Why brush your pet? Brushing helps to remove dead hair and skin and it also helps the spread of natural oils through the coat. It also helps prevent mats and tangles in your pet’s coat. While brushing, it also gives you the opportunity to check your pet for fleas and ticks.

Grooming Tools
PetSupplies4Less.com offers a variety of brushes to suit any pet owner’s needs.

If your pet is prone to shedding or has a thick, dense coat, a FURminator Tool just might be your answer. The FURminator effectively removes the undercoat and loose hair from your pet, leaving a healthy shine. It works best when used after a bath when your pet’s coat is completely dry.

For a pet with a short, smooth coat, you can use a rubber brush to loosen dead skin and dirt, followed by a bristle brush to remove dead hair. For a short, dense coat, you can remove tangles with a slicker brush, then use a bristle brush to finish. For a long wavy or wire coat, a pin brush will work best.

Long haired pets require a little more effort when it comes to brushing. You will not only need to brush them everyday, but you will have to remove tangles everyday. Using a slicker brush, gently work through any tangles. If there are any mats, you can try and work them out with a slicker brush, or use a mat breaker. Once all of the tangles have been removed, you can polish your pet’s coat with a bristle brush.

How to Brush Your Pet
If your pet has never been brushed before, it is best to start out slow, keeping sessions short to allow him to get used to the idea of being brushed. You can also reward your pet with a treat for sitting still. Each day you can increase the amount of time you spend brushing your pet until you can do a full session easily.

You want to start out at your pets face, and then do one side at a time. Be careful of your pet’s eyes and ears to prevent injury. You can brush against the direction of the hair growth; this will help loosen dead hair and skin. Once you have reached the tail on both sides, go back and brush with the hair growth. While you are brushing, this is the opportune time to check your pet for fleas, ticks or wounds.

When brushing you want to pay close attention to your pet’s legs, elbows, tail and belly as these areas are more likely to become tangled. If your pet has a tangle, you can use a fine, metal tooth comb to gently pick at the tangle until it comes free. Do not try and brush out a tangle or mat as you will only cause your pet pain and still get nowhere. If you pet is very matted, you might want to seek out a professional groomer to help or to have your pet shaved.

If you have any questions on the proper grooming of your pet, you can consult your breeder, professional groomer or veterinarian.