TOP LINE:
Now for the top line brush it down really good – as you can see we have a little bit of a hump there and we want to get that hump out and I have this tool, the Matbreaker. It takes the undercoat out without taking any of the topcoat out. As you can see it flattens it and you can do this anywhere to see any unleveled points of the dog, it’s a very nice little tool, it just takes out the undercoat.
Tip: If your dog is slightly long in body, thinning this area will help with the profile.
TOPLINE ADVANCED:
Now here we have a collie that has an unleveled topline. We are trying to pull out as much of the bustle as we can without putting in any holes (in the coat). We are using this nifty little tool – you only use this tool on a tri or a blue as it does take out the top coat. You would not use this on a sable because you would loose the color – he sable color and then you would have to color it in so you would use the other tool to pull the coat out for a sable. This coat is being pulled out by an instrument that is used for a tri or a blue. Now after we get out as much hair as we can out of the bustle then we will back brush the shoulders to try to make it level with the bustle. Now right before you go into the show ring, this is how you would prepare the dog so as to give the illusion of a level topline.