Humans enjoy a variety of hairbrushes for different hair types; dogs do as well. When grooming Fido, it’s important to use the right brush in order to ensure the best results and no pulling, tearing, or tugging of his hair. If you’re looking to boost your grooming game, consider adding the following brushes to your kit.
Slicker Brushes
Slicker brushes are designed with a large flat or curved head and, instead of bristles, feature rows of wire pins with rounded ends that won’t poke your dog. These brushes are ideal for de-matting and removing dead portions of the undercoat on dogs with all coat types. As the brush moves through the hair, the pins remove tangles and the bent ends are gentle on a dog’s skin, while also serving to gather hair and pull it out of the living coat. These brushes are available in many different sizes and shapes to cater to your dog’s unique coat type.
Pin Brushes
Like slicker brushes, pin brushes feature rows of straight pins rather than bristles. These pins are tipped with plastic or rubber and are ideal for de-tangling long coats without ripping or tugging out hair. The pins detangle while the bent ends gather and remove dead hair. These brushes are available in many different sizes and shapes.
Bristle Brushes
Bristle brushes feature a head full of manmade bristles on a rounded base. These brushes are ideal for removing debris from wiry or combination coats and are great for creating a show-ready shine.
Shedding Blades
Shedding blades are a thin strip of metal bent into a “U” shape and attached to a rubber handle. The metal features a strip of small teeth on one side and is wonderful for removing dead hair as the blade is dragged along the coat in the direction of the hair’s growth.
Undercoat Rakes
Undercoat rakes are ideal for dogs with double or heavy coats. These brushes feature a single row of long, straight metal teeth and a centralized handle. They are used to remove tangles gently from the undercoat and designed to move deeply into the coat, raking out matts and fur.
FURminator Deshedding Brushes
The FURminator is often the brush of choice in professional grooming parlors thanks to its metal comb, tiny, sharp teeth, and ejector button that allows gathered hair to be released cleanly. These brushes are ideal for removing dead hair and reducing shedding while keeping skin safe.
There are many different types of dog brushes available on the market today, but it’s clear that finding the right one for your dog comes down to matching the brush to hair type and weight. In many cases, dogs can benefit from being brushed with a variety of tools, and often several brushes used together can help create a shiny, beautiful coat and control shedding for weeks at a time — making for a happy, sleek dog, and a clean and pet-hair-free home.
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