Deshedding Brush

Every dog and cat sheds, but some coats turn a quiet week into a house full of fur. Double coated breeds blow their undercoat twice a year, and long coats drop hair steadily all year round. A brush built for shedding pulls that loose undercoat out before it lands on your lounge.

The right tool does more than tidy the house. Regular deshedding lifts dead hair away from the skin, keeps air moving through the coat, and gives you a weekly chance to feel for lumps, grass seeds, ticks and hot spots while your hands are already on your dog.

Matching the Brush to the Coat

Undercoat rakes and deshedding blades suit thick double coats like huskies, labradors and shepherds, reaching through the topcoat to the soft layer underneath. Slicker brushes work well on curly and wavy coats such as cavoodles and poodles, where the job is teasing out tangles before they become mats. Self cleaning brushes retract the bristles at the push of a button, which saves picking hair off the pad by hand. For short smooth coats, a rubber or silicone grooming mitt lifts loose hair with less risk of scratching the skin.

Getting the Technique Right

Work in the direction the coat grows and let the tool do the work. Pressing hard drags on the skin and turns grooming into something your dog learns to avoid. Short sessions little and often beat one long wrestle, especially with a puppy who is still learning to be handled. Never force a matted patch apart with a deshedding blade, as mats sit tight against the skin and are safer removed with clippers. Finish with a wash using a gentle dog shampoo, and browse the wider range of dog grooming supplies if you are building a kit from scratch.

Tired of fur on everything? Explore the RPBA collection of deshedding brushes and find the one that suits your dog's coat.