Good grooming tool for a wimpy dog?

[skunkstripe]

Zircon does not need that much grooming. Really we call him our "teflon" dog since nothing seems to stick to him (not like Sophia, who gets burrs and pine needles, leaves, twigs and all kinds of goodies in her fur).
But that dang white fuzz is everywhere so I try to comb out his undercoat once in a while. He has never "blown coat" but it does seem to be worse in warm weather.
If I try to use a slicker brush or a flea comb he puts up with it for about three seconds and then yelps. Is there something that will pull out his undercoat without causing my whiny little boy unnecessary pain?

[KatzNK9]

I need to learn more about good grooming tools too so I'm here lurking for a good answer. I'm sure Ozzy will get into his fair share of the mucks & I need to be better prepared.

So, far, I use a slicker brush & a 2-sided brush with brush on one side & the other has metal teeth with little "balls" on the end ... I don't find that one very useful unless it is just a quick brush-up. The slicker works pretty well but that doesn't much help the tender ones & I have my doubts as to how well it will work during a major moulting.

Sorry I can't assist ... I'm much better with cat grooming tools <LOL>. So, I'm just going to lurk here until somebody pops up with some good advice.

[skunkstripe]

Yeah, my cat Brady wil come running from wherever he is in the house if I call out "Brush You!" and have the little slicker tool handy. He rubs his face all over it and I am afraid I am going to put his eye out! And of course Sophia likes any kind of attention. But not my little whiny dog. I need to figure out how to groom him without having it hurt....

[KatzNK9]

I wonder if it really hurts or if that's just a ploy to get you to quit doing that. Does Zircon do it when you're just "surface" brushing too?

[skunkstripe]

A "ploy"? Are you saying that my dog is dishonest? Or conniving? :poke: :thinking: :lachen: Zircon???
You could be right, but I still gotta groom him!

[KatzNK9]

LOL true ... OK, I'll show you the combs I use on my show cats & see if you think that would work.

I don't know this vendor ... I just went looking for a descriptive pic to show you the product:
http://www.dog-training.com/dogcomb.htm

I use these two combs shown on that page: (have also used them on Ozzy)
BIE008 7 1/2" Original Belgium Greyhound - medium/fine
#BIE008
and
RESCO #200 Medium/Coarse Combination Comb - 1" tooth length, 6 3/4" comb length
#RES200

but you might want to try this one too:
RESCO #80 Coarse Comb - 1 1/2" tooth length, 6 1/4" comb length
#RES80

You could try combing with the wide toothed comb first & then working down to a finer toothed comb. Once Zircon is well combed & you are sure there are no knots, the slicker might go through the coat better & without any pulling.

[skunkstripe]

Those look a lot like the flea comb I have been using. He wants no part of it.
I don't think he has any knots in his fur. Really, his fur is only about 3/8" long. But the place looks like we had a snowstorm indoors sometimes. Believe me, I am proud to wear my dogs' fur on all my clothes, but enough is enough! So I am just trying to pull out the loose for from the undercoat so that there will be less all over the place.
I had to laugh once on a cat forum I was on when someone said it was a good thing Brady enjoyed being brushed because we would not have to vacuum as often. You can barely even notice any cat fur around our house what with all the dog fuzz!

[KatzNK9]

Oh no ... those combs are much wider than a flea comb. Did you look down that page for the wider toothed combs I mentioned? One of the choices is really wide. Flea combs have really close teeth in them so they can catch the flea.

LOL, Mark used to complain about cat hair around here when we still had 4 longhaired cats ... t'ain't nuttin compared to Ozzy's carpet deposits of fur.

If you're just looking to release dead hair, the easiest thing to do is just a very warm soaking sudsy bath in a big tub of water (as close to hot as you can get without it being uncomfortable for the dog & as much of the dog immersed as possible). It will remove the extra dead hairs & will loosen some more of it but you still have to get some substantial combing done.

[Doberman's]

I use a small rubber curry comb. It is actually made for a horse or pony but works awesome for the short haired Dobes and it doesn't jab them like a regular brush/comb would.

[Sabledog]

have you tried to vaccum him yet? i know it sounds strange but my female loves the vacuum!!! and it just sucks up all the dead hair. if he is sensetive to sound then it may not work, but, its worth a try and wouldnt hurt him, i just use the hose attachment to vacuum off the doggies!! (saves on cleanup time too!!! no more picking up doggie hair after you brush them)


they also have mitts that have rubber teeth to get to the undercoat, it goes on like a mitten and it just feels like you are petting them so not as scary.

[vagreys]

I use a Kong Zoom Groom, most of the time, but my hounds don't have an undercoat. You might try it, though; the large brush nubs feel like a massage, but they still manage to pull out the loose fur, and they clean up easily.

