GLOSSARY OF DOG BRUSHES AND COMBS

There are so many different dog grooming supplies on the market, it could make your head spin. Just what does each of these things do and are they really necessary in making your dogs coat look beautiful? Let’s take a look at some of them.

GROOMING BRUSHES:

SLICKER BRUSH: These brushes have fine wire pins that are secured to a flat base. The pins are bent on an angle. You can get them in different sizes and different pin stiffness. This type of brush is better suited for the long coated dog. It’s ideal to remove loose hair and mats or for dematting. The heavier and thicker the coat, the stiffer the pins should be. This type of brush is good for the long coated Shepherd. A high quality brush to check out is Chris Christensen slicker brushes.

PIN BRUSH: The pin brush is usually oval and have metal bristles set in a flexible rubber base. These brushes are good for dogs that have a wavy or long coat. It’s important to make sure that the brush you chose has polished or coated pins so the brush doesn’t scratch or irritate the dog’s skin. Once the pins lose their coating, it’s time to replace the brush. Again, a good choice for these types of brushes is from Chris Christensen’s line because of their excellent quality. They may last a lifetime.

BRISTLE BRUSH: This is the type of brush that is best for the short-coated dogs for everyday grooming and to remove surface dust and dirt. It’s also an excellent choice to finish the coat and bring out its shine.

COMBINATION PIN/BRISTLE BRUSH: As the name states, this is a two in one type of brush combining the pin and bristle brush together. You can use one side to groom the dogs short hair areas and the other side to penetrate the under coat of the German Shepherd’s body.

PORCUPINE BRUSH: This is a brush that combines long quill like bristles with shorter bristles. It is a brush that is best suited to remove loose hair and debris from medium length hair to the long coated Shepherd.

SPECIALIZED BRUSHES:

ZOOM GROOM BRUSH: This is ideal for long or short-coated dogs. The Zoom Groom can be used on wet or dry coats. This is a great brush to use at bath time. It’s waterproof; collects hair like a magnet and it’s easy to remove the loose hair from the brush.

RUBBER GROOMING GLOVE AND DOG BRUSHES: These brushes are designed to remove the hair of a short coated dog. They come in rubber dog brushes, rubber bathing mittens and rubber curry brushes. You don’t actually brush your dog with these grooming aids, but you massage the dog’s coat in a circular motion. It can be used on a wet or dry coat. The bathing glove works well at bath time to help lather up and rinse the dog.

COMBS AND RAKES:

STANDARD METAL COMB: This comb has widely spaced teeth on one end of the comb and finer teeth on the other side of the comb. A standard combination comb will have widely spaced teeth at one end and finer spaced teeth at the other end. A highly recommend metal comb is the Butter comb by Chris Christensen. It easily glides through the dog’s hair.

DEMATTING COMB: German Shepherd Dogs coat rarely mat so this is not a favorite coat for grooming this breed. The only time you may have use for this coat with this breed is if he is a long coat or plush coated dog. This type of comb has very sharp teeth used to split and remove mats. If you find the need to use this type of comb, use caution with it as it can injure your dog’s skin.

UNDERCOAT RAKE: This is an ideal comb for the German Shepherd Dog. It is used for dogs that have an undercoat. It is designed for the undercoat of the dog and will remove loose hair quicker than the regular type of comb.

SHEDDING COMB: These combs have long and short teeth. The widely spaced, longer teeth comb out the dense undercoat... while the shorter teeth separate the longer outer coat.

SHEDDING BLADE: This is used like a brush and is designed to remove loose hair from a dog that sheds a lot like the German Shepherd.

FLEA COMB: These are very fined tooth like combs that effectively remove fleas from the dog’s coat. It can also be used to groom the hair on the dog’s face. Make sure you always clean the comb in a bowl of soapy water after each stroke to remove and drown any fleas that are removed by the comb.

FURMINATOR: This has become a favorite of the German Shepherd Dog owner because of its excellence in removing the under coat of this breed. See my review of this product in an earlier post on my blog.

So besides feeding our dogs a top quality diet and supplements, brushing and grooming them is also an important factor in maintaining a healthy, glossy coat. Dog brushing spreads the animal’s natural oils throughout his coat which gives him that beautiful shine. Because the German Shepherd Dog is a breed that sheds all the time, grooming should be an important part of the care of this breed.

I think you can get away with buying a cheaper comb, but not a cheaper brush. The combs are usually quite sturdy, but the brushes if cheaply made can fall apart too quickly. I don’t know how many brushes I’ve replaced. It’s more economical to spend a little more up front than having to replace them every few months. Chris Christensen brushes usually can run from $22 to over $50. Among other places, you can find his brushes at Cherrybrook. The Furminator can be found all over the internet. For some of the best prices on the Furminator, check out Amazon and E-bay!

My rating: top quality brushes and combs: (4), lower quality brushes: (2), lower quality combs: (3)