The Best Dog Brushes in 2023, According to Groomers

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Like any loving pet parent, you want the best for your dog — giving them high-quality food, excellent medical care, and constant attention. But how often do you brush your four-legged friend? 

Brushing your dog every two days is ideal, regardless of coat length. While we’ll get into more detail throughout this article, here are the top benefits of brushing your dog regularly:

• Evenly distribute your dog's natural oils and maintain a healthy coat
• Easily detect skin diseases and parasites
• Prevent painful matting and tangles in your dog’s coat
• Lessen the amount of shedding that occurs
• Strengthen the bond between you and your four-legged friend

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Best Brush for Puppies

Finding the best puppy brush can often be confusing, but you want to find a brush that has gentle bristles, is easy to handle, and is well-suited to the type and length of your dog’s coat. Here are our top picks for the best brushes for your dear puppy:

• Burt’s Bees Puppy Double-Sided Brush. This brush is the perfect way to ease your puppy into a brushing routine. The small, two-in-one double-sided bamboo brush is all you need to break up stubborn tangles on furry puppies. It features an undercoat shedding rake that gently brushes through the undercoat to remove loose fur, with a hemp bristle on the other side of the brush that massages the skin and removes dirt for a healthy coat.

• Frisco Metal Dog Comb. This metal comb is ideal for removing tangles and mats from your pup's coat since they love to play around and may get their coat dirty with debris. With a sturdy metal comb featuring wide and narrow sets of bristles, you can easily get rid of all the dead undercoat and debris.

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Best Brush for Shedding

Brushing not only helps keep your dog healthy and dapper but also helps to reduce shedding by getting rid of dead hair. De-shedding brushes feature more tightly packed bristles designed to detangle a dog's coat and remove dead hair in the undercoat. Here are our top picks for the best dog brush for shedding:

• Oster ShedMonster De-Shedding Tool. The Oster ShedMonster is engineered with stainless steel bristles capable of penetrating a dog's coat to undo tangles seamlessly. In addition to its undercoat rake design and non-slip plastic handle, it offers dual-purpose rounded edges that work fine on both short and long coats.

• SleekEZ Original Grooming Tool. This highly-rated and patented de-shedding tool by SleekEZ features a wave pattern blade with tiny teeth designed to gently brush away loose hair. As a bonus, you can also use this tool to remove hair from furniture, carpets, and more!

• FURminator Undercoat Deshedding Tool. This is perhaps one of the most ergonomic and comfortable de-shedding tools out there, featuring a curved edge that follows through with your pet's natural shape. It also has a fur ejector button to quickly eliminate loose fur, making brushing effortless.

• Safari Coastal Pet Dual-Sided Dog Shedding Blade. The Safari Coastal blade features a dual-sided steel blade that’s designed for dogs with thick coats. Due to the large surface area of its blade and adjustable loop, it can be used for outdoor grooming and for dogs who shed heavily.

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Best Brushes for Short Hair

The best brush for short-hair dogs should have short and gentle bristles that are densely arranged to remove a large volume of dead hair easily. Common dog breeds with short hair include Pugs, Beagles, and Rottweilers.

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Here are the top brushes for dogs with short hair:

• Thunderpaws Professional De-Shedding Tool and Pet Grooming Brush. This brush is arguably one the best pet grooming brushes for your short-haired dog, reducing shedding up to 95% in minutes. Available in three different colors, this de-shedding brush boasts a lightweight and eco-friendly design, plus a non-slip grip handle for top precision. 

• Le Salon Essential Rubber Curry Grooming Brush. This professional rubber brush is ideal for short-haired breeds and fits into your hands due to its slip-on mitt design. With a reasonable price tag and rubber bristles that gently grip loose fur and make grooming fun, this grooming brush offers great value.

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Best Brushes for Long Hair 

For dogs with long hair, a pin brush with a more widely spaced bristle is ideal, as it can penetrate thick coats to remove loose hair and knots without breaking. Dog breeds with long hair include Yorkshire Terriers, Afghan Hounds, and Bearded Collies. Here are some of our top picks to help in your search for the best brush for long-hair dogs:

• Hartz Groomer's Best Combo Dog Brush. This dual-purpose combo brush has nylon bristles on one side that soften and smooth your dog's coat by distributing its natural oil. On the other side of the brush, the steel pins remove tangles and excess fur.

• Safari Soft Slicker Brush for Dogs. This is a great, all-around slicker brush that works very well for dogs with long hair. It features stainless steel bristles with safety-coated tips that make grooming sessions comfortable for your furry friend.

• Bass Brushes Style and Detangle Dog Oval Brush. This detangling brush is engineered with pins that gently brush through your dog's coat to help detangle the fur for a neat and healthy look. The eco-friendly pure bamboo handle features a luxury-grade finish that gives the tool a premium look, firm grip, and added durability.

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Best Brushes for Curly Hair

A dog with curly hair typically requires occasional de-shedding, especially because they are prone to mats and tangles. Therefore, a slicker brush would be a great fit as the flexible tines of the brush can easily untangle fur. Poodles, Airedale Terriers, and curly-coated Retrievers are adorable dog breeds with curly hair. Below are some highly rated picks for the best brush for curly hair dogs:

• Pet Republique Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush. This slicker brush features flexible bristles, ideal for gently detangling fur and mats as well as smoothening your pet's curly coat. The ergonomic rubber handle is a bonus and the one-push button makes cleanup a breeze. 

• HappyDogz Magic Pro Slicker Dog Brush and Deshedding Tool. This de-shedding brush claims to get rid of 95% of loose fur in a few minutes. Its stainless steel bristles get the job done by brushing through the undercoat to remove knots and loose hair to prevent matting. Not to mention, it has a non-slip handle and a quick-release feature for easy cleaning.

