Got a four-legged shedding machine? Or a pet prone to mats? I’ve had both, and frequent brushing helps combat both problems.
Even though most animals are capable of grooming themselves, at least to a certain extent, pets benefit from regular brushing sessions.
Different types of coats call for different brushing techniques and tools. Guardians can experiment with various techniques, tools and treats until they find an approach that leads to better health for their pet, a warmer relationship with the pet, and far less fur to sweep up every day. Some pets instinctively love being brushed while others can learn to enjoy the process.
This post discusses:
- Why you and your pet would benefit from regular brushing sessions
- The types of coats dogs have
- The various brushes, combs and other tools available for brushing your pet
- My own experiments with various brushes
Why groom?
Most, but not all, pets groom themselves. But some may only groom certain parts of their bodies.
Pets that don’t feel well might not groom. Overweight, aging or arthritic pets can’t groom areas they can’t reach. Even if dogs with long fur do groom, they may not be able to prevent matting and tangles.
Whether your pet always grooms from nose to tail, only grooms a little, or doesn’t groom at all, your pet will still benefit from your attentions.
Routinely brushing your pet pays off in a number of ways, no matter how long your pet’s fur grows.
Not only does it reduce the number of furry tumbleweeds drifting along hardwood floors by removing loose fur, it also minimizes the chance for mats to form in fur prone to matting.
While loose fur on the floor is an annoyance, particularly in fall and spring when shedding is at its height, mats pose a real problem for pets. Not only are they painful, but they can also hide things like parasites and lead to skin problems. Some types of fur – particularly if it grows long or is of a fine, silky texture – are more likely to mat than others, and preventing mats from forming is one of your jobs as a guardian. Paying a professional to periodically clip your pet’s fur is a great solution, but brushing in between sessions is a good idea.
When you frequently brush your pet, you can more easily monitor your pet’s health. For example:
- you might spot ticks and fleas, prompting you to give flea and tick preventative and/or a bath.
- you might locate cuts or wounds soon after they happen, if they weren’t otherwise obvious, so you can administer first aid if minor or take them to the vet for more serious treatment.
- you might discover mats, leading you to schedule a professional grooming appointment or use your dematting rake to remove them. (Please don’t use scissors to cut mats out – it’s very easy to accidentally cut your pet’s skin if they move at the wrong time. Use a dematting rake or see a professional groomer.)
- you might become aware of things like lumps when they form, allowing you to bring them to your vet’s attention and track their growth over time.
In addition to helping stimulate skin and hair follicles, brushing can also pull out dirt and dander. Running a brush over your pet’s body also helps redistribute the naturally occurring oils on the coat to keep the fur shiny and healthy.
Finally, when done in a loving and patient fashion, the brushing session can strengthen the bond between you and your pet.
Types of coats
Figuring out the right tool for brushing your pet starts with knowing what kind of fur coat your pet has.
In general, dogs can have top coats only, or top coats and under coats, commonly referred to as a double coat.
The top coat has guard hairs that provide protection from UV rays, water and dirt. Dogs like boxers and poodles only have top coats.
The undercoat serves as insulation, keeping the dog warm when it’s cold outside and cooler when it’s hot. Vets and groomers recommend against shaving dogs with double coats. Dogs like chows and golden retrievers have double coats.
Aside from single coat or double coat, fur can be:
- short, medium or long (length)
- curly or straight (texture)
- wire-haired or not (coarseness)
In much the same way as humans use various combs and brushes to achieve distinct looks and objectives, different types of fur call for choosing specific grooming brushes, rakes and combs, or a variety of these items to remove loose fur, remove matts and tangle, and fluff a fur coat.
Types of tools
If you’ve ever wandered along the grooming aisle of your local pet supply store, you’ve likely found a bewildering array of grooming implements, often with little indication of what purpose they serve, or what kind of fur they are intended for.
Using the right tool – or set of tools – will not only ensure you get the job done, it will help both you and your pet enjoy the process.
