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How To Choose The Best Brush For Your Dog

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How To Choose The Best Brush For Your Dog

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Brushing your pet may not always be the easiest task, but it’s essential to care for your dog. There are several reasons why you should brush your dog. Not only does it get rid of mats and tangles, but it also keeps their coat looking beautiful and vibrant, lubricating and massaging the skin by activating the natural oils. Another advantage is that pet hair will be kept away from your furniture and clothing.

However, it isn’t always as easy as you might think to choose a brush for your dog. Different breeds have different types of coats and therefore require different brushes. If you imagine the difference between the coat of a German Shepherd and a Poodle, you can imagine why choosing different brush strokes is important.

If you get the brush type right, it’s likely your pet will grow to love their grooming session. If your dog is reluctant to be brushed and appears uncomfortable or in pain, you may be using an incorrect brush. When you get the choice right, your dog will usually sit happily for its grooming session.

There are 4 main dog brush types – pin brushes, bristle brushes, rakes, and slicker brushes. Let’s take a look at when you should use each.

Brush For Your Dog

The Slicker Brush

You’ll recognize a slicker brush by its short, fine wires, which are located close together across a flat brush surface. These brushes are best used on curly-hair, long-haired or medium-haired dogs and are great for removing mats. Many slicker brush varieties are available for purchase today; however, choosing one in the right size and which has a flexible handle will make grooming your pet easier. The slicker brush is a good choice for lots of different breeds, including St Bernards, Cocker Spaniels, Yorkshire Terriers, and Golden Retrievers. Since dogs with longer hair are prone to developing mats, you’ll need an effective way to remove them, and the slicker brush is the perfect solution. Remember, however, that the tightly spaced, fine wires could cause your pet pain if you use too much pressure.

The Rake

A rake brush is designed to penetrate deeply into the thick coat of your pet to remove the dead undercoat and tangles close to the surface of the skin. They are frequently shaped similarly to a shaving razor; they have a couple of rows of tightly spaced pins. Like a razor, you should only use them with light pressure, and they are only really suitable for use on dogs with very thick hair like Chow Chows, Malamutes, and German Shepherds. Rakes effectively remove the dead undercoat, which builds up when your dog is shedding and is also useful for trapping debris. When choosing the right rake for your pet, look for one with pins that roughly match your dog’s hair length. A rake that is too short will miss the undercoat’s inner layer, but skin irritation could occur if you choose one that is too long. View this page to find out more about choosing the right rake for your dog.

The Bristle Brush

Bristle brushes are perfect for use on smooth-coated and short-haired dogs, which shed frequently. These brushes can remove any loose hairs while stimulating the skin with their tightly packed clusters of natural bristles. Pugs, Jack Russells, Boston Terriers, and Italian Greyhounds are all suitable breeds for this type of brush.

Pin Brushes

A pin brush will look very similar to a human hairbrush. Usually oval in shape, they have a set of loosely arranged flexible wires with pins on the top. These brushes are commonly used however they aren’t instrumental. While they pick up any loose hairs before they can over your carpets and furniture and can fluff and finish a coat that has already been brushed, they offer your pet a few benefits. Pin brushes are most suitable for finishing off your groom once you’ve used one of the other types of brush on this list.

Now you have all the information you need to select the correct brush for your breed of dog, and your pet should enjoy grooming more than ever.

Samuel J. Morales

Beer geek. Tv trailblazer. Passionate internet practitioner. Gamer. Lifelong introvert. At the moment I'm working with tar in Africa. Spent 2001-2005 getting to know junk bonds in Minneapolis, MN. In 2008 I was marketing squirt guns in Naples, FL. Earned praised for my work selling pond scum in Minneapolis, MN. Set new standards for merchandising action figures in Miami, FL. Earned praised for my work implementing sock monkeys in Prescott, AZ.

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