Best Dog Brushes for a Beautiful Healthy Coat: 2021 Buyer’s Guide and Latest Products

Regularly brushing a dog’s coat can help to reduce shedding, can remove fleas, and can promote a shinier, healthy-looking coat. But most dog owners don’t know how often they should brush their dog, or even what the best dog brushes are for their pet, depending on the breed and their dog’s coat type.

Brushing out a dog’s coat will eliminate tangles and mats, while properly distributing oils throughout their coat. But when it comes to choosing the right type of brush, it will all boil down to your dog’s needs. You’ll need to choose a brush for your pup based on a variety of factors that I’ll go over below.

I’ve reviewed many of the leading models on the market that are designed to remove dead hair, and keep your dog’s coat looking healthy, shiny, and full.

Below, you’ll find a comparison chart of the different types of dog brushes available, what type of coat and breed they will work for and what you can expect in terms of quality and price.

Dog Brushes Comparison Chart

Product	Type	Coat Type	Cost	Rating
Hertzko Self Cleaning Brush Check On Amazon!	Slicker	Long/double coat	$$
FURminator Brush Check On Amazon!	Slicker	Long/double coat	$$$
HaloVa Pet Brush Check On Amazon!	Pin/bristle	Short coats	$
Pat Your Pet Grooming Tool Check On Amazon!	Rake	Long/double coat	$$
Safari by Coastal Brush Check On Amazon!	Pin brush	Long/double coat	$
Hertzko Bristle Brush Check On Amazon!	Bristle	Short coats	$$

Dog Brush for Labs-Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush

Our Rating: (5/5)

This is a perfect brush for dogs with long coats that are prone to mats and tangles. This model will work well to gently remove knots, mats, tangles, and will also remove trapped dirt, debris, and loose hair. The fine bristles are specially designed to deeply penetrate the coat in order to also reach the undercoat, and all without damaging or scratching the skin. The brush itself is very easy to clean and does an excellent job of maintaining a healthy, tangle-free coat.

Conclusion

This brush is very easy to clean, effective, and will reach down deep to the undercoat to remove loose hair and trapped dirt and debris. It’s perfect for dogs with long coats, coats that are prone to mats, and dogs with fine hair.

Dog Brush for Husky-FURminator for Dogs Undercoat

Our Rating: (5/5)

This brush is perfect for large breed dogs that have long coats or thick undercoats. This model works by reaching through the topcoat to the undercoat beneath to remove loose hair, and all without damaging the topcoat or scratching the skin. The brush features an ergonomic handle that makes it comfortable to use and a fur ejector button that makes cleaning the brush out fast and easy. This is the go-to brush if your dog has a coat that’s prone to tangles, mats, or excessive shedding.

Conclusion

This is one of the top slicker brushes on the market and it’s quickly gained a reputation as one of the most effective, thanks to the unique bristle design, ergonomic handle, and fur ejector button that allows you to easily clean the brush in a matter of seconds. I gave this model a five out of five stars rating.

Dog Brush for Pugs-HaloVa Pet Double-Sided Pin & Bristle Bamboo Brush

Our Rating: (4.5/5)

This is a double-sided brush that offers you the best of both worlds. One side is a thick bristle style brush that’s perfect for daily brushing. The other side of the brush is pin style, which will help to remove any loose hair, dirt, and debris. The rounded ends on the pin side of the brush are gentle on a dog’s skin and comfortable. In fact, your pet will quickly begin to look forward to their daily brushing, thanks to the soft bristle side which allows you to not only brush out loose hair but also helps to massage and stimulate the skin.

Conclusion

This tool is a better choice if you’re looking for a brush you can use on your pet daily. It’s not designed to remove knots or mats, but it can remove loose hair from the topcoat and will help to keep your dog’s coat looking shiny and healthy.

