't his favorite season, he still plays fine in the heat. He'll just drink a lot of water. Be careful with asphalt especially on puppy paws. The ground gets really hot!

What you want is a dematting rake. A Furminator is good for maintenance, but to remove actual mats that's what you want. It'll cut right though them instead of you tugging on it with a Furminator.

Like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EZ7UOCM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_n20iDbTP61H2F

That’s a very common thing with shelties actually! The Furminator isn’t actually meant for detangling hair and it’s most successful when used on clean, combed out hair.

I will use something like this to remove small tangles as well as undercoat. You just have to be suuuuuper careful with tools like that because even though it’s not razor sharp, those are still little blades at the top of the tool that can cut both the dog and your hand if you’re trying to force it through a patch of tangled hair. The best tools to use for any dog with any significant amount of hair is a slicker brush and a comb. Those two exact tools are actually things that I use every day. That particular slicker brush is incredible.

Now most groomers should be able to brush out your dog without giving her a haircut. There’s a huge difference between traditional knots (like what a poodle will get) and bunched up undercoat. They can sometimes feel similar but with the right techniques, undercoat tangles come out much easier than traditional tangles. Shelties can still get regular tangles, but it tends to be in very specific areas such as behind the ears so doing a haircut all over is entirely unnecessary. If you want a haircut that’s fine, however shaving double coated dogs is not advised. It can result in the top layer of the coat not growing back as nice. So for dogs such as shelties, I would usually suggest a nice de-shedding treatment and a scissor outline trim. Each dog is different so it’s impossible to say for certainty without feeling your individual pooch, but if your groomer says that your sheltie absolutely has to be shaved, then maybe politely seek a different opinion if that’s not what you want.

Because shelties and collies hate being combed out so much, I pretty much always start with a dryer blowout before I do anything else with them. This video shows a very extreme but good example. Most dogs don’t shed that much hair but you can see the undercoat being loosened up and blown away. This takes care of a lot of those undercoat tangles and we can go from there.

Just be honest with your groomer. We don’t judge dogs for biting. It comes with the territory of the job but a proper heads up is always appreciated.

We have the orange furminator for long hair. It does ok, but it pulls at the hair.

This is cheaper and does an amazingly better job raking the undercoat: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EZ7UOCM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_O-YbBb6MTAZ3G

Also, I promise I'm not a paid spokesman, you can check my history. These supplements have really helped the softness of our girls fur, and shes starting to itch less on her paws/wrist area: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZXX93TG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_NbZbBbHV898X5

I'm on mobile. If these are the wrong Amazon links, let me know and I'll change them when I get to my computer. I dont need referral links, just trying to help other wiggle owners.

If anyone has any better experience with supplements (fish oil/omega3/whatever) let me know. I'm open to try new stuff!

Like this?

Pet Grooming Tool - 2 Sided Undercoat Rake for Cats & Dogs - Safe Dematting Comb for Easy Mats & Tangles Removing - No More Nasty Shedding and Flying Hair https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EZ7UOCM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_x0plDb2JVJDEV

This? https://smile.amazon.com/Pet-Grooming-Tool-Undercoat-Dematting/dp/B01EZ7UOCM

Or this? https://smile.amazon.com/Well-Good-Blue-Undercoat-Comb/dp/B076DQ3YGC