Dog grooming kit and dog grooming review
You should read about these tips on dog grooming kits first but here are our top recommendations on dog brushes and dog combs.
Dog grooming kit – best brushes
Dog grooming kit and dog grooming
Looking good is something we all like but we dogs need some help. Every dog owner needs to know a little about dog grooming kits and dog grooming.
I need a lot of grooming because of my coat. The other dogs in the dogspeaking team need a lot less than me as they all have short coats. Because I need regular cuts and grooming, I’ve been told to do this bit on dog grooming.
Dog grooming is important to keep us happy and healthy, even if we sometimes don’t enjoy it. I love being brushed but I hate getting clipped and I hate getting my eyes and ears cleaned.
What dog grooming means
Grooming is not just a brush or comb and an occasional bath. It’s important to keep our coat healthy and clean and not let it matt. Trimming and cutting a coat is also important to keep it neat if your dog is like me with a coat that is always growing.
Other things that must be done are:-
- cleaning ears and in my case, my eyes need to be cleaned regularly
- cleaning teeth
- clipping nails (best to leave this to a professional).
Keep to a dog grooming routine
We need groomed regularly and little dogs like me need some grooming nearly every day. Even a low maintenance dog like Labra or Heinz should get some groom at least once every 2 weeks. Do your grooming properl, whenever you do it and make sure you have the best basic equipment. Here is a grooming routine that is necessary for every dog:-
- brush regularly making sure you take out all tangles or mats.
- clean eye tear stains (as a Maltese Cross, I need this done nearly every day).
- bath and rinse well with dog shampoo. This may only be necessary once every couple of months and not more than once every 2 weeks. Best answer to “when do we bath?” is when we begin to smell!
- before a bath do a quick groom to get rid of any matted hair or clip if it is needed (do not use scissors – ever)
- clean ears with a vet approved ear-cleaner only when necessary. Over-cleaning your dog’s ears can lead to infection so make sure you know what a healthy, clean ear looks and smells like (pink, odorless, and not dirty or inflamed and not yeasty or strong smelling).
- trim toenails. (another job to leave to the vet if you are not confident)
- brush teeth.
- clean out the anal sacs if necessary (sometimes this is best left to a vet).
- organise a haircut if necessary. Not all dogs need a hair cut but dogs like me (A Maltese Shih Tzus) or Poodles need to be clipped every 2 or 3 months. Labra Dor has never had a hair cut in her 10 years!
Warning!
Scissors and dogs DO NOT go together, you can seriously injure your dog with scissors. Use electric clippers or a special dog brush to clip or get rid of matted hair.
There are some jobs that are best left to humans who know what they are doing like clipping, cleaning out anal sacks and cutting toe nails. We’ll talk about these things in other articles.
Dog Grooming kit – basics grooming kit for every dog
Dog grooming equipment can be bought very cheaply but you’ll find cheap stuff may not last long and doesn’t do a good job. Buy a good brush or comb, it’s still not a lot of money, and it will last and do a good job. We have some reviews and recommendations below.
Dog grooming kit for every dog
- A good dog brush; there are different types depending on your dog’s coat. We give you some good information below
- Dog comb; there are various types, we’ll help you choose the best for your dog below.
- Dog shampoo and conditioner -( see reviews for dog shampoo and conditioners by clicking on this link)
- Vet approved ear cleaning solution;
- A dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste – read all about dog dental health and what you need to buy by clicking here.
Dog grooming kit – optional extras
Here are a few optional extras. We have said these are “optional” because they should not be used by people who are new to dogs or not 100% sure of what they are doing.
We strongly recommend that these dog grooming tools be used only by professionally trained humans :-
- Dog toenail clippers
- Electric dog clipper
Best Dog grooming tools - Dog Combs
A medium-toothed dog comb is needed by most dogs but for dogs with thin hair, a fine comb might be better. Use a wide-toothed comb for thick coarse hair. Many good dog combs will be half fine and half medium or give you two other options.
Best dog grooming brush
Dogs love a good brush more so than using a comb. The best way to use a brush is to start at the head and move down toward the tail. Legs should be done last and always use long strokes following the direction of the hair growth. If a coat is matted or tangled remove these first with a dog comb.
Safari Pin and Bristle Combo Dog Brush is two essential grooming tools in one brush and at under $6 it’s hard to beat. One side has pins and is used to gently lift out hair and debris. The other side has bristles used to smooth and distribute natural oils throughout the coat.
For coats with mats or tangles its best to use a comb first before brushing. The pin brush can also be used to fluff the coat by brushing against the direction of hair growth.
This brush is recommended for short-haired dogs and long-haired dogs. It’s comfortable to use, dogs love it and it’s very affordable. Read more about it and buy here.
The FURminator deShedding Tool is almost a must for all dog owners. This really is the best 5 STAR dog brush available. The manufacturer claims “there is no pet care solution on the market like the FURminator” and we would agree.
At over $20, it is quite expensive for a doggie brush but you get what you pay for! It comes in 5 different sizes to suit all dogs and all dog hair types so you’ll find one to suit.
The FURminator deShedding Tool for medium, long haired dogs has a long hair stainless steel deShedding edge. This goes through the topcoat safely to remove loose hair and reach the undercoat without damaging the coat or cutting skin. It has a neat ejector button to clean and remove loose hair easily. It also has a good ergonomic handle for comfort and ease of use. If you love a dog with a beautiful shiny coat, this is the one to buy so click here to find out more.