Poodle Dog Brush-Pat Your Pet Grooming Tool

Our Rating: (4.5/5)

This is a two-in-one rake that features a dual-head design. You can use the side with nine large teeth to work on stubborn tangles and mats, then flip the rake over to use the side with seventeen teeth for de-shedding and thinning the fur. This model is perfectly gentle on your pet’s skin, so it won’t scratch the skin or cause general irritation. The rounded teeth will gently massage the skin, allowing for even distribution of the coat’s natural oils to improve skin and coat health.

Conclusion

This brush is easy to use and clean and features rounded teeth that are designed to prevent skin irritation and scratches. This tool will work well on double-coated breeds, dogs with fine hair, and dogs with medium to long hair. Its dual-head design is perfect for breeds that are prone to tangles and mats.

Best for Long Haired Dogs-Safari by Coastal Wire Pin Brush

Our Rating: (4.5/5)

This pin brush works like a champ when it comes to removing dirt and debris from your pet’s coat. It features an ergonomic handle for an improved, comfortable grip. It’s also the perfect choice for large breed dogs with thick undercoats, such as huskies or labs. It works well to remove loose hair and trapped dirt, however, it’s not a good grooming tool to use to work on severely tangled fur or mats. Overall, it’s a much better choice for those pet owners who are looking for a brush they can use on their dog daily.

Conclusion

This brush shouldn’t be used as a de-matting tool, however, it will work well if you’re looking for a brush you can use daily for dogs with thick coats, undercoats, or medium to long-haired coats. This versatile tool is very gentle on the skin and will massage the skin while allowing the oils in the coat to be evenly distributed to boost skin health and hair growth.

Hair Brushes for Short Hair Dogs-Hertzko Bristle Brush for Dogs

Our Rating: (4.5/5)

This is the perfect brush to use on short-coats and it’s one you can use daily. This model will remove hair gently, without scraping or irritating the skin. This brush will massage and groom the coat, promoting skin and coat health. It’s durable, strong, and comes equipped with an ergonomic handle for user comfort. This is a great tool for daily use, but it should not be used on dogs with thicker coats, fine coats, or long coats. Its best suited for dogs with short hair and can help to gently remove dirt, debris, and loose hair.

Conclusion

As you can see, this brush is a great choice if you’re looking for a brush you can use daily. However, it’s not designed to remove mats and knots, but it can be a great tool to use daily to keep your pet’s coat looking shiny and healthy.

Hair Detangler Brush-Paws & Pals Dog Hair Brush

Our Rating: (4.5/5)

This is a rake-style dog brush that’s perfect for pets with a thick undercoat, dogs that excessively shed, and dogs with long hair. If your pet struggles with knotted or tangled hair, then this is the tool for you. It’s gentle on the skin and works to reach deep down to the undercoat to remove trapped dirt, leaves, and other types of debris. This is considered a pro-quality grooming tool and one that will help you stay on top of your pet’s grooming needs.

Conclusion

This rake is perfect for dogs with long hair, dual coats, and dogs that are prone to mats. This tool will help you stay on top of their grooming needs. This durable, well-built brush features an ergonomic handle, a gentle tooth design that won’t irritate or scratch the dog’s skin, and it’s also the perfect tool to use on your pet during the shedding seasons.

Buyer’s Guide

Brushing your dog’s hair daily is about promoting good skin and coat health. Some dogs are more prone to skin issues, mats, or tangles than others, which can make them high-maintenance, but if you stay on top of brushing them, you’ll find that caring for this type of coat is pretty simple.

There are many different types of dog brushes to choose from. Each type will have its own pros and cons. But you can’t use just any type of brush. The type you choose will depend on the thickness and texture of your pet’s coat, whether its prone to mats and the length of their coat.

For more information on how to care for your dog’s coat, stop by and read my article on can you use regular shampoo on dogs?

