Sophie is a blue-eyed Australian Shepherd, and if you have ever had the experience of being looked at by a blue-eyed Aussie, you know that look stays with you. It is the kind of look that makes you feel like the dog is reading your entire life story and has thoughts about it.
Sophie has been a Vroom Grooms client for a long time. She is smart, she is steady, and she has the kind of calm focus on the grooming table that I love in a working dog.
A Smart Dog Looks Different on the Table
The thing about grooming an Australian Shepherd is that they are paying attention the entire time. They are watching what you are doing, what is coming next, what tool you are picking up, and what that tool means for them. With a less observant dog, you can move at a steady pace and they will just accept whatever is happening. With an Aussie, you have to actually communicate.
Sophie is a very good communicator back. She will move a foot when I ask. She will lean into the brush when she wants more. She will give me a pointed look when she has had enough of the dryer, and I have learned to read that look and respond.
That is the work. The grooming itself is straightforward. The reading-the-dog part is what makes a great appointment.
Grooming Notes for Australian Shepherds
Aussies have a double coat that needs real attention. A few breed-specific things I always keep in mind:
– The undercoat is the whole story. If we do not blow it out properly, it packs down and traps heat and moisture against the skin. – The feathering on the back of the legs, the chest, and the tail tangles easily. I trim those areas to keep them manageable between grooms. – Their feet collect burrs, mud, and small mats. I clean between the pads and trim the hair back so the feet stay tidy. – Their eyes are expressive but exposed. I always take a quick look and let the owner know if I see any discharge or changes.
What Sophie Taught Me
Sophie is the dog I think about when people ask me what a great groom looks like. She comes in calm. She lets me work. She has her moments where she is over it, and we work around those moments instead of through them. By the end of the appointment she is clean, she is fluffy, and she is leaning against my leg while I take her collar off.
That is the goal every time. Some dogs need extra time to get there. Some dogs are Sophie and they just trust the process.
See More Live
I stream most of my grooms over on Twitch at DogGroomerNicole. Sophie has been on the stream, and if you watch closely you can see the moment she gives me the look that means the dryer has done its job and we can move on.
Real grooming, real dogs, real community.
About the Author
Nicole is the owner and certified groomer behind Vroom Grooms LLC, a mobile dog grooming service serving Northwest Ohio. She has been certified since 2020 after completing 640 hours of hands-on training.
This post was drafted with help from Nagini 🐍, her digital assistant, who keeps the blog running, handles the tech side of the website, and makes sure Nicole spends more time with dogs and less time wrestling with WordPress.