Your dog requires grooming at all times. They need to have dead hair and dirt removed and prevent hair from sticking together. These activities not only provide a healthier and shinier coat but more importantly, it helps stimulate the blood supply to the skin. A dog loves the attention given to them and looks forward to having their hair brushed regularly. It’s a good way to show your affection. When you take care of your dog, aside from brushing the hair, attend to the other aspects of the dog’s body such as their eyes, ears and nails. Over the years, studies were made on the types of tools to be used in caring for the dogs. Some tools are for general use for all dogs while other may be specific to the breed.
A curry brush is a hard rubber or plastic comb that is intended to loosen hair and dirt when rubbed on the coat. The dandy brush is a stiff bristle brush used on the coat to remove mud, dirt and hair. The soft brush is for sensitive areas and can be used as a finishing touch. Each brush has its own function and purpose. Be careful when brushing the dog’s coat as they may have sensitive skin or wounds that might reopen if you brush brusquely. Do not use metal combs. Combs are good for dogs with large amounts of hair such as German Shepherds. If the hair gets tangled in knots or matted together, use the comb repeatedly until the hair becomes loose. Be gentle when untangling knots as too much pulling can rip the hair from the skin. There are many other kinds of brushes in various sizes and shapes made from metal, plastic and wood. Professional dog groomers prefer using teasels.
The more common dog brushes are the bristle brush, wire pin brush and the slicker brush. Bristle brush can be used on any type of coat. Choose a bristle brush that is appropriate for your dog’s coat. The wire pin brush is good for dogs with curly coats as it can conveniently separate and untangle their hair. Choose bin brushes that have polished or coated pins to minimize the danger of scratching and harming the dog’s skin. There are brushes which combine the bristle and pin style, and is presumably highly favored among dog owners as it is convenient and has a more flexible usage. The advantage becomes more evident if you have a variety of dogs with different coats. Slicker brushes are used after the initial brushing with a bristle or pin brush. It is meant to smooth the coat and take out any remaining mats and tangles from the coat.
Rakes or shedding blades are used to remove dead hair in the undercoat or lower layer of hair of a dog. Rakes are good grooming tools for double-coated dogs, such as the Newfoundland and Siberian Huskies. Shedding is caused from the loose hair underneath the top layer of dog hair. It is that lower layer of hair that bunches up and falls off. A shedding blade effectively removes the dead hair which otherwise would drop off all over the house.
Cutting tools, such as scissors and clippers are used to trim hair. Do not cut the hair arbitrarily as specific breeds such as poodles have certain hair designs. There are other breeds that should not be cut at all as it helps keep them warm in winter and cool during hot weather. Some people simply enjoy playing barber and will experiment with their dog not realizing the severe repercussions. Remember that a dog cannot speak up and voice their opinions on what you are doing to them and if you are not observant on their reactions and whimpering, you might be accidentally hurting them already. Scissors should be about 4 to 6 inches long with a blunt tip to avoid injuring the dog as the dog might move around.
Manufacturers are constantly studying and designing new grooming tools. Stay in touch with grooming professionals and dog associations to learn about the latest available tools.
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