Dog brush and comb - choose the right one for your dog's hair coat

all purpose dog comb

So dog brush or comb? Firstly, before I go on, kindly allow me to make myself clear the reason why I emphasize on the important the need to choose the right dog brush and comb and later about nail cripping and so on is not to discourage you from going to the pet's grooming salon but to encourage you to maintain your dog's health, it is not just about maintaining nice hair coat but also about your dog's skin care. They are essential daily grooming tools. Wow! Does it sound complicated? Hah, do not worry! I will tell you more about it when I talk about dog grooming where you can learn more about your dog's hair coat related to skin. Without proper daily maintenance of your dog's hair coat and with the right dog grooming tools and products, it will lead to your dog's skin problems like dog skin disease and skin disorder. So, before you purchase dog brush or comb, you must understand your dog's hair coat type. Below are pictures and description of a few types of dog brushes and combs designed for different type of dogs' hair coat.

Read below and find out what are the measures you should take and how to choose the right brush or comb for your dog.

In general, the wider space and longer bristle on the brush works well with the longer hair coat, and if the coat is more coarser like Terrier, you will need a stiffer bristles in closely spaced. Some breeds like Shih Tzu and Pomeranian has very fine woolly undercoat and it is best to use a slicker brush to remove any tangles and mats first, then followed by firm wide spaced bristle or the standard comb on the outer coat. As for comb, the space between the teeth on the comb designed for different coat. Comb with short and fine teeth spaced closely suitable for short coat while longer wide spaced teeth is meant for medium to long coat. To remove shed hair and to massage your doggy's skin, rubber brush is the one! To remove dog ticks and fleas, use the flea comb but before that you have to brush or comb your dog's hair to remove any tangles and mats.

Important note :

1) if your doggy is aggressive, put a muzzle on your dog before you start brushing or combing.

2) if you choose not to groom your doggy on the floor, choose a non slippery table or place a rubber mat so that your dog will not slip and fall.

3) get the brush and comb and other tools like nail criper, cotton buds, hair dryer and other grooming tools ready before you put your dog on the higher level grooming platform or table, I'm sure you do not want your dog to fall down by accident when you leave your dog unattended in the middle of the grooming to pick up other grooming tools cause no matter how obedient your dog is accidents do happen.

4) do not force pull the tangles on your dog's hair, it will cause the hair damage and pain on your dog, as a results it may also leads to the aggressiveness and anguish of your dog and may threaten to bite you! Ouch!

5) start to introduce grooming habit to your pet at the early age and praise or give your loving pet treats. Do keep the initial grooming session short and increase the duration gradually.

6) when using comb, apply to its' full depth into the coat but do not force through the coat. Brush gently on the coat.

7) wash all brushes and combs after use.

Types of Dog Grooming Tools - the brush and comb and the purposes

all purpose metal comb - All purpose metal comb is very useful comb! It comes in short, medium and long teeth. The shorter length of teeth and closer space between the teeth is meant for shorter hair coat while the longer and the wider spaced of the teeth is used for longer dog hair coat.

rubber brush - Made of rubber, good for brushing away shedding hair. Some come in a form of gloves.

---

soft bristle brush - Soft bristle brush suitable for medium to long flowing coat.

---

double sided brush - bristle brush and slicker brush - This medium soft of bristle brush with slicker brush behind, a "two-in-one" comb good for dogs with woolly undercoat. Use the other side of slicker brush on the undercoat then use this side of bristle brush on the outer coat.

slicker-brush - This slicker brush is made of soft metal bristles is specially good for woolly undercoat, use this for tangles and mats. It is also a good grooming tool for fluff-drying which I love to do it on my dog very much!

flea comb - Before you use this flea comb, make sure you remove away any tangles or mats with slicker brush. This closed teeth of comb can remove ticks, fleas, debris and some parasites.

So, which type of brush and comb right for your dog?

Should you used hard or soft bristle brush on your dog's coat or just only metal comb? Or.........hmmm, not sure? Don't worry, here are some references for you. Using the right brush and comb not only make you carry out the grooming task easily and conveniently but it also helps you to avoid damaging your dog's hair coat, well......unless you apply the wrong techniques! Ouch!

if your dog has -

short and smooth coat - dog brush and comb used : soft to medium soft short bristles brush with bristles spaced closely. Example Chihuahua, and Duchshund and some hounds.

short and wiry coat - dog brush and comb used : firm short bristles brush with bristles spaced closely. Example Terriers.

thin and soft coat - dog brush and comb used : soft slicker brush or soft wire pins brush. Example Yorkshire Terrier.

medium to long flowing coat- dog brush and comb used : medium soft bristles brush with medium to long wide-spaced bristles on the outercoat. Or you may use medium to long metal teeth of multi-purpose comb with the teeths spaced wider. Use slicker brush on the undercoat for the tangles and mats. Example Shih Tzu, Golden Retriever and Spaniels.

harsh and thicker outer coat - dog brush and comb used : medium long firm bristles brush with wide-spaced bristles. Example Sheepdog, Chow Chow, Pomeranian.

woolly undercoat - dog brush and comb used : slicker brush, soft medium length of wire pin to long wire pin brush.

