Will Border Collie Hair Grow Back? 5 Grooming Mistakes to Avoid

Will Border Collie Hair Grow Back?

If you’re staring at a patchy spot on your pup or regretting a recent trip to the groomer, you are probably asking yourself: will Border Collie hair grow back? It can be pretty scary to see that famous, fluffy coat looking uneven or fuzzy, but don’t panic just yet—you are definitely not alone in this worry!

The short answer is yes, Border Collie hair will almost always grow back, but patience is key. Because Border Collies have a double coat, the soft undercoat usually grows back much faster than the long, silky guard hairs. This difference in growth speed often makes the coat look woolly, dull, or patchy for several months before it fully recovers its natural texture.

However, how you care for their coat during this regrowth phase makes a huge difference. While a surgical shave spot from the vet will usually return to normal in time, shaving your dog for summer can cause long-term texture issues known as “post-clipping alopecia.” According to experts at VCA Animal Hospitals, the double coat is essential for insulation, and messing with it can disrupt the natural growth cycle.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly why their coat behaves this way and the 5 grooming mistakes you need to avoid to make sure that beautiful fur comes back better than ever.

Understanding the Border Collie Double Coat

Before we dive into the mistakes, we need to talk about biology. To understand the answer to “will Border Collie hair grow back,” you first have to understand how their fur is built. It’s not just one big layer of fluff!

Border Collies have what is called a double coat. Think of it like a high-tech winter jacket system that has two distinct parts working together:

1. The Undercoat (The Thermal Layer): This is the fuzzy, soft hair closest to the skin. It grows very fast and its main job is insulation—trapping heat in the winter and cool air in the summer.

2. The Guard Hairs (The Raincoat): These are the longer, shinier, and tougher hairs you see on the outside. They repel water, block dirt, and protect your dog from the sun. These hairs grow much slower than the undercoat.

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), this two-layer system is evolutionary magic. However, because these two layers grow at different speeds, problems happen when you cut them both at the same time. If you shave a Border Collie, the fast-growing undercoat races back first, often crowding out the slower guard hairs. This is why the regrowth often looks “patchy” or “fuzzy” for a while—it’s basically the underwear growing back before the pants!

5 Grooming Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Shaving Them Down for Summer

This is probably the biggest grooming myth out there. Every summer, owners look at their thick-coated dogs panting in the heat and think, “I should shave him to help him cool off!” It seems logical—we take off our winter coats when it’s hot, so why shouldn’t they?

Please, put the clippers down!

Unlike humans, dogs don’t sweat through their skin (only through their paws). Their double coat actually acts as insulation against the heat, trapping cool air against their skin and blocking the sun. If you shave them, you remove this natural cooling system and expose their pink skin to dangerous sunburns and heatstroke.

But the bigger problem for us is the regrowth. If you are asking “will Border Collie hair grow back” after a full shave, the answer is often “yes, but it might look weird for a long time.” This is a condition called Post-Clipping Alopecia (or sometimes just “Coat Funk”).

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), shaving a double-coated dog disrupts the hair growth cycle. The fuzzy undercoat grows back fast, but the silky guard hairs take much longer. This results in a coat that feels like Velcro—it absorbs mud, burrs, and water, and it mats incredibly easily. It can take up to two years for the guard hairs to finally catch up and restore the coat’s original texture.

Mistake #2: Cutting Out Mats with Scissors (Instead of Detangling)

We’ve all been there. You are petting your dog and suddenly your fingers get stuck in a nasty clump of fur behind the ears or under the armpit. The temptation to just grab the kitchen scissors and snip it out is huge, but this is a major mistake.

First, it ruins the look of the coat. If you chop out a mat, you leave a visible “hole” or a choppy ledge in the fur. You might find yourself wondering, “will Border Collie hair grow back to fill this gap?” It will, but because the surrounding hair is full length, that chopped spot will look uneven and awkward for months as it slowly catches up.

Second, and more importantly, it is dangerous. Border Collies have surprisingly loose skin that can easily get pulled up into the center of a mat. It is very common for well-meaning owners to accidentally cut their dog’s skin when trying to snip out a tight knot.

Instead of cutting, you should work the mat out patiently. A great trick is to use a little bit of cornstarch to loosen the knot, or a dog-safe detangling spray. According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), regular brushing is the best defense, but if you do find a mat, you should carefully use a special comb or mat-splitter tool rather than risking a cut with scissors.

Mistake #3: Over-Bathing During the Regrowth Phase

When you see your dog’s hair looking thin or patchy, your first instinct might be to “wash it to make it healthy.” We do this for ourselves—using fancy shampoos to volumize our hair—so it makes sense we’d try it on them. However, this often makes the problem worse.

If you are worried and asking, “will Border Collie hair grow back faster if I wash them?” the answer is no. In fact, washing too often can slow the process down.

