Essential Equipment
There are a number of tools to groom dogs. Not all tools work on all coats. Sometimes you need to work with several different types to see which ones work best on the dog and which ones are best for you. Most groomers find there isn't one brush that works on all dogs, so they have an arsenal. Different parts of the dog's body will require different tools and different coat textures require different tools. If you use the wrong tools, your brushing will be ineffective at best; at worst, you can cause some damage to the coat and skin. There are tools to remove undercoat, tools to demat, tools to deshed, and tools to thin out coat. Which ones do you need? Which coats do they work best on? Where do you start?
Brushes
Like any job, you can't do the job right if you don't have the tools you need. For grooming dogs, you may need an assortment of different brushes to get the job done. It all depends on the coat your dog has.
Use caution whenever brushing or combing near the eyes. Fast, short strokes near the eyes may be less accurate than careful slower strokes. Any contact with the eye surface could scratch or damage eye tissues.
Here is a guide to finding the right tools depending on your dog's coat type:
Smooth Coat — A soft-bristled brush or hound glove is perfect for this coat type. While not strong enough to penetrate deeper in a long-coated dog, on a short coat this brush is ideal for removing dead hair and spreading the skin's natural oils. A rubber curry also works well to remove any dead hair and slough off dead skin.
Long, Curly or Silky Coat — The ever-versatile slicker brush is the brush to use. This is the most common pet brush you see, the one with the flat, rectangular head and bent wire bristles. You can use this brush for any coat, but it's best on a long, soft-coated dog. Use it to work out tangles that come with curls and to keep the straight, silky coat soft and shiny.
Long, Wavy or Wire Coat — A pin brush is best for this type of coat. The straight pins will go deep enough to pull out the dead hair that causes matting and expel any hitchhikers. A pin brush is designed to be gentle enough that it doesn't break off the hair; however, if the coat has mats, you will need to demat it with a comb and slicker brush or other dematting tool because a pin brush is designed to brush out hair that has no mats. The pins are spaced far enough apart that it can glide over mats, so you must always run a comb through the coat to make sure you didn't miss anything.
Combs and Gloves
Wide-tooth combs are used to clean the undercoat of Malamutes, Chow Chows, and other dogs with heavy, dense fur that regular brushes cannot penetrate. A comb with closer-set teeth will pull any lingering dead hair out afterward.
It's always best to start a grooming session with a wide-tooth comb. When that comb goes through the coat without any problems, go to a comb with narrowly spaced teeth, and work your way down until all the combs go through the coat easily. If you hit any snags, work out the knots with a slicker before continuing or you will hurt the dog.
Combing the dog to the skin in this fashion will help remove shedding hair and separates the hair so it can loft and keep the dog's climate control in check.
Hound Gloves
Hound gloves are literally a brush on a canvas mitt that you put your hand in to brush the dog. When you use a hound glove, you have a more flexible brush, due to the soft mitt that flexes with your hand. Some hound gloves are made of horsehair on one side and a slicker-type brush on the other. These gloves work great on short, smooth-coated dogs to remove dead hair and distribute the oils in the dog's skin.
