Brushes (and Combs)

If your baby makes a fuss when being brushed, then there's a really good chance that you're not using your brush correctly so it's hurting them (I've been guilty of that myself!). Combs can also make a difference to you and your fur-baby's life, so choose with care and use correctly.

Brushes:

So when you first get your puppy home all you need is a cheapie $3 Kmart brush to get them used to the whole idea of being brushed. Ditto any old cheapie wide-tooth comb to start off with, as combs do feel different to brushes on a dog's skin so it's important they get used to that too. Neither will do much to remove any matting of course, but that's not what they're for. If you haven't read the "grooming" section yet and you're just starting out with DIY then I'd recommend you check that out before you start. Once you and your fur-baby are happy with the whole idea of being groomed, it will be time to invest in a "good" brush and comb. Having said that (a year or so ago) now that I've discovered the Groomsoft brush (keep reading) I'd go straight to that one.

A lot of people recommend the Les Pooches brush, which used to be made under licence by Activet before Les Pooches started making their own. Now there's the Les Pooches version and the Activet version. I chose the Activet version as theirs is a "double sider"; which means I only need one brush not two, and they're expensive. I use the purple/red one. The purple side is the equivalent of the Les Pooches purple that Mel (formerly of Tegans and co-developer of the ACD breed) recommends, whilst the red side is a mat splitter (that really does work):

Link to Activet Brushes Click HERE

Activet send you a handy pamphlet showing you how to use their brushes when you buy one so you can use the correct technique..

There's now some discussion that the Chris Christensen K might be the best brush for Cobberdogs - fortunately a friend of mine bought one which meant I could try it out before spending yet ANOTHER $120 (probably more nowadays!) on yet another brush. Verdict? Nope, not going to bother. My Activet is just as good if not better (but I'm not saying that in public cos I don't want to upset anyone), particularly as mine is two brushes in one. I did treat myself to the large size Activet purple/red so now I have both sizes - handy to use the large one for body and the small one for legs, but not strictly necessary as I managed with the small one all over for quite some time.

If you're interested in the Christensen one, the Australian link is:
https://chrischristensenaustralia.com.au/shop/the-big-k/

Then I heard about the Artero Double Flex Slicker brush. At about AU$40 (I bought mine for AU$34 off of Ebay in October 2022, I thought it might be a good budget alternative to the Activet brush (keep reading for my follow-up and conclusions below). As the name suggests, the Artero is a double header just like the Activet, with fine tines on one side and thicker on the other. The main difference is that the Artero head is very flexible and so bends as necessary during use.

Whilst none of my (4 at the time) dogs objected to the Artero, unfortunately it turned out to do a terrible job.

The Artero also comes in a single version, but as the double is not nearly as wide as the double Activet, I'd say the single would be tiny (pictured above and below left).

Above left shows Artero and Activet brushes side by side, middle pic shows Activet maximum flex whilst end pic shows Artero flex.
All that flex is probably what makes the Artero more acceptable to the dogs; BUT you'll notice that one of the tines on the Artero has already bent after grooming only one dog. I've had the Activet brush for years and it's still as good as new.

I did a "side by side" test with the Artero and Activet Brushes for Miss Molly's weekly groom. First I brushed her all over with the Artero, followed by a brush through with the purple side of the Activet. As you can see from the photos below, after the Artero reckoned there was very little loose hair in her coat, the Activet said differently. After brushing, I combed her through with my trusty Underwater Dogs comb (review further down page). You can see how much loose hair and matting was still there after brushing in the picture below right. This goes to show that a good brush is vital, as is a comb through after brushing.

Artero brush (on the left) thought there was very little loose hair in Molly Dog, the Activet brush thought differently!
Then the UWDogs comb took out even more.

Conclusion: Whilst the Artero may be useful for teaching a puppy about being brushed as it's very gentle, for serious grooming I can't recommend it as it leaves too much loose hair behind to cause matting, plus the pins bend out of shape almost immediately.

Update:

There's no doubt about it, slicker brushes do the job; but no matter how careful you try to be, they're not a comfortable piece of equipment for the brushee - I've tried them all on my own head so I know that for a fact.

Always on the look out for a viable alternative that will still do the job, in March 2023 I came across the Groom Professional Ball Pin Slicker. As the name suggests it has little balls on the end of the pins which makes it far easier on the skin (both on the dogs and my head!). Better yet, it still does the job it was intended for - unlike the Artero which I found to be rather rubbish really (that's me being polite).

Best price I found for the Groomsoft Professional Ball Pin Slicker Brush was at Petcircle but please do a Google search as prices are always changing - don't forget to take postage into account as this varies a lot too.

There's no flex in the Groomsoft as it's bedded in hard plastic, but the pin bed has lots of give and the brush itself is curved as you can see from above centre pic. I found it very comfortable in the hand, did a good job of removing loose hair and other flotsam, but most importantly there was no fuss from any of my (at the time four, now three) dogs when I used it on them. From that I deduced that it was as comfortable for them as it had been when I tested it on myself.

As of November 2024 I'd been using it for over 18 months and it's still in great shape, no bent pins or obvious signs of wear, and the dogs still don't mind me using it. At less than AU$30 + postage I reckon that the Groom Professional Ball Pin Slicker is the bargain of the century.

