Here are our recommendations on brushes and de-shedding tools.
Table of Contents
Short-Haired Breeds
- Curry Brush – We always use a curry brush before we start de-shedding our dog. We do this to make sure the hairs are straight and free of tangles. You can use these rubber-based brushes in the shower or dry.
- Furninator de-shedding brush – despite the dorky name, this tool is really good. It’s rated really high on most “real dog sites”, and with good reason. It’s easy to use and you can remove the hair with a push of a button so you don’t have to pull it out of the brush. You just choose the size of your dog (small, medium or large) and select “short-haired” to get the right tool.
- Rubber grooming gloves – These gloves are great for short-haired dogs whether they are big or small. They can be used for bathing time or for quick and easy daily de-shedding. Most dogs love a gentle massage from these gloves and you can get the job done quicker. They are very effective and will get rid of most of the shedding in the house.
Long-Haired & Double-Coated Breeds
- Curry Brush – We always use a curry brush before we start de-shedding our dog. We do this to make sure the hairs are straight and free of tangles. You can use these rubber-based brushes in the shower or dry.
- Dematting Comb – Matted hair attracts dirt, odor, and moist that can lead to irritated skin. It’s important to remove tangles and knots on your long-haired friend.
- Two-sided rake by “Pat Your Pet” – This tool is great for two things: 1) De-shedding the undercoat 2) removing knots and tangles in the fur. They work great on long as well as short hair and especially on dogs with thick fur.
- Furminator de-shedding brush – despite the dorky name, this tool is really good. It’s easy to use and you can remove the hair with a push of a button so you don’t have to pull it out of the brush. You just choose the size of your dog (small, medium or large) and select “long-haired” to get the right tool.
Is my dog double-coated?
Lots of dogs are what we call double-coated dogs. They have an extra layer of fur (under the one you see) to keep them warm in cold weather.
Here are some popular double-coated breeds:
Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Corgis, Collies, Huskies, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Samoyeds, Pomerians, Sheep Dogs, Chow Chows, Akitas, Saint Bernards, Newfoundlands, Terriers, Shih Tzus.
Brushes For Puppies
- Curry Brush – The curry brush is gentle and rubbery and a great tool for removing excessive hair on your puppy. We always stick to the soft and rubbery tools when we work with de-shedding and grooming on smaller puppies.
- Rubber grooming gloves – These gloves are also great for puppies. They are gentle and your puppy will love a good rub from these gloves. They can be used for bathing time or for quick and easy daily de-shedding. They are very effective and will get rid of most of the shedding in the house.
Puppies have delicate skin and the fur is (always) single-layered. The double-coated dog breeds don’t develop the extra layer of fur until they have shed the baby coat.
So you should be very careful if you decide to use rakes, rippers and other brushes with long teeth on a puppy.