Slicker-Long Hair

This style of brush consists of wire pins that are designed to help work out any tangles and mats. The teeth of the brush are slightly bent at the ends in order to collect any loose fur. The teeth may be hard or soft and are designed to suit the needs of your dog’s coat. These brushes are available in a wide range of sizes. This type of brush is perfect for dogs with longer hair that often struggle with mats. However, if you have a husky, this brush will basically be useless since it’s not designed to remove dead hair from a thick undercoat.

Bristle-Everyday Use

The bristle style brush is used to remove dirt, debris, and loose hair from your dog’s coat. This brush can be natural or man-made, depending on the brand. It’s perfect for everyday use, or it can work great for a fast brush down. Regular use will promote a healthy, shiny coat.

Rake-Undercoat

This style of brush removes dead and loose hair from a dog’s undercoat. It will come in handy during the shedding season and it’s perfect for dogs with a thick undercoat, such as huskies. This brush features longer teeth compared to other styles, which is what makes it so useful from removing debris and digging deeper to reach loose hair.

Blades

This type of brush is commonly used by groomers to reduce shedding or remove loose hair. However, if not used correctly, it can easily ruin a dog’s coat or even injure the dog.

As you can see, each type of brush has different uses.

Popular Dog Breeds and Their Coat Types

Below, I’ve included some of the most popular dog breeds and what their brushing needs are, as a way to guide you in the right direction and find a dog brush that will work for your pet, depending on coat thickness, length, and shedding habits.

Labs

The lab is a popular choice and makes a great family dog. These dogs have short hair that’s fairly easy to keep clean, however, they also have a double coat. This means that you need to use a brush that can actually reach their second coat, in order to remove loose hair, debris, dirt, and bugs. Brushing their coat will help to distribute the natural oils in the dog’s coat and shake loose any hidden debris and dirt, which will keep their skin and coat healthy. For this type of coat, a rake brush is a must and the only type of brush that will reach the dog’s second coat.

Pugs-Bristle and Slicker Brush

Generally speaking, the pug has very low maintenance needs, however, most new pet owners are surprised to learn how much they tend to shed. In fact, some types of pugs, such as the fawn pug, will have a double coat, while black pugs only have a single coat. Since many pugs have a double coat, you’ll need to use a brush that can reach it to remove loose hair, dead hair, debris, and dirt. But a rake style brush will only really be necessary for the shedding seasons. Ideally, you should brush a pug daily using a bristle style brush.

Since these dogs aren’t exactly hairy, but tend to shed a lot, using a bristle brush daily will work well to keep the shedding problem at a minimum. For pugs with a double coat, a slicker brush will work well to maintain shedding problems while keeping both the skin and coat healthy. The brush you choose should have soft, short bristles. Since the pug’s coat is dense and their fur is short, they won’t require a brush with long bristles.

Poodles-Slicker/Pin

Poodles don’t tend to shed very much, however, over time, they will still lose some hair. Just because your poodle’s fur isn’t stuck to your furniture doesn’t mean they’re not shedding. Their thick coats can easily become matted, which means they will require regular brushing. There are a few different types of brushes that you can choose from for your poodle. While there are several different styles of dog brushes out there, not all of them will work well for this breed. The most common type of brush used for poodles is the slicker brush. This brush will help to work out mats and tangles that will regularly appear in your poodle’s coat. These brushes feature thin, short wires that are spaced close together. The rake brush is another good option since it can dig deeper than the slicker brush to remove those mats that lie closer to the dog’s body. The pin brush looks very similar to a human brush and it’s the standard brush used for daily brushing. This type of brush will also be the most comfortable for the dog since it’s very gentle on the skin.

Short Hair Dogs

Grooming a dog with short hair regularly is important if you want to keep their coat healthy. Depending on if they’re shedding and their breed, their brushing needs can vary. However, using a brush that’s specifically designed for short hair dogs will ensure that you keep their coat shiny and their skin healthy. There are a couple of great options for shorter coats. The first is the bristle brush, which you can use daily to evenly distribute the oils in their coat, or the slicker brush, which will remove any dead or loose hair. A slicker brush will work well to add extra shine by lifting away and removing dirt.