Final brush-through after Indie-Dog's full groom. Groomsoft on the left and Activet on the right. As you can see very little was left by the Groomsoft, in fact I do believe if I'd have brushed her through again there would have been nothing left. Even more importantly, she stood happily to be brushed by the Groomsoft, but when I used the Activet she flinched away - so the ball pins on the end definitely make a difference to doggy-comfort levels.

***

There's regular buzz on various ACD facebook groups about a "brush" that looks like the picture on the right. They vary in price from under $10 to over $80 depending on where you buy them.

Please be aware that these are NOT brushes. They are mat-splitters and whilst they may have their place if you're dealing with a very matted pooch, if you use it like a brush or comb over the whole body you will damage your dogs' fur. Long-term you may cause permanent damage.

My advice would be DON'T. I've tried several and abandoned all as unnecessary and possibly harmful; but then I groom weekly. This may have a place if you groom less frequently and have a serious matting problem. However, please DON'T use unless you really, really have to.

If you would like to read about the products I've trialled when dealing with a matted pooch, then please read that section on the grooming page by clicking HERE.

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Combs:

So you can pay anything from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars for a doggy comb.  The most expensive I've come across so far costs in excess of $300! Do you know how much wine I can buy for that? - bearing in mind we've been retired for years so the posh stuff is reserved for "special occasions only". Be advised that I won't be risking husband meltdown by spending over $300 for a comb unless I've test-driven it first and found it not only grooms my dogs fantastically, but brings me my morning coffee and a chocolate bikkie too!

I've trialled combs from a couple of dollars to about $30 as I decided that was my "enough is enough" point. Whatever I paid, I always tested it on my own head before going anywhere near one of my dogs with it; and in the process discovered that not all combs are equal - although I still can't see how a $300 comb can be THAT much better.

There was nothing wrong with the comb that came in my first scissor set, in fact I loved both it and it's funky colour, but I figured the lady I sold the set to when I upgraded might get upset if I pinched the comb back. I still regret that though as it kept all it's teeth and was lightweight in the hand. I've ended up with a few stainless steel combs that look like the one in my old set and the one below, mostly because every time I bought a pair of Fenice scissors they sent me a free comb.

When choosing a comb, the main thing to ensure is that the ends of the teeth are rounded rather than sharp - if you've ever used a sharp one on your own head you'll know why (it hurts!). Also check that you have half "wide spaced" and half "narrow spaced" (as in the picture above), as some only have a quarter narrow spaced and that's pretty useless unless you've got a Chihuahua; lastly check that the teeth are evenly spaced within their sections (if that makes sense?) so that you get an even comb through. Other than that, I can't really tell the difference between a cheap one (as in free with my scissors to under $10) or an expensive one (up to $30). They do vary a little in length and width, but that's a subjective choice depending on your dog and hand size.

A couple of the teeth at each end fell out of one of my cheap ones about a month before the "expensive" one did the same, so not much difference there. They feel the same both in my hand and on my head, and they both do a good job. First a once-over with the wide end to find and remove mats (using a detangling product - see the Keeping Clean page for reviews); then before using clippers a quick comb through with the narrow end to ensure there are no small mats for the blade to get jammed in.

Even with a comb through I found that there would be teeny weeny mats left behind that would bring my clippers to a full stop with certain blades on. I figured you just had to learn to live with that and keep stopping to remove mats. Until one day, as I was ordering some Underwater Dogs Shampoo and Conditioner anyway, I thought I'd try the UWD double-pronged grooming comb (pictured below).

Underwater Dogs Grooming Comb - a bargain at less than $22

This comb was a bit of a game-changer for me I have to say. It does have a bit of weight to it, but the ridges on the soft silicon handle make it sit comfortably in the hand even after extended use. The stainless steel looks and feels like really good quality; and I don't think those teeth are going anywhere - probably ever, it's all so well-made.

THIS is the comb that gets those teeny weeny "pin-mats" out right down to the skin. BUT I would still use the s/steel flat comb first so any big matting is removed before you go in with the UWD comb, as this one takes no prisoners. Mind you, if you comb out your fur-baby at least once a week (once a day when changing from baby to adult coat) you won't have any big mats to deal with as they'll never get a chance to develop. It's an easier, faster and a less traumatic experience for both dog and groomer if done more regularly is all I'm sayin' people!

If you can comb your dog all over with the UW Dogs comb and not hit a mat, then you know there's absolutely nothing left for your clippers to object to regardless of what blade size you're using. At less than $25 I'd say it's a bargain. I've direct linked the comb photos to the relevant page on the Underwater Dogs website, but with UWD you should always check around the site before ordering as they frequently have great (limited time) special offers on their home page. Whilst you're at it, check out their detangler as well as their shampoo/conditioner packs to save with combined postage.

Update:

In April 2023, I came across the Gripsoft Comb which has rotating teeth. Yup! when you hit a mat, the teeth rotate in the handle and roll through it rather that being pulled through. This not only makes it rather efficient, it also causes far less doggy-stress - which is my primary concern in all things, but especially at grooming time.

The teeth are bedded in a hard plastic handle, so initially I wasn't sure how long it would last, but 18 months later and it's still as good as new. At about AU$16 + postage from Mars Grooming Products, it's another bargain in my opinion.

So for my money, it's the Gripsoft comb and the Underwater Dogs comb - in that order after brushing. The cheapies I got free with my scissor sets I now use just to scrape the hair up from the table.

I'll let you know if change my mind or find something I like better.

last update 15/11/2024

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