Slicker Brushes - You Need One of These in Your Lives

The Must Have Brush!

The Slicker brush is an essential part of any groomers or pet owners grooming kit, with a wide range of coat types on our pets the Slicker brush is the most universal and effective tool to use,  no groomer is without one, two or three in their grooming bag. 

So why are these brushes so great?

To keep a dog well groomed and free from matts and tangles we need to remove the hair that has died, if the dead hair stays in the coat it becomes trapped and causes unsightly and painful matts, so a tool that efficiently loosen and removes  dead hair will keep the skin and coat healthy and matt free.  The slicker brush when used correctly will do this job efficiently.

How to use correctly 

When using a slicker brush the technique will depend on the thickness, appearance and length of the dogs coat, so as the hair grows between professional grooms the technique will need to be modified to ensure effective removal of matts and tangles.  Part your dogs hair and work from the root outwards brushing to the end of the hair,  repeat this several times until the brush glides through, any snags will indicate dead hair still present so continue to brush until no resistance is felt. If this is uncomfortable for the dog then smaller amounts of hair need to be worked on at a time.  Work methodically and remember the whole dog doesn’t need grooming in one sitting, you can space it out over a few sessions so you and your dog enjoy the process. 

Which one to choose 

Slicker brushes come in various sizes, both flat and curved with close set wire teeth that are either soft or firm. A firm slicker is ideal  for wavy dense coats and the soft for silkier finer coats. The size of the slicker will depend on the size of your dog.  The bigger the dog the bigger the brush is recommended. Teeth length is also important the longer the teeth the deeper it will penetrate the coat so a long coat will need long teeth and a shorter coat shorter teeth. The wire teeth can if used incorrectly scratch the dogs skin so always ensure you have the coat parted so you have a good view of the skin and be guided by your dogs reactions and adjust the amount of pressure used, remember to let the brush do the work. 

Slicker brushes can be used in conjunction with conditioning sprays which help to smooth the hair and allow the brush to glide through easier, it will also give the hair more elasticity and prevent damage, which will cause additional matting. 

A range of slicker brushes to suit all needs and further advice can be found by clicking here

Julie Harris