How to Brush Your Dog
Prepare your dog., Be systematic about brushing., Spray on some coat conditioner., Use a rubber brush or curry comb to loosen dead skin and dirt., Use firm, but gentle strokes., Brush in the same order every time., Groom your dog's ears., Take care...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Prepare your dog.
Find a safe, quiet place to brush your dog.
If the weather is nice, outdoors is a good bet because you won't have to worry as much about cleaning up the dead hair.
Make sure your dog feels comfortable with you, and speak in a calm, reassuring voice throughout the grooming session.
Ask your dog to sit, and then give them a treat.
Always try to start your grooming ritual on a good note.
Let your dog sniff the brushes and tools you are using, before you begin. -
Step 2: Be systematic about brushing.
Try to follow a regular schedule, and brush short and medium haired pets about once a week.
Long haired dogs usually need to be brushed daily.
For all brushing steps, begin at your dog's head and work toward his tail.
Brushing the same way every time will help keep you from skipping a step, and will also be reassuring for your dog.Some professional groomers say that starting with the tail and working forward helps keep very nervous dogs calm, because they can't see what is happening at first.If you plan to bathe your dog, brush her first.
Tangles become tighter and harder to remove when they are wet. , If your pet has very tangled hair, or if he has long hair that is prone to mats, spray on a commercial pet coat product such as mink oil before brushing.
This will help loosen knots and tangles., Rubber curry combs are great to use on the paws, ears, and tail, as long as you work gently.
Using the rubber comb in a gentle, circular motion all over your dog will help distribute oils and keep her coat soft and shiny.Never use a metal curry comb on your dog – these are used to clean fur out of other brushes.
Metal curry combs are too harsh to use on your pet's delicate skin. , On thick coats, brush against the grain starting at the skin and brushing outward.
Then start over, brushing in the same direction as hair growth.
For all other coats, brush in the same direction the hair grows.
Brush the hair close to your pet's skin, but do not brush the skin itself.
This can cause red, irritated skin called “brush burn,” which may need to be treated by your vet.Use long strokes for long-haired dogs.
Use short strokes for dogs with short or wiry hair. , Brush your dog's neck ruff and any feathering on her legs.
If your dog has longer hair around his neck on on his legs, you may want to use a comb to detangle any knots before brushing.
Then gently brush his underbelly, sides, back, rear end, hind legs, and tail.
Be very careful when brushing your pet's delicate underbelly.
Never brush directly on the skin.
Also be very careful when brushing his face – for most dogs, facial hair can be groomed with a damp cloth.
Longer hair can be gently groomed with a comb. , Cleaning your dog's ears weekly will be make him feel more comfortable, and will help avoid ear infections.
If your dog has long hair on his ears, trim it gently with scissors.
Check the area thoroughly for ear mites, ticks, and fleas.
Then use a cotton ball or piece of surgical gauze soaked in an ear cleaning solution, or a baby wipe wrapped around your finger and gently wipe the inside surface of your dog’s ears.Avoid using water in your dog's ears – it doesn’t evaporate very easily and can lead to ear infections.
Never use Q-tips or try to put anything in your dog's ear canal – this can easily cause a painful ear injury.
If you notice an unusual smell or a discharge coming from your dog’s ears, bring it to your veterinarian’s attention. , Keeping the hair on your dog's feet neat and tidy not only looks good, it reduces the number of things that will get caught there, like burrs, road tar, ice chunks, bugs, and road tar.
Trim the hair on the top of your dog's foot carefully with scissors, along with the hair on the bottom of his paw so that the hair is about even with the pads of his foot.
Do not try to trim the hair between the toes or pads of the feet – you could injure your dog if he moves suddenly., Follow with a comb on long haired dogs to remove loose hair.
You can also use a small, hand-held vacuum if you are careful and your dog isn't afraid of the noise.
If your dog has a smooth, short coat like a Chihuahua or Boxer, use a chamois cloth to polish her coat., Various breeds of dogs have different types of coats, and they each have their own grooming requirements.
How frequently you need to groom, are based on three main factors: whether his coat is short or long (over one inch), whether he has a single or double coat, and whether he has feathering (longer fringe on the neck, ears, legs, and tail.)Breeds with long, silky, single coats – such as Maltese and Yorkshire Terriers – are highly prone to tangles.
Comb these dogs daily, or at a minimum once every two days.
Breeds with feathering – such as Cocker Spaniels, Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Irish Setters, and Golden Retrievers – will require frequent combing along with brushing.
Double coated dogs – such as Pomeranians, Shetland Sheepdogs, Siberian Huskies, and Samoyeds – shed more than other dogs, and their undercoat needs to be brushed thoroughly during shedding seasons.
Many short haired breeds – such as Chihuahuas, Labrador Retrievers, and Greyhounds – can go as long as two weeks between brushing. , Try to stick to a regular routine when brushing or bathing, and always work gently.
It's difficult to hurt your dog by brushing him too often, but brushing too hard or with the wrong type of brush – for example, a slicker brush on a short-haired breed – can cause painful skin irritation.Bathing too often can strip the natural oils from your pet's skin, causing dry, itchy patches.
Bathing without the proper coat conditioning can dry his coat, making it brittle and dry. -
Step 3: Spray on some coat conditioner.
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Step 4: Use a rubber brush or curry comb to loosen dead skin and dirt.
