Self And Mutual Barbering

[Dilly's Piggies]

My sheltie Paisley has been barbering herself between her front legs for a long time, her best friend Willow has been helping her with this and barbering the hair off her head and back also, such a shame as Paisley had lovely hair until this hairdressing hobby began! I normally let the shelties hair grow out over winter and trim it short for the summer, I've noticed the barbering started when I stopped trimming. Is it possible that Paisley is trying to tell me she wants a hair cut? I hate trimming their hair as they look beautiful, I always mess it up! Perhaps it's time for a trim, all the shelties seem a bit uncomfortable with their longer hair at the moment, especially with it being shedding season.

 

[Wiebke]

My sheltie Paisley has been barbering herself between her front legs for a long time, her best friend Willow has been helping her with this and barbering the hair off her head and back also, such a shame as Paisley had lovely hair until this hairdressing hobby began! I normally let the shelties hair grow out over winter and trim it short for the summer, I've noticed the barbering started when I stopped trimming. Is it possible that Paisley is trying to tell me she wants a hair cut? I hate trimming their hair as they look beautiful, I always mess it up! Perhaps it's time for a trim, all the shelties seem a bit uncomfortable with their longer hair at the moment, especially with it being shedding season.

Long-haired piggies are much more prone to sef-barbering and being barbered. I have some persistent self-barberer and social barberers amongst my own piggies.

In case of self-barbering in a specific spot, it is always good to make sure that there is not discomfort either on the skin or the area below. Social barbering happens more often with long hair.

Two of my long-haired piggies I only have to tidy up because one habitually self-barbers all over and the other is kept trim by his favourite wife.

More information on the various aspect that can play into barbering:
Barbering ( Eating Hair)

 

[Lorcan]

Comet likes to barber Blitzen, but he seems to leave the fur fairly even. I've never seen a patch too short. Blitzen himself never seems to do it, but I figure if he's happy to let Comet have a go, that's fair. Incidentally Comet only started doing it after I gave Blitzen a noticeable haircut. Blitzen doesn't really appreciate haircuts, and I wonder if Comet picked up on that.

 

[Freela]

I have had a sheltie cross (Linney and then Hadley) for years- neither of them self-barbered, but Sundae used to barber Hadley something fierce, more in the summer than the winter. Hadley would end up looking like she fought with hedge clippers! If she's barbering the same place repetitively, I would check to make sure there's no rash or bump or discomfort in that area. If not, it may just be a habit (like a human biting their nails) or she may stop it if you trim her fur there. I also like to let my shelties grow longer, thought I trim anything that trails on the ground so it doesn't mat or get pee on it. They just have such pretty fur! I now have two sheltie crosses but they are not together yet because one is in quarantine... I am hoping they don't chew each other up when they meet because right now they both look lovely!