As a professional show dog handler, I groom a lot of dogs! Every dog’s coat is different and requires different upkeep and maintenance. It is so important to keep your dog’s coat, teeth, and ears healthy and clean. In the show ring, a well conditioned coat could be the difference of a big win or a disappointing loss.
You’re probably thinking, “My dog is not a show dog! It doesn’t really matter if his coat is well kept. He doesn’t need sparkling clean teeth. He’s just my pet!”
Well, what if I told you it DOES matter! A healthy coat, teeth, and ears are so important to your dog’s overall well-being, comfort, and happiness. For example, matted coats are not simply tangles, but are extremely uncomfortable to dogs. Extreme matting can also cause skin bruising and open sores to form. Even if you bring your dog to the groomer monthly, you should still make sure your dog is well kept in-between visits. These are some of the small points that turn you from just a dog owner into a good dog owner!
Not only are there so many different types of grooming tools out there, there are also so many different opinions regarding what tools are best for your dog. With so much information available online, it can be confusing deciding which tools you should buy. In this article, I will walk you through understanding each tool, their use, and suggest which products you should buy.
Pin Brush
A pin brush is likely what you’re most familiar with. It is a standard hair brush with pins on it that are meant to glide through the dogs coat and separate tangles, remove undercoat, and put the fur in place. A pin brush is suitable for most coats.
This brush is suitable for…
- Long Coats
- Double Coats
- Short, dense Coats
- Curly Coats or haired breeds
- Wire coats
Avoid using this brush on…
- Hairless breeds
- Short, close to skin coats
- Wire coats you are trying to keep in “hard, rolled coat”
Pin Brush recommendations:
- Best all around – this brush is a beast! It whips through undercoat with ease and the bristles are soft and won’t scrape the skin. Although a little pricey, it is certainly worth it.
- Most affordable – this brush is a wonderful option. It does the job well and won’t damage the skin.
- Best for longer/drop coat – I love using this brush on any dog with a longer coat. This one has longer bristles to be able to work through a longer coat, untangle longer fur, and get through feathering.
Wooden Bristle Pin Brushes are another type of pin brush that are suitable for most coats. Even if your dog has a short, close to skin coat, or is hairless, a wood pin brush is great for gently massaging as you brush, promoting the flow of healthy natural oils through the skin. Many dogs who do not like being groomed with a traditional pin brush may respond better to being brushed with a wooden bristle pin brush. One drawback is that they may not catch the hair as well and may not be able to get through dense undercoats as effectively as a metal pin brush will.
Wooden Bristle Pin Brush recommendations:
- Best Wooden Bristle Pin Brush – my go-to wooden bristle brush.
- High End Wooden Bristle Pin Brush – another wonderful option but a little pricier. I do not notice a large difference between this one and the other brush listed.
Slicker Brush
A slicker brush is a great tool for removing dead coat and undercoat. These brushes get deep into the coat to separate and remove undercoat. Avoid using a slicker brush on any short coated dog or hairless breed.
This brush is suitable for…
- Long Coats
- Double Coats
- Curly Coats or haired breeds
- Wire coats
Avoid using this brush on…
- Hairless breeds
- Short coats
Slicker Brush recommendations:
- Best Slicker Brush – if there is any brush you should splurge on, it is this! This is the BEST brush. Its extra long tines glide through the coat, separates, and grabs undercoat, but remains soft and leaves the skin undamaged. If you have a coated dog, you NEED this brush.
- Most Affordable – this is a very affordable option. It does a great job for the price and you can’t go wrong with it!
Comb
Combs are great for going through the coat after you slicker and rake to ensure you got all the undercoat and knots out of the coat. Your comb is your checking tool. It is also good for puffing and fluffing the coat up, combing out tangles, and removing undercoat as you line brush up the dog. Combs can be used on most coat types.
This brush is suitable for…
- Long Coats
- Double Coats
- Short Coats
- Curly Coats or haired breeds
- Wire coats
Avoid using this brush on…
- Hairless breeds
Comb recommendations:
- Best Comb – this comb does the job well! Sturdy and well built, gets through coat with ease, and is a pretty color!
- Most Affordable – not heavy or sturdily built, but does comb through the coat, remove knots, and won’t irritate the skin.
- High End Comb – this comb is a heavy little comb. It is beautifully made, sturdy, and glides through coat grabbing undercoat and won’t scratch the skin!
Boar Bristle Brush
Boar bristle brushes are soft brushes that remove dead coat, remove dander and dirt, and add shine to the coat. This will not remove undercoat, but helps for brushing away loose coat and adds a glossy finish to the top coat.
This brush is suitable for…
- Short coats
- Wire coats
- Long coats
- Double coats
Avoid using this brush on…
- Hairless dogs
- Curly coats
- Stand off double coats
Boar Bristle Brush recommendations:
- Best Boar Bristle Brush – this is a great brush. Shines the coat beautifully while removing the loose coat and dander. Well made and sturdy brush.
- High End Boat Bristle Brush – a pricier option but shines and removes coat wonderfully.
Undercoat Rake
A rake is a great tool for quickly removing undercoat. Typically used on double coated breeds or dogs with undercoat that needs to be taken out. There are two kinds of rakes; a comb-like rake with one or two rows of pins and a stripping rake. With stripping rakes, be careful! Lots of these products, especially cheaper made, will damage the topcoat of the dog and act in the same way that a clipper would. Always make sure you get a blunted bladed stripping rake, or you can blunt them yourself.