-
Step 5: Use firm
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Step 6: but gentle strokes.
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Step 7: Brush in the same order every time.
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Step 8: Groom your dog's ears.
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Step 9: Take care of your pet's feet.
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Step 10: Remove any remaining loose
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Step 11: dead hair.
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Step 12: Tailor your grooming routine to your dog's specific breed.
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Step 13: Avoid over-grooming.
Detailed Guide
Find a safe, quiet place to brush your dog.
If the weather is nice, outdoors is a good bet because you won't have to worry as much about cleaning up the dead hair.
Make sure your dog feels comfortable with you, and speak in a calm, reassuring voice throughout the grooming session.
Ask your dog to sit, and then give them a treat.
Always try to start your grooming ritual on a good note.
Let your dog sniff the brushes and tools you are using, before you begin.
Try to follow a regular schedule, and brush short and medium haired pets about once a week.
Long haired dogs usually need to be brushed daily.
For all brushing steps, begin at your dog's head and work toward his tail.
Brushing the same way every time will help keep you from skipping a step, and will also be reassuring for your dog.Some professional groomers say that starting with the tail and working forward helps keep very nervous dogs calm, because they can't see what is happening at first.If you plan to bathe your dog, brush her first.
Tangles become tighter and harder to remove when they are wet. , If your pet has very tangled hair, or if he has long hair that is prone to mats, spray on a commercial pet coat product such as mink oil before brushing.
This will help loosen knots and tangles., Rubber curry combs are great to use on the paws, ears, and tail, as long as you work gently.
Using the rubber comb in a gentle, circular motion all over your dog will help distribute oils and keep her coat soft and shiny.Never use a metal curry comb on your dog – these are used to clean fur out of other brushes.
Metal curry combs are too harsh to use on your pet's delicate skin. , On thick coats, brush against the grain starting at the skin and brushing outward.
Then start over, brushing in the same direction as hair growth.
For all other coats, brush in the same direction the hair grows.
Brush the hair close to your pet's skin, but do not brush the skin itself.
This can cause red, irritated skin called “brush burn,” which may need to be treated by your vet.Use long strokes for long-haired dogs.
Use short strokes for dogs with short or wiry hair. , Brush your dog's neck ruff and any feathering on her legs.
If your dog has longer hair around his neck on on his legs, you may want to use a comb to detangle any knots before brushing.
Then gently brush his underbelly, sides, back, rear end, hind legs, and tail.
Be very careful when brushing your pet's delicate underbelly.
Never brush directly on the skin.
Also be very careful when brushing his face – for most dogs, facial hair can be groomed with a damp cloth.
Longer hair can be gently groomed with a comb. , Cleaning your dog's ears weekly will be make him feel more comfortable, and will help avoid ear infections.
If your dog has long hair on his ears, trim it gently with scissors.
Check the area thoroughly for ear mites, ticks, and fleas.
Then use a cotton ball or piece of surgical gauze soaked in an ear cleaning solution, or a baby wipe wrapped around your finger and gently wipe the inside surface of your dog’s ears.Avoid using water in your dog's ears – it doesn’t evaporate very easily and can lead to ear infections.
Never use Q-tips or try to put anything in your dog's ear canal – this can easily cause a painful ear injury.
If you notice an unusual smell or a discharge coming from your dog’s ears, bring it to your veterinarian’s attention. , Keeping the hair on your dog's feet neat and tidy not only looks good, it reduces the number of things that will get caught there, like burrs, road tar, ice chunks, bugs, and road tar.
Trim the hair on the top of your dog's foot carefully with scissors, along with the hair on the bottom of his paw so that the hair is about even with the pads of his foot.
Do not try to trim the hair between the toes or pads of the feet – you could injure your dog if he moves suddenly., Follow with a comb on long haired dogs to remove loose hair.
You can also use a small, hand-held vacuum if you are careful and your dog isn't afraid of the noise.
If your dog has a smooth, short coat like a Chihuahua or Boxer, use a chamois cloth to polish her coat., Various breeds of dogs have different types of coats, and they each have their own grooming requirements.
How frequently you need to groom, are based on three main factors: whether his coat is short or long (over one inch), whether he has a single or double coat, and whether he has feathering (longer fringe on the neck, ears, legs, and tail.)Breeds with long, silky, single coats – such as Maltese and Yorkshire Terriers – are highly prone to tangles.
Comb these dogs daily, or at a minimum once every two days.
Breeds with feathering – such as Cocker Spaniels, Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, Irish Setters, and Golden Retrievers – will require frequent combing along with brushing.
Double coated dogs – such as Pomeranians, Shetland Sheepdogs, Siberian Huskies, and Samoyeds – shed more than other dogs, and their undercoat needs to be brushed thoroughly during shedding seasons.
Many short haired breeds – such as Chihuahuas, Labrador Retrievers, and Greyhounds – can go as long as two weeks between brushing. , Try to stick to a regular routine when brushing or bathing, and always work gently.
It's difficult to hurt your dog by brushing him too often, but brushing too hard or with the wrong type of brush – for example, a slicker brush on a short-haired breed – can cause painful skin irritation.Bathing too often can strip the natural oils from your pet's skin, causing dry, itchy patches.
Bathing without the proper coat conditioning can dry his coat, making it brittle and dry.
About the Author
Scott Jenkins
A passionate writer with expertise in pet care topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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