Fur care

How to Brush Your Dog's Hair

By Traductor Nova EN. April 12, 2017
How to Brush Your Dog's Hair
Dogs

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Unlike cats, regular grooming and specifically brushing your dog's hair is a fundamental process for their health, since it eliminates dirt and the appearance of external parasites.

However, you can't just use the first brush you find in a store. Depending on your dog's coat, the frequency and the type of material suitable for brushing them may vary. So, we at AnimalWised have put together some recommendations for you and your dog, no matter how long or straggly their hair is!

You may also be interested in: How to Get Mats Out of a Yorkie's Hair

Contents

  1. Brush your dog regularly
  2. Choose the right product
  3. How to brush short haired dogs
  4. How to brush medium haired dogs
  5. How to brush long haired dogs
  6. How to brush dogs with curly hair
  7. The benefits of brushing

Brush your dog regularly

The main reason for brushing a dog's hair is to remove dead hair and skin cells. Therefore, it is more advisable to incorporate some light daily brushing - 4-5 minutes - than a thorough monthly brushing. It's like brushing your teeth; it is more effective and simple to do it every day, instead of a monthly oral cleaning.

The second reason for brushing a dog's hair is for aesthetics. Depending on the type, length and general condition of your dog's hair, the tool and time needed for brushing will vary.

Here are some simple recommendations to make brushing your dog's coat a comfortable task for both.

How to Brush Your Dog's Hair - Brush your dog regularly

Choose the right product

When brushing a dog's coat, be sure to massage them and avoid scratching them. It is important to browse the multiple varieties of combs, brushes and cards available on the market to ensure this is done properly.

You are not necessarily guaranteed a good result with a very expensive hair tool if you misuse it. A cheap plastic barbed brush with smooth, spherical tips will not hurt your dog, even if you brush with some force. This type of brush is suitable for basic brushing for any type of hair, and sufficient for the brushing of dogs with short hair, if it is done often enough.

Bristle brushes: Bristle brushes can be used on all coat types, and vary according to the length of and space between the bristles. In general, the longer the hair coat, the more widely spaced and longer the bristles should be. Also, the coarser the hair, the stiffer those bristles need to be.

Wire brushes: Wire-pin brushes, with or without rubber-tipped ends, are the preferred choice for pets with medium to long hair and those with curly or woolly coats.

Slicker brushes: Slicker brushes have fine wire bristles and are especially useful for removing knots and tangles.

How to Brush Your Dog's Hair - Choose the right product

How to brush short haired dogs

In short-haired dogs, such as Labradors or greyhounds, you should gently brush the animal a few times in the direction of their hair growth, to eliminate any tangles. Then, brush against the hair growth and massage thoroughly, in order to remove the dead skin cells, while activating blood circulation. Finally, again brush in the direction of their hair growth and they will be perfectly combed.

For short and smooth coats a soft to medium bristle brush is suitable. If your dog has a short but wiry coat (i.e. terriers), a firmer bristle brush or a slicker brush are ideal.

How to Brush Your Dog's Hair - How to brush short haired dogs

How to brush medium haired dogs

Medium-haired dogs need a comb to untangle any knots before brushing (be sure to avoid excessive tugging). This brush can be metallic or plastic, but must have blunt prongs, in order to avoid scratching your pooch.

Proceed in the same way you would with short-haired dogs: in direction of hair growth / against hair growth / in direction of hair growth etc. This is a good technique to softly remove any knots in their fur. Your dog should enjoy their brushing, not suffer.

Use a wire-pin brush or a soft to medium bristle brush for their hair. If they have a lot of tangles, a slicker brush is advised.

How to Brush Your Dog's Hair - How to brush medium haired dogs

How to brush long haired dogs

It is very important to use the appropriate brush on long-haired dogs, since maintaining their coat is more of a time consuming task.

Be sure to check that the your dog has no knots in their hair. It is necessary to eliminate them prior to brushing, with scissors and a comb.

It is desirable that in dogs with this type of fur, thoroughly brushing is practiced with hair slightly moistened with some type of conditioner and then completely dry. The longer the hair of our can, the longer should be the bristles of the brush used. If you brush against against it, do it very gently and with short bristles.

How to Brush Your Dog's Hair - How to brush long haired dogs

How to brush dogs with curly hair

Curly-haired dogs, like a Bichon Frise or Poodle, require a blunt comb to avoid painful tugging. The comb should have no sharp tips or edges that could hurt your dog.

Again, don't be afraid to use scissors to remove any knots that are too difficult to comb out. Once they have all been removed, proceed to brush against the natural direction of hair growth very gently, to prevent the hair from acquiring static electricity and momentarily losing its curl.

After this gently massage, use the same brush and the same smoothing comb to brush the coat in the natural direction of hair growth.

How to Brush Your Dog's Hair - How to brush dogs with curly hair

The benefits of brushing

Maintaining your dog's coat will positively benefit their health, since you will be able to immediately detect if and when they suffer the presence of a parasite or wound. Always be observant and regularly inspect your pup's coat!

  • Always brush in the direction of your dog's natural hair growth. It can be uncomfortable for your dog if you pull the hair the opposite direction.
  • Be gentle, treat your dog's hair as you would your child's.
  • Ensure you remove all knots or tangles before brushing all over. Use conditioner to smooth the tangle loose or use scissors and carefully remove the knot.
How to Brush Your Dog's Hair - The benefits of brushing

If you want to read similar articles to How to Brush Your Dog's Hair, we recommend you visit our Fur care category.

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How to Brush Your Dog's Hair