PETPAWJOY Slicker Brush is excellent for small dogs and dogs with fur-like coats like Maltese and Poodles. It’s good for all short-haired dogs too and it’s small and easy to use. It removes loose undercoat and gives a good massage while deshedding and grooming.
The head of this brush turns round to take it from a grooming brush to a lovely massage. Massage is not just a nice feeling, it increases blood circulation and helps stop skin problems. Petpawjoy also offer a 30 day satisfaction guarantee and a 15 month limited warranty so find out more and buy here.
Hattiko is very confident in their product and offer a full replacement at any time with any issue you might have.
The Hattiko Pet grooming tool is very well-made and it works very well with long hair. It has a double-sided head so can be used as an undercoat comb, so two tools in one! 12 ‘knives” for de-matting on one side and the other has 23 ‘knives” for quicker de-matting.
This type of rake comb is maybe not for every dog but the Hattiko’s sharp teeth are safe and it great getting through tangled and matted fur. A rake can be a great tool in fighting unruly and hard-to-manage fur. Some dogs can have allergies to metal or plastic but this comb is made of antiallergic metal. It will last a long time and it’s easy to use and clean.
The sharpened teeth help stop pulling and tugging which is great for long hair dogs and it can get through the worst tangles. Find out more and buy here.
Best dog grooming comb
This 5 star rated double comb pack currently sells for under $14.00.
The Hertzko 2 Pack Pet Comb does what a dog comb should do, it removes tangles, matted hair, loose fur and dirt and is good for most dog coat types, long hair or short hair.
The package includes a small and a large comb with smooth rounded teeth ends. It will groom and massages for a healthy coat. The two-sided combs’ teeth suit medium and coarse hair in particular. The comfort-grip anti-slip handle is made of rubber and is easy to use. Plenty of very satisfied pet owners use this set so have a look for yourself by clicking here.
One of the most popular and highly rated dog combs is the Andes steel dog comb.
This steel dog comb is strong, removes tangles, mats, loose hair, and dirt. It will also stimulate skin and hair follicles.
The comb is two-sided with coarse and fine teeth. The Andes steel dog comb is strong, lightweight and comes in a 7.5in length and a 10in length all for under $10 so have a look here.
We don’t often find that really cheap is good but there didn’t seem to be much wrong with this set for the price.
Petsvv Pet Stainless Steel Grooming Comb and Flea Lice Comb set is a low cost stainless steel triple set of two combs and a fine tooth flea and lice comb. The combs are 7.5inches long and the flea comb has an anti-slip handle. Dog combs have round smooth comb-teeth to prevent injury and they are lightweight.
It’s maybe not the best made but at under $8 this is a reasonable ‘starter pack’ for those on a tight budget so click here.
Dog grooming kit and dog grooming review - Summary
This could be a very long article if we reviewed all dog grooming tools. You can find out about dog shampoos and other grooming tools by clicking on the highlighted links.
Every dog owners needs a brush and comb and you’ll find the best in this article. Dog shampoo is also essential and we give some good tips and reviews on another page.
Dental care is also essential and must be done by every pet owner and you can find out about the best dental care products and tips here.
It’s not a ‘task’ to look after your dog’s grooming needs and using good grooming tools and keeping to a good grooming routine can be fun for you and your buddy.
We do suggest clipping and other grooming tools on another page but there are some jobs that are best done by experienced competent pet owners or dog health professionals.
Please think twice about doing some of these jobs, like nail cutting and grooming yourself. We don’t like products that come with “ointments to stop bleeding” – would you buy nail clippers that might go into the quick of your nails and cause bleeding? I guess not so why would you risk hurting us dogs?
Dental Health for dogs – Review
If you found this helpful, why not read about Dental Health for dogs and look at our review on the best products for your dogs?
Bull Staffy looks at how important it is to look after a dog’s teeth and mouth.
This will obviously stop big vet bills for dental work but an unhealthy mouth will cause bad breath and can cause other illnesses too.
- Give us a good natural bone occasionally, (make sure its the right type of bone and not cooked), and a good chew toy helps clean and strength teeth and gums.
- A good, strong rubber chew toy can also be helpful but even the best like a Kong or a Nylabone should be supervised in case they start to break up.
- Choose a good dog toothbrush and clean our teeth regularly with an approved enzymatic dog toothpaste. Any recommended on this page will do the job well and safely.
- Never use human toothbrushes or human toothpaste to clean a dog’s teeth.
- Most dental toys with dog toothpaste filling are not very strong and can be destroyed by even a moderate strength dog chewer, stay away from them.
- Dental water additives are becoming quite popular. They are NOT a substitute for cleaning our teeth but they may be helpful.
Best dog Shampoos – Review
If you found this helpful, why not read about the best dog shampoos and look at our review on the best products for your dogs?
Dog’s skin does not have as many layers as human skin and so it is a lot more sensitive. Because it is a lot more sensitive, we should never use product made for humans on our dogs.
It’s important for health to keep your dog clean and an occasional bath is an essential part of dog grooming.
Don’t bath your dog too often as it can cause problems by drying out skin and taking away important natural oils.
The review is looking at the best for all dogs and we recommend hypo-allergenic products. Why take a chance of causing a bad reaction if it’s not necessary?