How to choose the correct brush for your dog

In our last article, we wrote about dog shedding and the importance of combing. Now we want to tell you about choosing the correct comb or brush based on your dog’s characteristics.

Like every other product that our dog uses it’s important to keep the brush or comb clean. After every use remove hair and dirt left on the comb or brush with a little water, after dry it off so it doesn’t get rusty. Before purchasing a comb or brush it’s better to ask about its maintenance to make sure it lasts.

These are some of the brushes and combs that are in the market:

Slicker Brush

It’s the most popular and known brush, it has fine metal spikes placed in an aligned way that are slightly curved. This brush comes in different shapes, sizes and materials, each one adapted for the area it’s going to be used on. It’s usually used to untangle the dog’s hair, air it out or remove dead hair. It is recommended for dogs with medium to long hair and for puppies. If used on puppies remember to purchase a soft slicker brush and to use it gently. If you think this is the right brush for your dog don’t hesitate to ask the sales person about the shape, hardness and material that is right for your pet. This type of brush must be used gently to avoid breaking or irritating the skin.

Knot cutter

It’s a tool with around four or five aligned blades and as its name indicates it, it’s used to cut hair knots and separate them. This tool is only recommended for professional use, since it requires knowledge, precaution and experience.

Rake Brush

With rigid and thick spikes, it is used for the maintenance of dogs with thick coats, like those in Nordic dogs. This type of brush removes dead hair and is especially helpful during shedding season.

Hand Brush

These come in different shapes and materials, the most common ones are made from rubber. This brush is the best one to remove dead hair from dogs with short hair, and at the same time we give him a great massage. If you have a Boxed or Doberman try using this brush and his hair will fall less often and be brighter.

Pin Brush

These come in different shapes, lengths and pin hardness. This brush is the best for dogs with semi-long to long hair. Pins come in a range from short to extra-long and different spacing in between. When selecting one of these brushes it’s recommended to decide which type of pin we want. Some come with pins ending round or pointy, choose depending on your dog’s hair type (curly, straight, soft, etc.)

There are other pin brushes that have extra soft and round pins, these can be used on any part of the dog’s body and are delicate on the skin and hair. These are usually used to comb competition dogs like Yorkshires, Malteses or Cokers.

Regular comb

It’s recommended to purchase a high quality one that has its pins made from steel. It can be used on any dog and come with or without a handle. Some have pins close together (to untangle knots) and others further apart (for regular use).

Flea comb

Its pins are close together and it’s usually used to comb some parts of the face, for example the beard, mustache or the hair around the eyes. It can be useful for any dog no matter his hair type, it can also be used when the hair is dirty, it’s helpful to remove dirt.

Dog deshedding tool or pet grooming brush

This brush that has sharp pins and must be used exclusively by professionals. It’s used to remove extra and dead hair. If you are considering using this tool at home first get advice from a professional about how to use it and how often.

¿What kind of hair does your dog have? Which type of brush or comb do you use? We can help each other to make the right decision.

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