Many dog owners need to make regular trips to a professional grooming salon. This of course depends on whether or not the dog in question has a high-maintenance coat. However, regardless of the breed, a certain amount of grooming needs to be done at home. This is particularity true with long-haired breeds. so whether you intend to do all of the grooming yourself or only some of it, it will be helpful to know the basics of how to detangle dog hair.
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Tips for Brushing Different Dog Breeds
If you have the time then it is a good idea to brush your dog’s hair for a few minutes each day. It will give you quality time with your pet and produce a shinier appearance in his coat.
How much grooming you need to do will be dependent on the type of dog breed that you have.
There are different techniques used for grooming different dog breeds. If you have a long-haired breed, for example, then you will have a constantly growing coat.
The longer you wait between brushings and general grooming, the more difficult it will be to manage.
Most dog owners at one stage or another have wondered if there is a better tool to keep dog hair sleek, smooth and healthy. The types of questions I come across include:
What type of brush do I need for my particular pet?
What would be the best brush for long haired dogs?
Are there any special techniques for brushing a dog?
But more often than not, dog owners struggle with matting and knotted coats.
Tips on How to Detangle Dog Hair
Long Hair Breeds
Examples: Maltese, Shih Tzu, Cocker Spaniel.
Long coats can matt easily if left unbrushed for too long. Once that happens it can be very difficult, not to mention time-consuming, to tease out all of the knots and tangles.
Even with frequent brushing, the fine hair on our Maltese-Shih-Tzu used to knot very easily. When this happened, I would take time out and sit with him to slowly ease out those knots with my fingers while trying to keep him per-occupied with a toy. I found that a metal comb assisted as well. If there were knots that I simply couldn’t detangle, then and only then, I tried to gently snip them out with scissors.
A brush won’t cut it if there are too many knots and matted bits; a brush is most effective once the coat is nicely combed and tangle-free.
Here is a video that you can watch over and over when working out how to detangle dog hair at home.
Detangle Dog Hair with These Tools
Have you tried a spray to help detangle dog hair?
This could be just the product that you are looking for.
Or a detangling comb provides an ideal solution for many dog coats:
But it is hard to beat a combination tool such as this dog coat dematting comb with a grooming rake.
GoPets Dematting Comb with 2 Sided Professional Grooming Rake for Cats & Dogs
And of course an Andis Pet Steel Comb would be a very handy addition to your grooming-at-home tool kit.
Andis (Pet) 7-1/2-Inch Steel Comb ,Silver
If tangling persists:
- Check the type of conditioner that you are using after shampooing. A nice conditioner can go a long way to keeping your pooch’s hair softer and knot-free particularly if you are brushing regularly.
- Make sure that your dog is entirely dry before you release him after a bath. His first inclination will be to roll in dirt and twigs and these will simply stick to his hair if wet and thus initiate the tangling process all over again.
So brushing of long-haired breeds should be done on a regular basis, at least every few days if not daily.
Dog Breeds with Medium Length Hair
Examples: Corgi, Poodle, Golden Retriever
These types of dogs should be brushed weekly.
You will find that your pet will welcome the attention and enjoy the massaging effect of the brushing.
Dog Breeds with Short Length Hair
Examples: Jack Russells, Beagles, Grey Hounds
If you are the owner of a short-haired breed then you will have less work ahead of you. You need to brush these coats much less frequently. And you shouldn’t have to worry about how to detangle dog hair with these breeds.
However, it is still nice to spend some attentive, bonding time with your dog by learning how to brush a dog properly and then brushing him whenever you can spare the time. It will have a massaging affect on his skin and, if done gently, most dogs look forward to it.