No matter which tool you choose, make sure the size is appropriate for your pet and that the handle is comfortable and anti-slip. Some tools come with self-cleaning features, which are particularly useful. Some of them are double-sided, which can save money if you’ll be using both sides. Two frequent combinations are pin brush with bristle brush and undercoat rake with deshedding tool (both shown).
Here’s the low-down on basic grooming items.
Undercoat rake
Description: Wide-spaced metal teeth.
What it does well: The undercoat rake removes loose and dead fur and helps prevent mats.
Types of fur it works well on: Double coats, medium to long coats.
Techniques and tips: Gently glide the teeth of the undercoat rake along the dog’s skin in the direction of fur growth.
Slicker brush
This slicker brush makes it easy to eject fur with the push of a button.
Description: Fine, short, tightly-packed wire bristles, often arranged in a rectangle.
What it does well: The slicker brush removes loose hair, small mats.
Types of fur it works well on: All coats.
Techniques and tips: Gently glide the wire bristles of the slicker brush along the dog’s skin in the direction of fur growth to remove loose fur. To remove mats, use short, gentle strokes.
Variation: The tips of the wire bristles on some slicker brushes may be coated, resulting in a different performance of the tool.
Bristle brush
Description: Similar to bristle hair brushes for humans.
What it does well: Removes dander, dust and debris from top coat; cleans and shines coats.
Types of fur it works well on: Short, medium, long.
Techniques and tips: Brush in direction of fur growth to clean and shine; brush against fur growth to fluff.
Pin brush
Description: Widely-spaced pins arranged in a brush shape. The pin tips are covered by a protective ball to prevent scratching the dog’s skin.
What it does well: Removes loose fur and debris; detangles undercoat.
Types of fur it works well on: All, depending on spacing and length of pins.
Techniques and tips: Gently brush in the direction of fur growth.
Deshedding implements
Deshedding blade
Description: Deshedding blade, which can be straight or looped, has teeth (coarse or fine) along one or both sides of the tool.
What it does well: Gently but efficiently removes fur over large or small portions of the dog’s body.
Types of fur it works well on: Coarse teeth (pictured) are best for thicker and heavy coats, while fine teeth are best for smooth and medium coats.
Techniques and tips: Run gently over the fur in the direction of fur growth.
Features to look for: Dual-sided blades feature coarse and fine teeth; opening and locking handle permits use of blade while straight or looped.
Deshedding tool
Description: Deshedding tool with short teeth closely spaced together.
What it does well: Removes loose undercoat fur, mats and tangles.
Types of fur it works well on: Medium to long fur.
Techniques and tips: Gently glide the tool along the dog’s skin in the direction of fur growth to remove loose fur. To remove mats, use short, gentle strokes. Prevent pulling by holding the fur between the skin and the mat.
Dematting rakes
Description: Curved metal teeth that are sharpened in the curves to cut through mats. Sometimes, two-sided with more teeth on one side than the other.
What it does well: Cuts through mats, removes loose fur
Types of fur it works well on: Medium to long.
Techniques and tips: Use short, gentle strokes of the closer-set teeth while pressing your fingers against the fur into dog’s skin to prevent painful pulling. Use longer strokes with the wider-set teeth to remove lose fur.
Comb
Description: Evenly spaced metal teeth of uniform length.
What it does well: All-around grooming tool.
Types of fur it works well on: Medium to long fur.
Techniques and tips: Use slow, gentle strokes.
Silicone grooming brush
Description: Silicone wide-spaced conical teeth.
What it does well: Dry, it removes loose topcoat fur, particularly from short-haired animals. During baths, it removes loose fur from short- and medium-furred animals. It can also pull loose fur off of some fabrics.
Types of fur it works well on: Short and medium.
Techniques and tips: Use straight strokes or circular motions to help remove loose fur. Caution: circular brushing can create tangles in animals with longer fur, so this is not recommended for long fur. Alternatively, use slow, massaging motions for a relaxing grooming session.
Grooming mitt
Description: Palm of a glove covered with short silicone nubs.
What it does well: Dry, removes loose topcoat fur. During baths, it removes loose fur from short- and medium-furred animals. It can also pull loose fur off of some fabrics.
