Brushing, brushing, all dreadlocks fleeing. When your heart is melting and troubles are near, grab a brush before your dog licks off its hair. But few owners (and dogs) love the brushing procedure. How often should you inevitably do it?
Look for a breed by coat type
Step one – if you've had a dog in the past and are considering getting a new one, don't be ashamed to choose a breed that will suit your brushing preferences! It's better than struggling with a ball of fur at home that even holy water won't fix. Better than complaining about a constantly fur-covered couch or buying expensive vacuum cleaners that won't completely get rid of dog hair anyway. Of course, where there's hair, there's life and there's no good coffee without hair, but sometimes you can make life a hair better even without constantly picking hair out of your mouth and food.
Where there's hair, there's life.
Choose the right tool
Maybe you dedicated your love to a shelter dog that seemed low-maintenance, only for it to shed completely at home, and you don't know who its parents were or how to approach it? Bet on quality tools! For short-haired breeds, you'll bless a rubber brush! It's a rubber brush with coarse bristles. I think it works so great on the principle of static electricity that the hairs simply love it and follow it. In any case, you'll brush out an enormous amount of hair from short-haired dogs, so much so that you'll wonder if they have any left on their skin.
(You can also use it for horses, for example).
For long-haired animals, we recommend a quality brush with long wire bristles. For dreadlocks, you'll sometimes need a dematting comb. And of course, you absolutely must have a furminator at home. It's a hair detective; it catches even those that hadn't yet wanted to leave their follicle, but only barely thought about it.
The right tool will brush out even last year's hair.
Frequency matters
Now to the main point. Step 3. Do it often. There's no putting it off; the dignity of your home and your dog's life are at stake. If you have an Afghan Hound, a Collie (even a Border Collie!), a Bernese Mountain Dog, or perhaps a Scottish Terrier, it will require a daily loving brush. It's worth it, you'll see. Golden Retrievers, Husky wild ones, or even Spitzes will be content with brushing 2-3 times a week, they won't even sit still for much more often. Short-haired dogs have it easier; once a week is enough for them, as everything falls off them anyway when they run wildly (French Bulldog, Staffy, Labrador…).
A Scottie needs daily maintenance, at least of its messy undercarriage.
There are a few exceptions that don't need brushing. These include hairless breeds, also known as naked dogs, and then we think also "water" breeds like the Komondor (we call him a mop). Nothing in the world will brush him out.
Komondor. A breed full of dreadlocks.
Let us know at info@groomo.cz what kind of furry friend you have at home and how you cooperate during brushing? We'll talk about grooming with consent in one of our next articles. Fingers crossed you don't have to reach for a sheep shaver!