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Best Brushes for Matted Hair

The best dog brush for matted hair should have firm but gentle bristles that can remove mats while preventing damage to the skin. Dogs generally shed their hair, but when shedding becomes excessive and neglected, it can cause matting and other skin issues. Dog breeds such as Poodles, Spaniels, and Shih Tzus are associated with frequent matting. Here are some of the best dog brushes for matted hair:

• Hartz Groomer's Best Combo Dog Brush. In addition to keeping your dog's coat soft and shiny, this dual-purpose brush has nylon bristles that soften and smooth your pet's coat while evenly distributing its natural oil. On the other hand, the steel pins remove tangles and excess fur.

• Hertzko Long Blade Dog Dematting Comb. This metal comb has rounded-tipped blades that can cut through matted fur to remove loose hair without causing damage to your dog's skin. This long-blade brush should only be used on large dogs to reduce the risk of injury to your pup.

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Best Brushes for Undercoats

While searching for the best dog brush for an undercoat, remember that it should gently detangle your dog's coat and remove any shedding hair. During shedding season — which happens every spring and fall — the hair you find scattered around your home is usually the undercoat. Breeds such as Huskies and German Shepherds with thick undercoats will require more intensive grooming from pet owners.

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Here are some of our best picks to get you started:

• JW Pet Self-Cleaning Dog Slicker Brush. This brush is specifically designed with soft grip technology, featuring a non-slip grip for comfortable grooming and a rounded head to access hard-to-reach areas. The two rows of metal teeth with varying lengths are best suited for dogs with undercoats and are engineered to remove shedding fur from the undercoat and detangle matted areas.

• Safari by Coastal Single Row Undercoat Rake. This brush detangles your dog's undercoat to eliminate shedding fur and prevent matting with a single row of evenly spaced pins. It’s recommended for use on large dog breeds and features an ergonomic handle for easy use. 

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Best Brushes for Double Coats

If you have a double-coated dog breed, be ready for a more intensive grooming routine, as they require a lot of maintenance to keep their fur healthy. Double-coated breeds such as Akitas, German Shepherds, and Alaskan Huskies are characterized by having two distinct coats — an undercoat and an outer coat — with the former being shorter, thicker, and lighter in color than the latter. Your search for the best dog brush for double-coated dogs ends here:

• Frisco Deshedding Dog Brush. This brush is engineered with angled teeth to swiftly get rid of tough tangles in your dog's coat and consequently reduce the amount of shedding. Its lightweight and ergonomic handle give the tool top precision and greater control during grooming sessions. 
• Dakpets Deshedding & Light Trimming Pool. Suitable for all coat types — but works wonderfully for double coats — this versatile tool is easy to use, featuring an ergonomic handle, quick-release button, and a durable stainless steel blade. It gently removes your pup's dead undercoat, stimulates natural oils, and promotes healthier skin and a shiny topcoat.

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Best Slicker Brushes for Dogs

Slicker brushes are designed to reduce matting and detangle shedding fur. It also helps remove the dead coat for healthier skin. Slicker brushes are made from thin, short wire, densely arranged on soft foam, which is typically used at the end of the grooming session to help redistribute the dog's natural oil for a shiny coat. Choose from any of our recommendations to find the best slicker brush for your dog:

• Hertzko Self-Cleaning Dog Slicker Brush. The Hertzko self-cleaning slicker brush is made with fine wires to easily penetrate your dog's undercoat and get rid of tangles. The bristles are gentle on your pet's coat and the handle is ergonomically designed. Best of all, the self-cleaning feature makes the tool a great choice for pet owners and gets the job done in a jiffy.

• FURminator Firm Slicker Brush. The FURminator slicker brush features a curved edge to follow your pet's natural shape for a gentle brush without tugging, and the ergonomic handle ensures you always have a good grip. So the grooming session is sure to be as comfortable as possible. 

• Li'l Pals Coated Tips Dog Slicker Brush. The Li'l Pals brush is designed with a pad of flexible wires coated with plastic tips and mounted on a non-slip handle to quickly detangle fur without causing damage to the skin. Unlike most slicker brushes, this brush can be used on puppies too!

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Best Overall Dog Brush

With so many brushes and tools to choose from, you may wonder which is the overall best brush for dogs on the market. In our opinion, a self-cleaning brush with an ergonomic handle and soft bristles that works on all types of coats is ideal because it makes grooming as comfortable as possible for both you and your pet.

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Based on our list of recommendations above, our most highly recommended brush is the Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush. Affordably priced with a 4.1-star rating on Chewy, this self-cleaning brush is arguably the best brush on the market. It’s a premium-quality brush that works well on all breeds — especially long-haired dogs with a curly or thick coat. It also works great for puppies with thick coats, as it is gentle, but can penetrate deep into the undercoat. The self-cleaning bristle retraction button makes cleanup a breeze, while the comfy grip and special anti-slip hold allow for more effective grooming sessions, making it our top choice for the best overall dog brush.

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Brushing Shouldn’t Replace Professional Grooming

At Barkbus, we believe that the process of keeping your dog well-groomed should revolve around health, wellness, safety, and convenience for both you and your four-legged friend. Our state-of-the-art mobile grooming bus and flexible appointments bring you the luxury of professional dog grooming services to your doorstep throughout Los Angeles so that you can avoid traumatic trips to salons and cages.

If you don't want to deal with brushing your dog and maintaining their coat, a professional dog groomer can help make your life much easier! If you're sick of looking for the perfect dog grooming brush, our Barkbus team would be happy to bring our services to your doorstep.

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Barkbus employs dozens of world-class dog groomers and canine experts. If you're curious and want to know what other products we love, check out some more of the best dog products below:

1. Best Dog Shampoos
2. Best Dog Treats
3. Best Health & Wellness Products