Types of fur it works well on: Short and medium.
Techniques and tips: Use slow, massaging motions to remove fur and create a relaxing grooming session.
Flea comb
Description: Extremely close-set longer metal teeth.
What it does well: Removes fleas and debris from fur.
Types of fur it works well on: Short and medium.
Techniques and tips: Gently comb from skin outward, removing fleas that appear on the comb.
Detangler
Description: Fluid that can be sprayed onto tangles making it possible to comb through them.
What it does well: Detangles knots.
Types of fur it works well on: Medium and long fur.
Techniques and tips: Spray on tangled fur, let penetrate, and gently comb through the tangle using a comb or dematting rake, starting at the outside and working your way in. Prevent pulling by holding the fur between the skin and the tangle.
Features to look for: Non-toxic, no-rinse formula.
Let the experiments begin!
Up until this project, most of my brushing experience revolved around using an old two-headed deshedding tool or a deshedding blade on Houdini to try to keep her coat looking nice and fur tumbleweeds from taking over my home. The two-headed tool has an undercoat rake on one end – which I had never in more than a decade used until I started this project – and a deshedding tool on the other, which I have long used to remove loose fur. Sometimes, I mixed it up a bit and used a deshedding blade instead, but always with much the same results – a lot of loose fur removed, but the need to still sweep every day and brush Houdini at least every other day.
This project started because even though I had been working part time at an animal shelter for nearly four years, every time I opened the drawer at the shelter that contained the brushes and combs, I hadn’t the foggiest idea which brush to use on which animal. In fact, I didn’t even know what the dematting tools were until not so long ago.
So I dug deep into our grooming supplies and pulled out one of every style and researched them. (All items I tested were either borrowed from the shelter or ones I owned myself. No manufacturers supplied any of the test items for review.)
Armed with my research, the experiments began. I brushed as many of our shelter dogs and cats as I could. And then I started brushing any other dogs I could get my hands on. Most of my efforts were on:
- Houdini, a lab mix, double coat
- Mulligan, a Border Collie, double coat with tangles
- Harry, a long-haired mix, top coat with tangles
- Sophie, a short-haired mix, top coat
- Toby, a poodle
- Billy, a scruff dog
Some dogs instinctively enjoy being brushed, while others don’t. For those who didn’t, I had to figure out whether it was about the tool itself, brushing in general, the presence of mats, or not being in the mood for brushing at that particular point in time.
Over the years, I’ve found that my own dog prefers to be brushed while she’s in her bed, which means I usually only brush one side per session. My dad’s Border Collie, Mulligan, who’s prone to matting, prefers really short brushing sessions, preferably followed immediately by some really tasty treats. Different animals enjoyed being brushed by some tools and not others.
In general, I’ve had the best luck with brushing animals when:
- there are no distractions present
- the session is short, around 2 to 5 minutes
- it’s at a time of day when they’re likely to want to rest, lie down or cuddle
- they get a chance to sniff the tools before they are brushed, and during if they wish
- I set the scene ahead of time and have all the different tools I think might be necessary within reach
- I observe their body language to see how they’re responding to the brushing and honor their signs of discomfort by giving them a break or stopping the session altogether
- each session is followed by a great treat, so the brushes begin to predict treats
Experiment results
Houdini, a lab mix, double coat
Before, I used either the deshedding brush or the deshedding blade, with so-so results.
Now, I use a combination of tools to get the most fur out.
First, the undercoat rake pulls away a lot of loose fur from the undercoat. Then I use the slicker brush followed by either the deshedding brush or deshedding blade. Or I use either the deshedding brush or deshedding blade followed by the slicker brush. As long as I start with the undercoat rake and follow with both of the other tools, I seem to obtain similar results, no matter which order I use them in.
Mulligan, a Border Collie, double coat
For Mulligan, my dad’s Border Collie, I tried practically the whole array of tools: undercoat rake, pin brush, bristle brush, slicker brush, deshedding blade, silicone brush, wide deshedding brush, narrow deshedding brush, deshedding mitt and detangler. I didn’t have a dematting rake on hand, or I would have tried that as well because this boy is prone to matting! Everything but the silicone brush pulled out at least some loose fur. He most enjoyed the undercoat rake, pin brush and mitt. I used a combination of the detangler with the undercoat rake to remove some small tangles in his fur, followed by the bristle brush to fluff out his fur.