As for me I always use two types of brush and comb. One is the multi purposes comb and as for my case, slicker brush for my Shih Tzu's undercoat then multi purpose metal comb on the outer coat and for my Pomeranian I use medium firm slicker brush with medium long metal bristles to do the fluffing.

**Do remember, you do not just concentrate on your doggy's body hair coat, you must not neglect your doggy's legs and in some cases the hair around doggies' thick padded feet around the toes. So, in another word you need to have another brush and comb if the hair at this portion is different from the body coat.

Questions and Answers which some owners may have about their dogs' problems

Q - 1 : My dog sometimes has some sticky thing looks like gum on his fur after a walk in the park, can I use thinner to clean or just cut away his fur?

A : Firstly you didn't mention what the substance is. So to get rid of the sticky substance, you may use a cloth dab some cooking oil and rub on it, leave the oil on the gum for about 2 to 3 minutes then with the same cloth gentle rub away the substance, do not pull your dog's hair it will hurt him. Then shampoo your dog hair coat as usual, brush and dry the hair coat.

Do not use thinner or any adhesive solvents because they will absorb through the skin which can cause the damage to the liver and kidney.

Q - 2 : My dog refuses me to clean him up after diarrhoea, he bites.....what should I do?

A : When your dog bites you which he usually does not do that, it could probably means few things --- either he feels uncomfortable or he is in pain. And we call it "defensive response".

1) Before you wash him/shower him off the mess, prepare a few wet tissues with antiseptic or dip them wet (not too wet) with Detol water, not too concentrate follow the instructions of the amount of use, otherwise it will hurt your dog's skin. Reason for doing this is just in case after you manage to clean him up but not manage to wash/shower him too soon at least you clean him with antiseptic, having said that just by cleaning it with the tissue is not enough but you still need to wash it. During the cleaning you and your dog might still have to struggle ( he refuses to let you touch that part ), after cleaning you should let your dog take a break instead of straight away shower him, this will only agitate him more. Therefore after you have cleaned him with the antiseptic tissues, you should confine him in a comfortable area with floor covered with newspapers, so that your floor will not get dirty. Let your dog rest for a while then shower him.

2) To be able to clean your dog and to prevent him from biting you, this is what you should do --- while your dog is on his lying position, you squart down near to him with one leg position at the middle of his body so to prevent him from turning his head to bite you easily, in another word to "block" his head from reaching to his butt.

3)After the position is right, tempt him with his most favorite food on one hand while the other hand stroking his lower part slowly towards the messy butt. Make sure you have the antiseptic tissues ready for you to reach easily. Your dog may still turn his head trying to bite you but you say "good boy!" or "it's ok" to calm him down. Do not rise your voice it will only makes your dog more aggresive! Dogs learn about human body language, so at this point if you move away everytime he makes the attempt to bite you, you are actually giving him the idea that he is in control!! This method also apply when you have problem cutting your dog's nails. I have been thru this myself I know, after 2 to 3 times, my dog finally knew I was the one in control so he stopped fighting back. All you need is patience.

So, keep repeating this "stroking session" ........each time when you are about to reach his butt you reach for the issue, with the tissue on your hand, you clean it with the same stroking motion so that he is not aware of the different, be gentle.

4) Another way is.......if the above soft approach doesn't work, you may want to use the dog muzzle if you have one. This is the most easier way. Make sure the muzzle is not too tight on him, make sure he is comfortable.

Caution : A)if your dog bites hard too aggresive and you can not handle him, then method 2) and 3) don't apply to you, i am sure you don't want to get bitten by your dog, so.......you may want to use method 4) or bring him to the groomer where they have the proper muzzle to put on.

B)do not put your dog on a high platform just in case he struggles and falls, lay unwanted newspapers on the floor and put him on the papers.

Take good care of your dog, do not delay washing him. Delaying will even make it harder to clean as the mess will stick to your dog's fur and get harden. When this happen, do not pull his fur it will hurt your dog. If it is too hard and can't clean with the wet tissues, then cut away the dirty fur. After shower, comb and dry him as usual.

Other essential items for dog other than dog brush and comb- must have items you need for your dog.

Homepage

---

Recipes for food & treats