Dogs have a very different skin chemistry than humans. According to PetMD, a dog’s skin has a higher pH level (around 7.5) compared to humans (around 5.5). When you bathe them too frequently, especially with harsh soaps, you strip away the natural sebum (oils) that their skin produces.

These oils are essential because they waterproof the guard hairs and keep the skin flexible. Without them, the new hair growing back will be dry, brittle, and prone to breaking before it reaches its full length.

The Fix:

• Bathe Less: Unless your Border Collie rolled in mud (or something worse), try to limit baths to once every 2–3 months.

• Use the Right Stuff: Always use a pH-balanced dog shampoo.

• Moisturize: Look for shampoos with oatmeal or aloe vera to soothe the skin and support those new hair follicles.

Mistake #4: Using Bladed Deshedding Tools Too Aggressively

If you have ever walked into a pet store, you have likely seen those popular “deshedding tools” that promise to reduce shedding by 90%. They sound like a miracle for a Border Collie owner’s house! But here is the secret that many packaging labels don’t tell you: many of these tools work by using a tiny blade to cut the hair.

If you are asking, “will Border Collie hair grow back if I use a deshedding tool?” the answer is yes, but you might be accidentally giving your dog a haircut you didn’t plan on.

When used incorrectly or too aggressively, bladed tools (like the Furminator) can slice through the top layer of guard hairs instead of just pulling out the loose undercoat. This leaves the coat looking rough, spiked, and damaged. It can take a full shedding cycle (often 6 months or more) for those cut guard hairs to shed out and be replaced by new ones.

The Safer Choice: Instead of a bladed tool, switch to an Undercoat Rake with rounded teeth. According to Pooches at Play, a rake is designed to reach deep into the double coat and grab the loose fluff without cutting the shiny top hairs. It’s safer, more effective for the breed, and keeps that classic Border Collie silhouette intact.

Mistake #5: Ignoring Nutrition (The Inside-Out Approach)

You can use the best brushes and shampoos in the world, but if your dog isn’t getting the right fuel, their coat will suffer. Often, when owners ask “will Border Collie hair grow back,” they are focused on external treatments, forgetting that hair is built from the inside out.

Hair is made of protein—specifically, a tough protein called keratin. If your dog’s diet is low in quality protein, the body will prioritize keeping the organs running and stop sending resources to the hair follicles. This results in slow regrowth and a dull, dry coat.

In addition to protein, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are the secret weapons for a shiny coat. These healthy fats help reduce skin inflammation and keep the hair shafts flexible and strong.

What to Look For:

• High-Quality Protein: Make sure the first ingredient in your dog food is a named meat (like “Chicken” or “Salmon”), not a generic filler.

• Supplements: Consider adding fish oil or flaxseed oil to their dinner. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), fish oil is fantastic for supporting healthy skin and coat, reducing itchiness, and boosting the immune system.

Timeline: How Long Does it Take?

If you are staring at the calendar waiting for the fluff to return, you are probably asking: will Border Collie hair grow back in time for winter? The honest answer is that it depends entirely on why the hair was lost in the first place.

Because the Border Collie has a double coat, their hair growth cycle is complex. Unlike human hair which grows continuously, dog hair goes through distinct phases (growth, rest, and shedding). According to VCA Animal Hospitals, these cycles are heavily influenced by photoperiod (the amount of daylight) and the overall health of the dog.

Here is a general timeline of what you can expect:

• Surgical Shaves (IV spots or surgery sites): These usually fill in within 3 to 4 months. Since only a small patch was removed, the surrounding coat helps protect the skin, and it usually grows back without major texture changes.

• Seasonal “Blowing Coat”: If your dog is shedding massive clumps of undercoat, this process usually lasts about 4 to 6 weeks. Once the old coat is out, the new growth is usually immediately visible underneath.

• Full Body Shave Recovery: This is the slow one. If your dog was shaved down to the skin, it can take 6 to 12 months for the coat to return to its full length. The texture might remain “woolly” or soft for even longer before the correct guard hairs finally take over again.

Patience is Key: The “awkward fuzz phase” is normal. Don’t panic if the hair looks different at month 3 than it did at month 1; it is just the undercoat racing ahead of the guard hairs!

Conclusion

So, will Border Collie hair grow back after a grooming disaster or a surgery? The answer is a resounding yes! While seeing your dog look a little “unfinished” can be stressful, their bodies are amazing at repairing themselves.

The most important thing to remember is that the double coat is a delicate ecosystem. It wasn’t designed to be buzzed off, and it takes a lot of energy to rebuild. Whether you are dealing with a shaved patch from the vet or recovering from a summer shave, the secret ingredients are always the same: high-quality food, gentle brushing, and a whole lot of patience.

In the meantime, love your pup no matter how silly their hair looks. After all, they don’t care about bad hair days—they just want to play fetch!

For more deep dives into this amazing breed, check out the resources at the Border Collie Society of America, which offers great guides on keeping your dog happy and healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)