[skunkstripe]

So far I think my best bet is with the curry/rubber nubs/zoom groom. Sabledog I am amazed that your dog lets you vacuum him. Ours seem to be convinced that the world is coming to an end when we run the vacuum.
Thanks!

[Sabledog]

hey whatever works right!! lol yah i first found out that sable liked to be vacuumed when she just layed there when i was cleaning the floors, so i tried to use the hose to make her get up.... and she loved it!!! LOL. i know my dogs are weird.....

[GreyhoundGirl]

Ah, him and Jenny sound quite similar. She, also, doesn't get things stuck in her fur. And she is also scared of slicker brushes (she has greyhound fur and greyhound skin... probably hurts... ) I also found no brush would work. If she liked it (like a hound glove) it wouldn't get any fur out.... (EDIT) Jenny, also, thinks the world is coming to an end when the vaccum is on.

Anyways... yesterday I picked up a kong zoom groom. It wasn't for Jenny actually, it was for my grandmothers cat. After trying it on Gramas cat and seeing how well it worked, I thought I'd test on Jenny. Well! What do you know? It worked wonderfully. I've only had it a day and already wouldn't trade it for any other brush.

Also a plus, they're reasonably inexpensive. 8-10 $. They're 100% Kong rubber, so they don't hurt at all. Jenny loves it, because it masages at the same time.They're static, and they attract fur like crazy!

:)

[Doberman's]

Vaccuum ? The evil dog eating vaccuum ? LMAO!!!!! Rudy would have a freak out of I tried that.

There is such a thing as a horse vaccuum and when I worked at a Thoroughbred farm I tried to use it, yeah right !!!! Think a dog would be hard to vaccuum? Try a horse, and a high strung breed at that. LMAO!

[vagreys]

There is a pet vac appliance, like a shop vac, with a very long hose, that lets you put the vacuum container in another room. It's supposed to be great for dogs that are scared of vacuums, but I'm sure my Lily would figure it out, real quick.

Lily never barks, inside. Last night, my wife left the vacuum out, but unplugged, in the living room. Lily was passing through and decided the vacuum deserved a good, vicious barking. We all jumped, it was so unexpected. But Lily loves her Zoom Groom.

[golden&hovawart]

i use a rake on my golden and she loves it.It takes care of the burr and all but not the undercoat.
I also vacuum my dog.My golden loves it but my hovaonly accept it.

[sheplovr]

Honey forget the vacume for now and try a dematter or a slicker blade, use lightly over the dog. Go against the growth to demat and rid of dander and dead coat, then lay down with soft brissle brush. Keep doing this daily maybe try two times and sing to him/her and make it pleasant then slowly go to a good vac as I use but I still brush good to get that undercoat off and dead dander, dirt, as I do NOT brush my Shepherds, they are NO maintanence dogs. Only if showing bathing might be needed but is they are fed good kibble and good supplements and you know my Mrs Skunky, lol. then you know they have gorgeous coats, clean skin and no itching. Good luck honey.

[skunkstripe]

Well I spent $11.50 and got a Kong Zoom Groom with nice soft rubber nubs. I was sure Zircie would enjoy being massaged with it. Wrong! Mr Whiny-Wimpy yelped and jumped away from me. I guess he has thin skin? http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q108/2dogmom_album/smileys/dontknow.gif

[sheplovr]

Your just toooooo funny, gave me a laugh for this day honey. Thanks.

[GreyhoundGirl]

If the zoom groom bothered him, I'm pretty sure it isn't physical. lol he can't have thinner skin then jenny, maybe he just doesn't like being brushed? Does he like being petted? Maybe you could try gradually changing your hand. So that he gets used to being "petted" with things other than your hand?

[skunkstripe]

He likes being petted, but it is kind if like with a 12 yr old boy. Maybe I am projecting, but he is not really a lovebug except once in a great while. HE does not mind me cleaning his ears, clipping his nails, etc, but he does not like any kind of bristle touching his skin. He DOES like it when someone with long fingernails scratches his neck, about where his collar is.

[vagreys]

...He DOES like it when someone with long fingernails scratches his neck, about where his collar is.
Maybe try using the brush in that spot then, to mimic scratching? Maybe even start out scratching with one hand and fade into using the brush to massage the area, instead? You might be able to desensitize him to the brush, that way.

Sounds to me like an emotional/psychological response, similar to the fear my Zen has of anything like a rope around his feet or across his back. He yelps and freezes at anything that even looks like a rope, and in over two years of work I haven't been able to moderate the response.

