Types of Dog Grooming Brushes
What's the Best Brush for a Pet Who Sheds? Fur Mats? A Long Coat?
Dec 2, 2008
Visit the pet supply store's grooming section and dog owners will find a wide array of different brushes and combs for dog grooming.
When it comes to dog grooming and brushing a dog, it's not one-size-fits-all when in terms of all those different types of grooming brushes and combs. Each dog grooming tool has its own unique function and understanding which dog brush is best for a particular breed will help make grooming a dog at home easier and less time consuming.
Slicker Brushes
Dog groomers will use slicker brushes to remove fur mats and tangles from all coat types. Slicker brushes remove dead hairs - both undercoat hairs and the coarser hairs from the outer portion of the dog's coat. Dog groomers will use a slicker brush after using a pin brush and/or undercoat rake to remove a significant portion of the dead undercoat. Slicker brushes are often used as a finishing brush, as the fine wire bristles distribute the natural oils throughout the dog's coat, creating a shiny, smooth finish.
For dogs with a very short, smooth coat, like a Boxer, Amercan Staffordshire Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, Chihuahua (short haired), owners can usually get away with using only a slicker brush or bristle brush for that daily or every-other-day dog brushing.
Undercoat Rakes
Undercoat rakes are a great must-have grooming brush for dogs who shed. Undercoat rakes have just one row of metal prongs - just like a rake - that effectively remove dead fur from the dog's undercoat. One well-known product that's considered an undercoat rake is the FURminator® "deshedding tool."
Undercoat rakes are a great grooming tool for dogs who shed their thick coats, including Siberian Huskies, Samoyeds, Norwegian Elkhounds,Pomeraneans and Great Pyrenees. If a dog's undercoat is shedding in chunks, an undercoat rake is the most effective dog grooming tool to remove this shedding fur before it ends up on the couch, carpeting or on the owner's clothing.
De-Matting Rakes
De-matting rakes are designed to remove mats from a dog's fur. De-matting rakes are essentially a smaller version of an undercoat rake, with smaller prongs that more effectively pry apart the painful and unsightly fur mat. De-matting rakes are a great option for any dog (or cat) who develops mats.
Pin Brushes
Pin brushes are available in two basic varieties: with and without rubber-tipped brush prongs. Pin brushes are a brush of preference for dogs with medium length coats, wire coats, and wavy coats or curly coats, including the Golden Retriever, Portuguese Water Dog, Airedale Terriers and Schnauzers. While pin brushes (especially rubber-tipped varieties) are also great on dogs with sensitive skin, they're not very effective on dogs with short, sleek coats.
Pin brushes are great for removing dead hair that the dog will otherwise shed onto the furniture, floor or his owner's clothing. Pin brushes are also very effective at removing minor tangles found in many dogs with a medium-length coat. Many groomers will also opt to use larger pin brushes on a dog with wet fur, as bristle brushes, a fine-tooth comb or slicker brush can cause fur breakage since hairs are more delicate and prone to damage when wet.
Bristle Brushes
Bristle brushes are available with synthetic and natural bristles, with the natural bristles gentler and generally more effective on the dog's coat. Bristle brushes can be used on all coat types, including long coats, wavy coats, wire coats, curly coats and short coats.
Bristle brushes are used as a finishing brush, after all of the other types of brushes have been used. The bristles stimulate the skin, improve circulation and add shine to the coat. When grooming a dog, use a bristle brush to remove any loose hairs and to "style" the dog's fur after all the dead undercoat fur, mats and tangles have been removed.
For many short haired dogs with a thin, sleek coat, like the Greyhound, Miniature Pinscher, Pit Bull or Boxer, owners really only need a bristle brush or a slicker brush to remove those dead hairs and to improve their dog's coat appearance and sheen by distributing natural oils throughout the coat.
Understanding what types of brushes are best for grooming particular dog breed is important. Using the proper dog grooming brush will save time, discomfort or pain for the dog, and frustration on the owner's end.
Many dog owners choose to groom their dog at home, particularly if the dog is scared of the groomer or when times are tough financially. Check out the Home Dog Grooming Page for more articles on dog grooming at home, including How to Clip a Dog's Nails and How to Stop a Dog's Nail From Bleeding, in the event that a dog's nail is accidentally clipped too short during that home grooming effort.
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