This brush is suitable for…
- Wire coats
- Long coats
- Double coats
Avoid using this brush on…
- Short, close to skin coats
- Hairless dogs
- Curly Coats
Undercoat Rake recommendations:
- Best Undercoat Rake – you can not go wrong with this brush! Very affordable, holds up well, and is great at grabbing undercoat!
- Best Stripping Rake – this is the ONLY stripping rake I can recommend. The Coat King is going to be great at removing undercoat, and is less likely to cut and damage the top coat. Other strippers will cut your dog’s coat and can permanently damage their fur.
Grooming Stone
Grooming stones are great way to rid your dog of loose hair and strip away undercoat without damaging the topcoat or skin. These can be especially useful for short coated dogs that shed a lot or wire coated dogs to help strip the coat and remove undercoat. This is even useful for use on setters and spaniels heads and backs to remove longer hair and fuzz!
This brush is suitable for…
- Wire coats
- Short coats
- Double coats
Avoid using this brush on…
- Long coats
- Hairless dogs
- Curly Coats
Grooming Stone Recommendations:
- Best Grooming Stone – at this price, this truly is the best stone you can get!
Hand-stripping Tools
Hand stripping is unique to wire coated dogs like terriers or breeds with a traditionally smooth head and back with long featherings like setters and spaniels. In terriers, you pull the coats longer, dead hair to make the coat healthy and harsh to the touch. In setters and spaniels, you strip off the dead undercoat to get the topcoat to lay flat and keep it shiny and healthy. You typically strip with knives or grooming stones. Be careful when purchasing a knife! Make sure your stripping knives are dulled. You can buy them dull or dull them yourself. If you strip a dog with a knife that is sharp, it will cut the coat, ruining the coat and can do life-long damage to the hair.
This brush is suitable for…
- Wire Coats
- Long Coats
Avoid using this brush on…
- Short Coats
- Double Coats
- Hairless Dogs
- Curly Coats
Hand Stripping Recommendations:
- Best Stripping Tool – this set of three metal stripping stones can’t steer you wrong! The stone will never cut the coat and can be great at removing the dead coat, while leaving the healthy hard coat undamaged.
- Best Stripping Knife – this is a great stripping knife. Well built and sturdy. Just be sure you dull the blade to avoid any damage of the topcoat!
Curry Comb
A curry comb is a rubber brush that is phenomenal at removing loose, dead coat.
This brush is suitable for…
- Short Coats
- Double Coats
Avoid using this brush on…
- Long Coats
- Wire Coats
- Hairless Dogs
- Curly Coats
Curry Comb Recommendations:
- Best Curry Comb – this is a good, affordable rubber curry that is very good at doing its job!
Nail Trimming
Nail maintenance is often overlooked, but extremely important to the overall wellbeing of your dog! It allows dogs to maintain proper posture and balance. You can clip their nails either with a traditional clipper or with a dremel. Personally, I prefer a dremel, but clippers get the job done just as well.
Nail Trimmer Recommendations:
- Best Dremel – this dremel has a rechargeable battery and different speed settings to effectively grind your dogs nails.
- Best Dremel Head – a diamond dremel head is by far the best option for doing nails. It does not get hot nor does it not wear down easily. It is well worth the money!
- Best Nail Clipper for large/medium dogs – I really like using this clipper on dogs that do not stand well for the dremel. It is sharp and well made.
- Best Nail Clipper for small dogs – this is a very good clipper for smaller nails. Do not try to clip small nails with big clippers, it is best to use these smaller ones.
- Kwik Stop – I can not stress enough the importance of having Kwik Stop! If you accidentally clip your dogs nails too far up, cut the quick, and cause bleeding, this will stop the bleeding.
Tooth Brush & Paste
Brushing your dog’s teeth is incredibly important to prevent gum disease – poor dental health has been shown to shorten a dog’s lifespan by 3-5 years! So many dogs suffer from completely preventable dental issues due to owners not brushing their dog’s teeth.
Tooth Brush/Paste Recommendations:
- Best Tooth Brush – this duel sided tooth brush is great for brushing your dogs teeth. The large head is great for big dogs with larger teeth; the small head is great for smaller dogs or getting to the back, hard to reach teeth!
- Best Tooth Paste – this is the best tooth paste! Vet approved and recommended, effective at cleaning, and is poultry flavored to entice dogs to enjoy brushing time.
- Best Tooth Wipe – tooth wipes are a great option for dogs that do not let a huge tooth brush go into their mouth. This is an easy option in lieu of brushing.
Ear Cleaner
Cleaning in your dog’s ears is necessary to prevent ear infection and yucky things from building up inside the ear canal, especially if you have a dog with floppy ears.
Ear Cleaner Recommendations:
- Best Ear Drops – this ear cleaning solution is great for cleaning the ears either with a few drops into the canal or by applying and cleaning with a cotton ball.
- Best Ear Wipes – ears wipes are a great option to clean your dog’s ears too! Simply wipe the ear and canal and you’re done. These wipes are effective, cleans, and soothes the ears.
Products to AVOID on ALL COATS
There are a lot of products to AVOID when grooming your dog. The following will leave the coat damaged and may ruin the coat forever!
- Furminators – these act in the same way as a clipper – it is equivalent to shaving your dog. Avoid this and products alike. In addition to grabbing at the undercoat, this tool also inadvertently cuts individual hairs and can damage the coat.
- Double Sided Brushes – these are ineffective and a waste of money.
- Pin brushes with big rounded heads of the pins – this is ineffective and they tend to be cheap and break leading to easily getting caught in the coat.
And there you have it: my personal recommendations of products I find effective and the best of the best! I hope this article provides you with some guidance on the many tools out there and what is best for your dog.
