Dog owners must care for their pets and ensure all their dog’s needs are fulfilled. This includes providing them with nutrition and balanced meals, a space of their own, training so they can assimilate into the world around them, exercise, and maintaining basic hygiene.
Hygiene is critical for overall health and well-being. It does not just include keeping your dog clean and ensuring its environment is free of germs and contaminants. While some grooming measures are optional, like getting a professional haircut for aesthetic purposes, most are not.
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Grooming Basics For Your Dog
Your dog must be in the habit of getting their teeth brushed daily. Dental hygiene prevents bacteria from forming and is great for gut health and the immune system. Aside from this, frequent baths are necessary. How often your dog takes a bath depends on how often they get dirty. If your dog loves to be outdoors in the open, it is more likely to get dirty and need a bath every day.
Other grooming areas to consider are keeping the nails clipped, the fur brushed and trimmed. If not kept clean, dogs’ coats easily get infested with lice and other bugs. So, special attention is needed to keep the fur parasite-free.
Keeping your dog clean and groomed is a constant task. This is why the pet grooming industry is such a booming business.
Benefits Of Regular Brushing
Regularly brushing your dog’s coat is not just a grooming requirement; it can save your dog’s life. Brushing has multiple benefits:
- Proper brushing keeps your dog’s coat free of tangles. It makes the coat look neat.
- Brushing removes fur that has fallen but remains in the coat. This greatly reduces shedding all over the house and your furniture.
- Dogs do not need very frequent baths. These can strip their skin of natural oils. Brushing and combing keeps the fur clean by removing dirt and redistributing the oils. The coat becomes smoother and shinier and looks much healthy.
- Your dog’s body will relax as the brush will massage and soften the muscles. Regular brushing and combing keep fleas, ticks, and other pests out of your dog’s fur. It is home to all kinds of parasites and even fecal matter. It can be a cause of infections and other medical complications.
- Skin issues, lumps, or bumps can be detected during brushing sessions. You will be able to get your dog the medical attention they need promptly as a result.
Choosing The Best Tool For Brushing
Choosing the right tools to do the job is just as important as understanding that your dog’s costs need regular brushing. There are plenty of brushes and combs available in the market.
The first thing you need to know is that different dogs have different types of fur. Some have curly hair, others have super straight hair. Many dogs have fur that is wavy.
The hair texture also varies from one dog breed to another. Some dogs have fine hair, while others have thick hair that is coarse and requires heavy-duty brushing. This means that the best brushes for Goldendoodles may not be suitable for Pitbulls and vice versa.
You may even need multiple different types of brushes as each performs a specific task. Keeping that in mind, here are the different shedding brushes you can get to groom your dog:
Brushes With Synthetic Bristles
This is the most common type of shedding brush you will come across. Brushes with synthetic bristles are very useful. They work well for dogs with varying fur, short and long, as well as straight or wavy.
The synthetic bristles are stiff enough to remove all the dirt and trash from your dog’s fur. It removes shredded hair and leaves the coat looking clean and smooth.
The bristles also get rid of tangles and can also be used to rub the shampoo while you bathe your dog. This is a brush with multiple uses and is the reason why it is a must-have tool.
Wire Brushes
Wire brushes or pinhead head brushes resemble the wire brushes we use. These have metallic bristles with a plastic top, so brushing can be done gently.
The pins are spaced out and help to detangle hair. This brush is not as good as removing particles or shredded hair. It is also more suited for dogs with long costs with straight hair.
This brush’s longer, spaced-out pins can reach down to the skin’s surface no matter how thick the coat is. So, the brush has its uses; however, you will need a synthetic bristle brush and a pinhead brush.
Slicker Brush
Another great brush for dogs with thicker coats is the slicker brush. This brush is similar to the pinhead brush, as it always has wire bristles. However, the wire bristles are much finer and more closely packed together.
It is the perfect brush to detangle hair. The wire bristles are at an angle and have rubber tips this prevents soon scratching or irritation.
It is a gentle brush that helps you keep your dog’s fur tangle free. The slicker brush is also better at removing shading than the pinhead brush.
Rakes
Some dogs have thick fur or have an undercoat that needs extra attention. Rakes with long teeth can get to the undercoat easily. Rakes have teeth that are spaced out to make getting tangles out easier.
Much like pinhead brushes, rakes mostly detangle the hair and are suitable for dogs with medium to long hair and a thick coat with coarse hair.
De-shedding Brushes
Many brushes are designed specifically to help remove hair that has been shed from the surface of your dog’s coat. These brushes have special bristles that get rid of dead hair.
Most de-shedding tools have metallic teeth that are closely packed to remove even the finest hair. These are suitable for all types of fur and hair textures.
They get rid of excess fur that has been shredded. This means your dog does not shed around the house when used regularly, greatly reducing the hassle of removing fur from everything in your home.
Which Brush To Select?
Variety means difficulty deciding which brush to buy for your dog. Which brush suits your dog depends on the type of fur they have and the purpose you want to get the brush for.
Generally speaking, all dog owners must get a bristle brush. It keeps your dog groomed and clean and is versatile enough to justify the cost.
If your dog has a thick coat prone to tangles, invest in a rake. There are separate rakes for the undercoat as well. Many brushes combine the features of two brushes. You may buy a brush with synthetic bristles on one side and pinhead bristles on the other. Just see what suits your dog’s needs and requirements and which brush is gentle on their skin.