# Dog brush recommendations.....and undercoat?!



## harveymom (Jan 17, 2021)

I have a shepherd mix, he is short hair, but we have hair EVERYWHERE! I could knit a medium size sweater daily with the amount of hair I sweep up each day. What is a good brush? Follow up, how do I know if he has an undercoat or not? I tried to go to a local pet store, thinking they would be way more knowledgeable and helpful then the big box pet marts....but even they did not know. I bought a brush that is wire bristles and large, and it helps, but barely. I see these amazing ads on Amazon of these combs that take out large amounts of fur, are they worth it? Just any advice or products that have worked wonders for others would be so appreciated, my arms ache from sweeping!


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

Haha!

I haven't had to deal with shedding in a while (one advantage of hairy dogs vs. furry dogs) but one thing you might consider doing is taking him to a groomer a few times a year for a deshedding treatment. With their equipment and expertise and force dryer they can get way more fur off in one go than a normal person can do at home.

You might try adding a little extra healthy fat to his diet - that can help make the coat more manageable. 

If he's a shepherd mix he definitely has an undercoat. That's the fuzzy fur in his coat - it's probably has a greyish cast, compared to the more distinct colors and smoother texture of the guard hairs.


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

Yup, shepherds have undercoats, so unless his fur is significantly different than a shepherd coat in look and feel, you can assume he's got it too.

The double-coated dog I've had most experience with is my MiL's Leonberger. We use a good quality comb and slicker brush for most of his grooming. He also has one of those curry-comb style rubber or silicone deshedding brushes that works really well, but he's not a big fan of - I've heard some dogs absolutely love them, though. I've heard good things about deshedding rakes - with the round pins that rotate so they only pull out dead hair without catching healthy hair, but have no firsthand experience.


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

I've got a German Shedder... uh... Shepherd, and these are what I use.

Slicker brush MILLERS FORGE Unbreakable Style Slicker Brush, Regular - Chewy.com
Shedding blade OSTER Wide Coarse Rake for Dogs and Cats, 18 Teeth - Chewy.com
Pin Brush SAFARI Wire Pin Brush for Dogs | Chewy (Free Shipping)
Comb MARTHA STEWART Double Sided Dog Comb - Chewy.com (they don't seem to carry the one I actually have any more, but this is similar)
Forced air dryer METROVAC Air Force Commander Two-Speed Pet Dryer (Free Shipping) | Chewy (not exactly necessary, but really nice to have)
Grooming spray TROPICLEAN Tangle Remover, 16-oz bottle - Chewy.com (spritz on before brushing)
ShopVac https://www.lowes.com/pd/Shop-Vac-4-Gallon-5-5-HP-Portable-Wet-Dry-Shop-Vacuum/1001435270


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## 3GSD4IPO (Jun 8, 2016)

Look for an undercoat rake. A good undercoat rake can move a lot of hair. Follow this with a slicker brush. 

When you bathe your dog, use the slicker brush on him while he is soapy. You can get a TON of hair off and it is not flying around. Then when you blow dry, dry by brushing with the slicker brush AGAINST the lay of the hair. You will get even MORE hair off. 

Daily brushing after, both against the lay of the hair and finishing with going with the lay of the hair will help quite a lot.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

3GSD4IPO said:


> Look for an undercoat rake. A good undercoat rake can move a lot of hair. Follow this with a slicker brush.


I used a short-tooth undercoat rake on my black lab almost daily and it helped tremendously. I would brush him outdoors and, in the spring, the robins would gather up the fur to line their nests.

That dog made a lot of robins very happy.


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## Tater33 (Aug 17, 2019)

RonE said:


> I used a short-tooth undercoat rake on my black lab almost daily and it helped tremendously. I would brush him outdoors and, in the spring, the robins would gather up the fur to line their nests.
> 
> That dog made a lot of robins very happy.


Do you have a link to the rake you use? Our beagle mix (picture in my avatar) has hair similar to a lab and her hair is everywhere in the house.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

That lab, and the undercoat rake, are both long gone, but it was similar to this: Amazon.com : CONAIRPRO dog & cat Short-Tooth Undercoat - 1/2" : Pet Supplies

There are long-tooth undercoat rakes for dogs with longer fur and short-tooth undercoat rakes for dogs (like yours) with shorter coats.


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## Tater33 (Aug 17, 2019)

Thanks Ron, sorry for the delayed reply.
Do you brush against the grain when using those?


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Tater33 said:


> Thanks Ron, sorry for the delayed reply.
> Do you brush against the grain when using those?


No.


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## Tater33 (Aug 17, 2019)

RonE said:


> No.


I wish they had a video or something. There are no reviews of it, and it doesn't look like it would do much more then a comb.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

There are all sorts of videos on YouTube.


