The most common question I get asked in the salon is not about styling or price, it is "what brush should I actually be using at home?" And it is a brilliant question, because the wrong brush does almost nothing (or worse, scratches the skin and puts your dog off grooming for life), while the right one turns brushing from a battle into a quick, pleasant few minutes. There is no single best dog brush. It all comes down to your dog's coat type. Here is how to match the tool to the coat.
First, know your dog's coat type
Before you buy anything, work out which camp your dog falls into:
- Short and smooth: Staffies, Labradors, Beagles, Boxers.
- Double-coated: Huskies, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, Corgis. A soft dense undercoat under a coarser topcoat.
- Curly or wool: Poodles, Bichons, and the Doodle crosses. Hair that keeps growing and traps loose fur rather than dropping it.
- Long and silky: Cocker Spaniels, Shih Tzus, Yorkshire Terriers.
- Wiry: many terriers and Schnauzers, often best maintained by hand-stripping.
Once you know the coat, the brush choice is straightforward.
The slicker brush
A slicker has a flat pad of fine, bent wire pins. It is the workhorse of dog grooming and the single most useful brush for most medium, long, curly and double coats. It lifts loose hair, teases out small tangles, and finishes the coat off nicely.
Use it gently. Those fine pins can scratch if you press hard or go over the same spot repeatedly, so let the brush do the work with light, short strokes in the direction of the coat.
Best for: curly, wool, long, silky, and double coats.
The undercoat rake
A rake has a single or double row of longer, rounded teeth designed to reach down through the topcoat and pull out the dead, fluffy undercoat that a slicker leaves behind. For a double-coated dog, this is the tool that makes the real difference to shedding.
Best for: double coats (Huskies, Shepherds, Retrievers, Collies), especially during the spring and autumn moults.
The comb
Every owner should own a metal grooming comb. It is the honesty check: once you think you have finished brushing, run the comb through, and if it snags, there is a tangle the brush missed. A comb is also perfect for finer areas like behind the ears, the face, and the legs, where a slicker is too much.
Best for: finishing and checking every coat type, and for detail work on longer coats.
Rubber brushes and grooming mitts
For short, smooth coats, a rubber curry brush or a grooming glove is ideal. The soft rubber nubs lift loose hair, bring out shine, and double as a lovely massage. Most short-coated dogs adore it.
Best for: short, smooth coats (Staffies, Labs, Beagles).
Deshedding tools
A deshedding tool has a fine metal edge that reaches into a double coat and pulls out loose undercoat by the handful. Used correctly, on a clean, dry, tangle-free coat, and without pressing hard, it dramatically cuts the fur ending up on your floor.
A word of care: these tools are powerful, and overuse or heavy pressure can irritate the skin or damage the coat. Little and often is the rule, and if the coat is matted, sort the mats first rather than dragging the tool through them. If shedding is really the issue, a professional deshedding treatment combines a deep bath, a high-velocity dry and proper deshedding to remove far more than home brushing can.
Groomer's tip: For wiry-coated terriers and Schnauzers, brushing is only half the story. These coats are meant to be hand-stripped, where the dead topcoat is plucked out by hand rather than clipped. Clipping a wiry coat softens the texture and dulls the colour over time, so if you have a terrier, ask your groomer about stripping.
A few brushing basics whatever the tool
- Brush regularly: a few minutes several times a week beats one big monthly session.
- Always brush down to the skin, not just over the top, especially on curly and double coats.
- Keep it positive: treats, calm voice, short sessions. A dog that enjoys being brushed is a dog with a healthy coat.
- Never force a matted coat. Tackling mats by dragging a brush through hurts and makes it worse.
You can see how brushing fits into our full grooms on the prices and packages page.
Frequently asked questions
What brush should I use for my dog?
It depends on the coat. Slicker brush and comb for curly, long and double coats; add an undercoat rake for double coats; a rubber curry brush or mitt for short smooth coats; and a comb for everyone as a finishing check.
What is the best brush for a double-coated dog?
A slicker brush plus an undercoat rake, and a deshedding tool during the moults. The rake and deshedder reach the dense undercoat that a slicker alone leaves behind.
Are deshedding tools bad for dogs?
Not when used correctly: on a clean, dry, mat-free coat, with light pressure, and not too often. Overuse or heavy pressure can irritate the skin or damage the topcoat, so little and often is best.
How often should I brush my dog?
A few minutes several times a week for most coats, and daily during the big seasonal moults or for curly coats that mat easily. Regular short sessions are far kinder and more effective than occasional long ones.
Fluffs is a professional dog grooming salon in Wigginton, York, offering one-to-one grooming for dogs of every breed and coat type across Haxby, Strensall, Huntington, New Earswick and the surrounding villages. Not sure which brush suits your dog, or want us to show you at their next groom? Just ask. Book a one-to-one groom.