Walk down any pet aisle and you'll find a wall of brushes that look like they all do the same thing. They don't. Most shedding problems come from using a brush that only touches the top of the coat, while the loose hair sits underneath.
First: what kind of coat does your dog have?
- Double coat: a soft, dense undercoat under a longer, coarser top coat. Huskies, shepherds, labs, goldens, corgis, collies, most spitz breeds. These are the heavy shedders.
- Single coat, short: boxers, beagles, pointers, many terriers. Shed, but less dramatically.
- Long or curly, low-shed: poodles, doodles, bichons, shih tzus. They shed little but tangle and mat easily.
Undercoat rake
What it does: long, rounded pins reach through the top coat and pull out loose undercoat without cutting anything.
Best for: double-coated dogs, especially during seasonal blowouts in spring and autumn. It also works through thick, packed coats that other brushes glide over.
Use it: first, in the direction the coat grows. A two-sided rake lets you open the coat with the wide pins, then follow with the fine side. Our 2-Sided Undercoat Rake is built that way.
De-shedding blade
What it does: a fine-toothed steel edge catches loose undercoat close to the skin and pulls large amounts out quickly.
Best for: heavy shedders with a short-to-medium coat, like labs and shepherds.
Be careful: used too hard or too often, it can thin or damage the top coat. Short strokes, light pressure, no more than once or twice a week. It's not for mats and not for curly or silky coats. See the De-Shedding Blade.
Slicker brush
What it does: fine bent wire bristles lift loose hair and small tangles from the surface layers.
Best for: almost every coat for day-to-day brushing, and essential for curly and long coats that tangle.
Tip: slickers clog fast. A self-cleaning one where the bristles retract at the press of a button saves a lot of picking. That's our Self-Cleaning Slicker.
And a comb to finish
A steel comb is how you check your work. If it runs through from root to tip without catching, you're done. If it snags, go back with the slicker. Faces, feet, ears and the base of the tail are where tangles hide. Our Finishing Comb covers that.
Quick picker
- Husky, shepherd, golden, corgi: undercoat rake, then slicker, then comb.
- Lab or other short, dense shedder: de-shedding blade once a week, slicker or bristle brush in between.
- Doodle, poodle, bichon: slicker and comb, several times a week. Skip the blade.
- Short single coat: a rubber or bristle brush is often enough.
For more on keeping hair off the furniture, see how to actually reduce dog shedding at home.
Sudden heavy hair loss, bald patches or itchy, sore skin aren't normal shedding. See your vet.