Matted Coats- Detangling Brush

Untangling matted fur can be a lengthy, frustrating, and painful process. Longer coats tend to be tricky to care for and will require daily brushing, which is the best mat prevention. A dog with a long thick undercoat or a fine-coated dog will have fur that can mat quickly if they’re not brushed regularly. If you have a dog with this coat type and they love playing outside, then you’ll also have to deal with leaves, sticks, and burrs in their coat, all of which can cause their fur to mat more quickly.

For mats nothing will work better than a slicker brush. However, if your pet’s coat is full of mats, then you need to realize this will be a lengthy process. If the coat is severely matted, because detangling mats is very painful, your dog may only be able to tolerate you working out one mat at a time. Just be patient. When untangling hair you’ll need a slicker brush, a spray bottle full of water, and some dog treats, which you can periodically give your dog to keep them calm and happy during this stressful process.

Creating a Routine for the Best Results

While you probably know by now that brushing your dog’s coat regularly can help to evenly distribute their natural oils throughout their coat, which can stimulate hair growth, brushing your dog’s hair daily will also help to cut down on costly grooming bills. If you have a dog that has a coat that’s prone to tangles and mats, then even going a few days without brushing their coat can lead to severe matting and a costly trip to the groomers.

• While it may sound high-maintenance to brush your dog daily, if you set aside ten to fifteen minutes at a certain time every day to tackle this task, then you won’t find yourself elbow deep in mats and knots once a week.
• The grooming tools I’ve recommended in this guide can help to keep your dog’s coat looking good while promoting skin health. Dogs that are prone to mats can also contract secondary skin infections if the mat becomes embedded in the skin.
• Brushing will also be a great way to keep a close eye on your dog’s skin health. At this time you can also check for ticks and fleas, rashes, or injuries, including embedded foxtails, or general irritation.
• If you have a dog that’s a major shedder, then you can also cut down on the amount of fur that ends up on you and your furniture. Of course, this will vary from breed to breed, but shedding season can be a nightmare for most pet owners.

A Slow Approach to Coat Health

With all of these benefits in mind, you can see why brushing your dog daily is so important. Some dogs will sit patiently and may even enjoy having their coat brushed, while others will tuck tail and run the minute they see a brush come out of its secret hiding spot. If your dog is the latter, then I recommend creating a routine, and dedicating ten to fifteen minutes every day at the same time, to brushing out your dog’s coat. Dogs are smart, so they will become accustomed to their daily brushing over time. If your dog is fearful of having their coat brushed due to fur that’s prone to tangles and knots, then use a detangling spray on their coat prior to brushing to make the experience more comfortable.

Keeping treats on hand will also be a good idea and one that will even have your dog looking forward to their next home grooming session. If your dog is still fearful of having their coat brushed, take it slow. Brush their coat for thirty seconds and then let them make a run for it. The goal here will be to gradually increase the time before you let your dog go. This can take a few weeks, but your dog will eventually learn how to tolerate having their coat brushed, which will make it easier for both of you. For more information on training, click here to read my article on how to teach dogs commands.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, the best dog brushes for your pet will heavily depend on their coat type, hair length, thickness, and whether they’re prone to mats or shedding. With the right grooming tools, you can keep tangles and mats at bay, even if your pet has a coat type that’s prone to them. Since short-haired dogs aren’t prone to tangles, their coat will be much easier to care for, however, they’ll still need regular brushing in order to promote coat health.

Long-haired and medium-haired coats are a totally different story, and if you’re not careful, a severely matted coat can seem to happen overnight. I hope this guide and my product recommendations have helped you determine which type of brush will work for your pet and their specific grooming needs. Whichever type of brush you choose, starting a grooming routine is the first and most effective step in keeping your dog’s coat and skin healthy and your dog happy.