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## BKaymuttleycrew (Feb 2, 2015)

Tater33 said:


> Do you have a link to the rake you use? Our beagle mix (picture in my avatar) has hair similar to a lab and her hair is everywhere in the house.


For a short furred dog, the best brushes I've ever discovered are ones similar to a Kong Zoom Groom. Look for something with rubbery 'fingers'. There are many different brands & styles to pick from. like this:








Well & Good Blue Curry Brush for Dogs | Petco


Get a grip while shampooing or brushing your pup with the Well & Good Blue Curry Brush for Dogs. Its contoured design offers you good control during bath time or grooming.




www.petco.com


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## Tater33 (Aug 17, 2019)

RonE said:


> There are all sorts of videos on YouTube.


Thanks Ron, I have one on the way from Amazon now.


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## Tater33 (Aug 17, 2019)

Well I bought one of these and it's useless:
https://www.amazon.com/CONAIRPRO-do...ndercoat+rake+for+dogs&qid=1611073304&sr=8-16

A regular dog comb or brush removes more hair. I couldn't find any videos about it, and Conairpro doesn't even list these on their site. Amazon accepted the return without an issue, but buyer beware.


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

Try the shedding blade I linked in my post. I get a ton of undercoat off my GSD with it.


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## Tater33 (Aug 17, 2019)

LeoRose said:


> Try the shedding blade I linked in my post. I get a ton of undercoat off my GSD with it.


Thanks Leo. I checked it out but the description says: _"Designed for medium to large breeds with medium-to-thick undercoats such as Newfoundlands and Shetland sheep dogs" _

Our dog has a coat more like a Lab.


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

I still think it would work on that type of coat. 

Alternatively, I used a shedding blade similar to this on my Rat Terrier. FRISCO Shedding Blade Dog Brush - Chewy.com It got out quite a bit of undercoat, but given the choice between the two, I'd go with the rake over the blade.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Tater33 said:


> Well I bought one of these and it's useless:
> https://www.amazon.com/CONAIRPRO-do...ndercoat+rake+for+dogs&qid=1611073304&sr=8-16
> 
> A regular dog comb or brush removes more hair. I couldn't find any videos about it, and Conairpro doesn't even list these on their site. Amazon accepted the return without an issue, but buyer beware.


Interesting. I'm sure that wasn't the brand I used on my lab, but it was very similar in appearance and I got a nearly unlimited amount of undercoat removed with it, no matter how often I brushed him (which I did daily.)

I had a beagle when I was a kid, and I didn't even know they had an undercoat. (Also, I never heard of anal scent glands until I got that lab.)


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## Lillith (Feb 16, 2016)

I only have two pieces of coat grooming equipment for my double coated, long haired Aussie/Collie. A regular bristle brush and an undercoat rake. The undercoat rake was a game changer. TONS of hair. My dog is not into the whole being groomed thing. He tolerates, but would rather go chase something. So, a quick run with the undercoat rake followed by the bristle brush is what I do. This is best done on a day with 60 mph wind gusts to release what free floating hair remains.


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## harveymom (Jan 17, 2021)

parus said:


> Haha!
> 
> I haven't had to deal with shedding in a while (one advantage of hairy dogs vs. furry dogs) but one thing you might consider doing is taking him to a groomer a few times a year for a deshedding treatment. With their equipment and expertise and force dryer they can get way more fur off in one go than a normal person can do at home.
> 
> ...


Thank you So much! I know this was a while ago, but this was super helpful! I didn't even know groomers could do that, I will look into it. And thank you for explaining what the undercoat is, I was confused but - yes! He definitely has the fuzzy fur!


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## harveymom (Jan 17, 2021)

LeoRose said:


> I've got a German Shedder... uh... Shepherd, and these are what I use.
> 
> Slicker brush MILLERS FORGE Unbreakable Style Slicker Brush, Regular - Chewy.com
> Shedding blade OSTER Wide Coarse Rake for Dogs and Cats, 18 Teeth - Chewy.com
> ...


Haha! Oh wow! I have got some shopping to do! Still laughing about German Shedder


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## harveymom (Jan 17, 2021)

LeoRose said:


> I've got a German Shedder... uh... Shepherd, and these are what I use.
> 
> Slicker brush MILLERS FORGE Unbreakable Style Slicker Brush, Regular - Chewy.com
> Shedding blade OSTER Wide Coarse Rake for Dogs and Cats, 18 Teeth - Chewy.com
> ...


Probably a dumb question but what is the difference between the slicker brush and pin brush?


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

harveymom said:


> Probably a dumb question but what is the difference between the slicker brush and pin brush?












^^Slicker brush










^^ Pin brush

Eh, the photos aren't very big here. Follow the links in my post, and you can see them better.


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