Mulligan’s fur on the wide undercoat rake, pin brush, slicker brush, deshedding rake, silicone brush, deshedding tool and narrow undercoat rake.
In the future, I would continue to use the undercoat rake, pin brush, slicker brush and one of the deshedding tools for general elimination of loose fur; detangler or a dematting rake for those problem zones; the bristle brush to smooth out his fur; and a mitt for general massage because he seems to really like it.
Harry, a long-haired mix, top coat
For this long-haired friend of Houdini, I tried a pin brush, a bristle brush, the undercoat rake and a dematting rake. He enjoyed the pin and bristle brush. (He was one of three dogs who really seemed to enjoy the pin brush, and whose coats seemed improved by it.) The dematting rake effectively helped me remove a few small tangles in his leg fur, and he tolerated this effort. I didn’t have detangler available at the time, or I would have tried that.
In the future, I would continue using the pin and bristle brush for basic brushing. For minor tangles, I would try the detangler to see if that helped with the dematting process, although I would also use the dematting rake again.
Sophie, a short-haired mix, top coat
For my neighbor dog, I tried a slicker brush, deshedding mitt, bristle brush and silicone brush. She seemed to most enjoy the silicone brush, although it did little in the way of fur removal, and the bristle brush. The bristle brush and slicker brush both tied for removing the most fur. Now I brush my neighbor dog with the bristle brush and follow up with a brief massage using the silicone brush.
(Her before and after pix look exactly the same since she’s got such short fur!)
For my neighbor dog, I tried a slicker brush, deshedding mitt, bristle brush and silicone brush. She seemed to most enjoy the silicone brush, although it did little in the way of fur removal, and the bristle brush. The bristle brush and slicker brush both tied for removing the most fur. Now I brush my neighbor dog with the bristle brush and follow up with a brief massage using the silicone brush.
Sophie’s fur is so short, very little of the fur that came off is visible on the slicker brush, grooming mitt, bristle brush and silicone grooming brush.
Toby, a poodle
For Toby, a poodle, I tried a bristle brush, a grooming mitt, a comb, a silicone brush. I expected to need a dematting rake, but Toby regularly sees a groomer, so I didn’t come across any tangles to deal with. He most enjoyed the grooming mitt and the bristle brush, which together made his coat a bit fluffier.
Billy, a scruff dog
Billy, a neighbor dog, is a scruffy one, and I had no idea what kind of brush would work best on his wiry fur, so I put out all the tools. I didn’t expect to use the slicker brush, deshedding tools or dematting rake, but put them out just in case.
My neighbor first brushed Billy with the pin brush, then the bristle brush. This started smoothing out his wiry coat. She followed up with the silicone brush and then the grooming mitt, which continued to smooth out that coat of his.
Conclusions
In most cases, no one tool does it all. A combination of tools is where it’s at.
For all dogs with double coats, the undercoat rake seems to be one of the most valuable tools in the fur removal arsenal. After that, there are a number of tools that can help remove the rest of the dog’s loose fur, but my experiments revealed the slicker brush and deshedding brush/blade combination to be very effective and tolerated fairly well by the dogs in question.
For dogs with long fur, a bristle brush makes the coat look nice and shiny.
For dogs with short fur, slicker brushes and bristle brushes seem to work pretty well at removing loose fur.
For dogs with curly, fine poodle-like fur, gentler tools like the bristle brush, grooming mitt and silicone brush seem to work best for brushing out the fur.
For scruffy dogs with wiry fur, the pin and bristle brush combo is a winner, and a silicone brush or grooming mitt might be welcome as well, when it comes to brushing out the fur.
For dogs with small mats or tangles, gentle use of the dematting rake or detangler with undercoat rake were effective. For larger mats or tangles, I would definitely seek out a professional groomer.
Happy brushing!