Grooming a Border Terrier and Sheltie together

Two dogs, two very different coats — you've picked an interesting combination to start with. The right grooming tools depend entirely on coat type, and a Border Terrier's wiry, dense double coat and a Sheltie's long, flowing double coat have almost nothing in common in terms of what they need. The wrong deshedder on either of them can actually damage the coat rather than help it. So before I point you at anything specific: what are you mainly trying to tackle — is it the Sheltie's shedding, keeping the Border Terrier's coat tidy, detangling, or all of the above?

That's really helpful — you've got two distinct jobs here. For the Sheltie, the priority is a proper pin brush and a metal comb to work through those mats without breaking the coat, plus a deshedding tool for the undercoat. For the Border Terrier, hand-stripping is the correct way to maintain that wiry texture long-term, but for regular maintenance between strips, a slicker brush and a stripping comb will keep things tidy. Can I ask — how old is the Sheltie, and how bad are the mats currently? Fine tangles behind the ears are manageable at home; tight mats close to the skin sometimes need a professional first pass before you start a home routine.

Good news — those sound very workable at home. At three with manageable tangles, you're in a good position to get ahead of it. Here's my one clear recommendation to start your kit: get the Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brush. It sounds like a single tool but it's genuinely the best starting point for both dogs. For the Sheltie, it'll work through the outer coat and those tangles without pulling harshly, and paired with a metal comb for the ears, it'll become your main maintenance tool. For the Border Terrier, it handles the topcoat and keeps things neat between proper strips. It's more expensive than the supermarket alternatives but it lasts years and the pin spacing is right for both coat types — cheaper slickers tend to either miss the undercoat or scratch the skin. Once you have that as your base, you can add a deshedding rake for the Sheltie's undercoat and a stripping knife for the Terrier. But start with the Big G — it'll work for both dogs immediately.

Yes — the Greyhound Comb (the original, usually listed as the Safari or Professional Pet Grooming Comb with coarse and fine teeth). It's the industry standard for a reason: the fine end gets into the mat to work it apart, and the coarse end checks that you've cleared it fully without breaking the hair shaft. Run the comb through after the slicker brush every session — if the comb sails through with no resistance, you've done the job. If it catches, you know to go back in with the brush rather than forcing it. For behind the ears especially, work in small sections from the tips of the hair upward rather than dragging from the root down.

Exactly right. That order of purchase makes sense too — get comfortable with the brush and comb first, build a routine, and the Sheltie in particular will start to genuinely enjoy it once she associates the brush with attention rather than discomfort. The Border Terrier stripping is a separate skill worth learning from a video or a groomer the first time, but it's very doable at home once you've seen it done once. You're in good shape.