# Quick curry brush question!



## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

I would ideally like to get out of the house and buy a new brush in the next hour or so, but even if I get a response afterward, I still am curious....

This is the current state of my Kong zoom groom after regular use (average once a week) for around 6 years:









This is what a brand new one looks like:









Questions:
-Do the shorter prongs make the brush less effective and is it time for me to get a new one?
-Does this design work better than ones like the kind pictured below?


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Haha, wow, mine has some wear but nothing like that! Does it still "work", as in, does it get a decent amount of hair out? If so, no reason to get a new one yet.

As for the different kinds, what kind of fur does Soro have? If he has the usual thick double coat like a Lab, the Zoom Groom (or similar product) is best. If he has a short single coat, the other kind will work well. In my experience .


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## sharpei (Mar 15, 2013)

I myself would get a new one, the pointy ends penetrate down better and will get deeper into the coat. as for the other style I really like the kong prong design better for getting deep into the dogs coat. we use them regularly at work.

I am not a professional groomer by any stretch but I am certified for bathe and brush duties in the salon at the company I work for. not much experience there mind you but some. so feel free to take my advice in this field with a grain of salt.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Thanks for the input! I ended up buying a new Zoom Groom. They had the blue kind too but it was labeled for "short coats" and what you guys are saying about the prongs going deeper makes sense. Here are some more comparison photos:










They both performed pretty well, but the new one was able to bunch up the loose fur better. This was done very methodically, one brush for each side of his flank and same number/lengths of strokes.









Overall it seems the new brush was a good investment; I can see it accumulating more hair after doing the entire dog. And the brushing action just felt smoother because with the old one I felt like I had to compensate for the short stubs by digging deeper.








(This was 16 strokes on each side. Can't wait to give him a full brushing.)


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## DaisyDC (Feb 24, 2013)

The blue curry pictured looks just like my rubber curry for my horse, so I wouldn't think it would be at all good on a dog with a particularly thick coat. Or one with thinner skin, either, if my horse's reaction is any indication. IME, it's better at loosening up dirt than getting out hair, even with shorter hair. I think you made a good choice sticking with what you've got.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

That's cool. I've seen those around, but I never actually knew what they were for. Hubby is always complaining about how much Obi sheds, so I might try one of those


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

I am a professional groomer, and I much prefer the rubber horse curry over the zoom groom types. I will use a zoom groom in the tub, all soaped up, but for getting out hair after the bath, the curry, all the way. Its great on ears and cheeks too (believe it or not, a heavy shedding area) and when used in a flicking motion on the body, it beats the zoom groom. But neither are going to be great at undercoat, only topcoat/guard hairs, For undercoat, a stripping knife is better, used as a rake thru the coat. Classic, or Franklin style coarse knives are the best. Here is a video of mine from a few years ago on how to use a stripping knife to card. Its on a golden, but the same process would be used on lab type coats as well.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=D6vy4NnsrTQ


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Thanks Graco! I got a stripping knife because of you and have been using it with great success. Okay, I do cut topcoat every now and then but it's because I'm not a professional  But I do notice the difference in what I'm taking out. When I felt the undercoat and make beads, the stripping knife beads always come out less coarse than the furminator ones. 
But I do use a rubber brush, slicker brush, and bristle brush every time I groom as well. The stripping knife takes out most of what's shed onto carpet and such. Rubber brush takes out dead top coat, and the other two just pick up the leftovers. I know it might sound excessive but the fact that each brush does pick up something at all times has me using them all.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Awesome Canyx. I think you have the process down to a science, and its working, so stick with it!


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