Types of Dog Grooming Tools
There is a wide array of tools available for grooming dogs. While some people may choose to have their dogs professionally groomed often, some people may choose to save money and time by reducing visits to professional groomers and performing grooming on their dog at home. Many of the professional grade tools for grooming are available for the home groomer, making the process of keeping your pet clean and beautiful easier.
Dog grooming tools have been developed to encompass a large amount of breeds, coat styles and handler requirements. Some of the typical dog grooming tools that you may need to successfully groom your pet are brushes, combs, shears, clippers and a series of specific use tools. The classic tool for grooming your dog is the brush. The brush works to remove tangles, smooth the coat and remove excess or unwanted hair. Dog brushes usually come in three types: bristled brushes, which are very versatile and can be used for shorter haired breeds, wire pin brushes, that are best used on tougher or wooly coats and slicker brushes that have fine and thin wires used for working the dog’s undercoat. Dog combs represent the second most useful tool in your grooming arsenal. Combs for dog coats come in several tooth lengths, which work best in different conditions. These tooth sizes can be extra fine all the way up to extra wide. Wider toothed combs are best for tackling thick or matted coats and fine toothed combs are great for those thin and silky coats. Other types of combs work to remove excess hair and dead skin. The soft rubber curry comb and rubberized grooming gloves are good examples of these types of combs.
Combs and brushes are essential tools for maintaining a healthy and attractive coat, but regular maintenance and trimming are also important. The best way to maintain your dog’s coat is with a quality clipper. Clippers are extremely useful tools, and many professional level clippers are available on the market. When choosing a grooming clipper, remember that a powerful motor will offer the best long term cutting benefits, especially if your dog has a tough or long coat. These clipper motors come in single or 2-speeds. A quality clipper should at least provide 3000 cutting strokes per minute for a single speed model and 3500 cutting strokes per minute for a two speed. Clippers should also have a good set of detachable clipper blades, as these allow you to easily choose the length of the cut, while being able to change lengths quickly and easily. Other attributes to search for when choosing a dog clipper is one that runs quietly and remains cool in your hands. Many lower quality clippers heat up quickly and become uncomfortable to hold. Dog grooming clippers may also come in cordless varieties, which may be easier to carry, but often have a short battery life. A model with a cord will run much longer and will have more power. Some professional clipper brands require maintenance in the form of lubricating oil, while maintenance free variations are also available.
A de-shedding tool can be a dog groomer’s best friend. These tools help remove excess hair that may end up all over the house. They are also useful for keeping your dog cooler during the warmer months. A quality de-shedding tool will feature long and thin blades that dig into and pull out the undercoat and excess fur. For serious undercoats that mat together, a tool known as a mat splitter may get the job done better. These tools are sharp and strong, but require proper techniques to avoid injury to the dog.
Final touches and styling can be performed with shears or scissors. These are some of the most important parts of a professional groomer’s tool belt. Shears should be of good quality and be comfortable to use. There are many different styles of shears available including blunt ended shears, straight shears or curved shears, just to name a few.
Finally the home groomer should pick a good way to trim their dog’s nails. This can be tricky for a lot of people and dogs. Nail clippers work perfectly well, but if the nail is clipped too short it causes pain. Many good brands of dog nail clippers will come with a quick finding device to help you avoid hurting your dog. Nail grinders work well for dogs with quick problems. These grinders work by grinding away the nail instead of cutting it.
Choosing a quality collection of home dog grooming tools will not only make grooming your pet easier, but it will make the process faster and will produce better results.
- The Best Dog Grooming Tools by Brand
- Clippers- Oster Golden A5 Single Speed
- Andis Super Speed Model AGC 2
- De-shedding- FURminator deShedding Tool
- Nail Grinder- Dremel Multi Pro 2-Speed Cordless Nail Grinder
- Nail Clippers- Miracle Coat Quick Finder Deluxe Pet Nail Clipper
- Brushes- 20mm Wood Pin Brush by Chris Christensen
- Shears- SharkFin Gold Line shears
- RS-2 Razor Shaper Shears by Chris Christensen
- De-matting Comb- Safari De-matting Comb
There is always the option to have your Dog Groomed.
