Grooming a Scottie Dog; Everything You Should Know About Grooming a Scottish Terrier
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- by Adam
- 04 Apr 2025
- 0 Comments
A compact muscular body with short compact legs, a double coat, a bushy beard, chunky eyebrows and leg furnishings are the distinctive unique features of a Scottish Terrier, also known as a Scottie. This small dog weighs around 18-22 pounds and comes in black, brindle or wheaten colors.
From a groomers point of view this particular breed requires specific techniques to maintain their aesthetics while staying practically functional.
Scotties have a dense outer coat with a wire like structure but a soft undercoat which of course needs regular grooming to maintain its texture and prevent matting. Extra attention is to be paid to their beard, brows, legs and their skirt for up keep.
HOW TO GROOM A SCOTTIE
| Scottie Grooming Needs | Frequency |
| Clipping or Hand Stripping | 4-6 times a year |
| Brushing Coat | 2-3 times a week |
| Bathing | Every 6-8 weeks |
| Targetted Trimming | As required by the individual dog |
| Nail trimming | As soon as you hear them clacking against the walking surfaces |
| Ear Cleaning | Every 2-3 weeks |
| Tear Stain Wipe | Once every week |
Grooming Tools Required
- Show Tech Palm Brush
- Show Tech Palm Pin brush
- Grey Hound/ Sentinel Steel Comb
- Thinning shears
- Electric clippers with a #10 blade (#8.5 blade optional)
- Grooming table
Grooming tables are easily available at any pet store near you, they are essential especially if you’re grooming your Scottie at home. It places them at the correct height and prevents you from bending your way to back ache.
Hand Stripping/ Clipping Your Scottie
The Scottish terrier is typically a light shedding breed, you can consider the, a hypoallergenic breed, so there's little to chance of finding stray hair on your furniture. The hard wire like coat undergoes a cycle where it sheds its hair when they reach a certain length. This is when you're supposed to hand strip the coat to allow new healthy coat to replace it. You can do it with a stripping knife or a tool or even hand strip.
We advise you to let the professionals do it as you may end up hurting your dog if not done correctly, and individual dog needs may vary. On top of all, this will result in your dog forming a negative association with grooming processes, in turn creating problems for the future. This is why you should resort to clipping to get rid of dead fur and occasional trimming.
To clip your Scottish Terrier, use a no.10 blade and start with the head; the motion should be from the eyebrows to the front of the years. Be very careful when using clippers as you do not want to shave off their eyebrows or mustache. Then, clip from the chip down all the way to the chest. Run them in the direction of hair growth on the back of the legs and the sides along the body, take breaks and check for evenness. Shave under the belly and the inside of the legs to keep it clean and matt-free. Clip around the skirt in approximately three widths of a blade to keep it uniform and well-trimmed
Use thinning sheers to trim the tail and around the genitals; you want to hold onto the tail as you snip away to avoid any accidental cuts and make a little carrot shape. Use the same sheers to trim out the eyebrow hairs and any excessive hair growth inside the ears. Make sure the inside of the brow is longer than the outside.
Remember that the overall goal of grooming your Scottie is to enhance its distinctive, sturdy, yet compact features.
Note: Some undercoat rakes available on the market can damage a Scotties coat by removing more hair than necessary which is why you should be vary when buying tools. Investing in the right tools is crucial.
Brushing Your Scottie
A Scotties coat is much prone to matting hence requires consistent brushing. They should ideally be brushed 2-3 times a week but the frequency can not be lower than once a week. A pin brush with wire bristles will help you remove loose fur from the coat and a bristle brush is ideal for daily use. The soft bristle brush will help stimulate hair growth as well as help spread oils from the skin all over the coat, keep it smooth and shiny.
Work in sections, making your way from neck to the body and then down to the legs and tail. The head is equally important when it comes to brushing. Make sure to brush the eyebrows and beard as they are the standout features of this breed as well as high friction areas such as the elbows and inner thighs.
On a daily basis, you can use one of our recommended metal combs to run through stubborn knotting. Use a detangling spray or mist, spritz it on the knot, and slowly work your way through it. We also recommend running this comb post shower brush and drying it to glide through the fur to make sure it is free of knots. Conditioning the eyebrows, beard, and leg furnishings is always a good idea, as per our groomers. Plan on spending 20 – 30 min weekly to brush out the furnishings regardless if the dog is stripped or clipped.
Bathing Your Scottie
Try to avoid bathing your Scottie regularly because their skin can easily dry out their skin. You should, however, bathe them immediately if they roll around in the dirt or start to smell.
Always use organic high-quality dig shampoos that are made with ingredients such as calming natural oils, like spearmint, germanium, and German chamomile. The shampoo has to be paraben-free at any cost.
Always remember to condition afterward. Our groomers recommend using Jojoba oil as a conditioner, it is light weight and absorbs into the coat keeping it soft and shinny.
Always massage shampoo/conditioner/oil in the direction of hair growth, same technique applies when it comes to rinsing.
Ears and Nails
Ears and nails are just as important, always remember to clip their nails when you hear them clacking against walking surfaces. Use ear cleaning solution soaked cotton ball to wipe the insides of the ears clean once each week.
Remember to brush your Scotties coat even in the summers when its skirt is considerably shorter. It may seem like they perspire from their feet only but our groomers notify that they sweat and need brushing regularly to keep cool.
CONCLUSION
Grooming a Scottish Terrier is indeed a high maintenance task that requires time and consistency. From regular brushing to bathing with the right products, to paying attention to their eyebrows and beard, each task requires expert technique. Specially when it comes to hand stripping, giving them the right trims and having to pay special attention to the under belly, nails, ears and tail. Each element is crucial to their well being and comfort.
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