[borzoimom]

Zircon does not need that much grooming. Really we call him our "teflon" dog since nothing seems to stick to him (not like Sophia, who gets burrs and pine needles, leaves, twigs and all kinds of goodies in her fur).
But that dang white fuzz is everywhere so I try to comb out his undercoat once in a while. He has never "blown coat" but it does seem to be worse in warm weather.
If I try to use a slicker brush or a flea comb he puts up with it for about three seconds and then yelps. Is there something that will pull out his undercoat without causing my whiny little boy unnecessary pain?
May I make a silly suggestion? Do not laugh now.. ( giggle giggle) - considering most brushes are not tipped well enough for a dog with a sensitive type skin- I use- ( ya ready??) A human goody hair brush! They are deeply tipped so they do not feel scratchy and do an excellent job!
It rather irratated me at first when I figured this out. After all, I do not even want to know how much money I have spent in brushes over the years. But one day someone was coming to the door- I was brushing my hair- and for time sake used the brush on my dog.. It was amazing. If your dog is sensitive to a dog brush- for a few bucks at wal mart you can get a goody ( thats a brand) hair brush.

[Lulu25]

i laughed so hard when i read these posts- my dog also shares the irrational fear that the vacuum is trying to eat him :D.

so the twenty dollar groomer quality slicker i felt so good about buying him- he couldn't stand it. he loves to be rubbed and scratched and petted but no matter how much i cooed and praised, he couldn't stand the brush on his skin. but fortunately i did find something that has worked well- it was actually one of my old brushes. it's one of those old fashioned wooden handled soft/medium bristle brushes (I'd tell you the brand but the paint scratched off :) ). It might be worth a try as its not a detangler really, but it pulls all the dead hair off nicely and george seems to enjoy it.

good luck!
~lulu

[skunkstripe]

Thanks for the suggestions!
So far he enjoys the zoom groom as long as I am near his neck with it. He even starts making his "mmm-mmm" groan that means he REALLY likes it.
And I might hijack the little human haribrush with the rubber tips to see if he will tolerate that!

[KatzNK9]

Since he likes the zoom groom so much, I think I'd be using that up around his neck while trying with another brush with the other hand in a different spot. He just might be more agreeable when he's enjoying the one to ignore the other.

[Rusty's Driver]

My shepherd loves this rubber brush, he will stand for hours and let me brush him with this. He has the undergrowth and it lossens all that. I then quickly use a comb to get any remaining hairs off. Works great for us, here is a pic and place to get one:

http://www.heavenforpets.com/Grooming/MLSGSCY/PD143776/details/Safari-Rubber-Curry-Dog-Brush-W421.aspx?

[ritabooker]

From Skunkstripe: "Believe me, I am proud to wear my dogs' fur on all my clothes,"

I hear ya. I just don't feel I am fully accessorized unless I have a complete layer of Abby's white fur over my clothes.

[sophie]

Sorry I dont know anything about your two dogs, but what about the mars coat king, removes loose hair and thick undercoats!

[skunkstripe]

The before and after pictures for the Mars coat king (http://www.groomersmall.com/ck_results.htm)are impressive...
but I think I would have the same problem. Zircon just plain hates having anything sharp touch his skin. At least he has not been shedding very much lately :).

[pigwig]

I've recently bought a thinning comb, which is really gentle and doesn't bother my dogs at all (and one of mine is a wimp). I bought it at a show recently and all you do is run the comb down the length of the back in the direction of the hair growth and it removes the fuzz and excess hair. I's brilliant and I swear by it!

http://www.maxandmilly.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productid=34

There is also a newish comb on the market which is more for de-matting. It's a 'double sided' comb so good for left or right handers and you just run that in the direction of the matts too. I can't remember the company I bought it from but I'll have a search and post when I find the website.

The comb above though is brilliant and I think would do the job for you. It's not cheap, but its been well worth the money for me.

[The Muttlies]

I use the furminator & a slicker brush on my 3 (Kiara is excluded because I NEVER brush her. She rarely sheds/has NO undercoat. Probably from swimming so much.)

Mufasa is a real wimp when it comes to brushing. He is fine with the furminator but HATES the slicker brush.

The furminator works GREAT on Nala (Lab/Dane) and on my friend's two Huskies. They don't seem bothered by it and I'd say the 3 of them are pretty big whimps. ;)

[mydogs]

The best thing you could do for your dog is not let it get to the point of matting.Once that happens[wev'e all been there]is to shave him down below the mats also giving them a good spray with a detangler rubbing it into the coat and then try to use a SPRAYED brush so you don't cause static, and work a little at a time. combing a matted dog is just toooooo painful,and yes it does hurt :eek: there not kidding when they yell My Collies blew coat and I could stuff a pillow with it, but yet they were easy to groom because of the coat type,some coats are notorious for matting [cottony coats]Get to the coat before it gets to you :( :(

[lucy_beck]

This is the best tool I have ever used for grooming my dogs. It's not cheap but I have had one for about 2 1/2 years and it's as good as the day I got it. You can replace the 'blades' when blunt, but it's gentle and really really effective - it draws out dead and excess hair is is totally pain-free. Brilliant, I can't recommend it highly enough!!

I saw this company at a show and was convinced to buy one, best purchase ever made I think!!!

http://www.maxandmilly.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productid=34