When you are planning to groom your dog, then you should make sure that you are well stocked with proper grooming tools. The basics of what you will need are a brush, and Comb and possibly some scissors.
Of course, different types of coats on a dog will necessitate different types of grooming tools. For example, longer hair dogs will need a different kind of brush than a shorter-haired variety of dog. The same is true for straight coats and curly coats, but the essential list of dog grooming tools that you will need are as follows.
The Essential Tools of Dog Grooming
Bore’s Bristle Brush: For a long hair dog this is an excellent tool for removing undercoats and in removing mats that might have occurred in the undercoat.
Bristle Brush: These come in 3 primary varieties, stiff, medium, and soft. They are used on short-haired breeds and are useful for regular brushing and for removing undercoats on longer-haired breeds
Chamois: For a short-haired breed, you can’t beat the chamois for polishing their coat.
Comb. Try to get a steel tooth comb that is medium on one side and fine on the other, that way you can use it on most breeds of dogs.
Snap-on Comb: If you want to do a quick clean up on your dog, you can’t beat the snap-on Comb. Slip it over a blade, and it will leave a clean-cut uniform coat on your dog. The snap-on Comb comes in a few different sizes.
Hound Glove: Used for grooming various short-haired breeds in the hound family
Cage Dryer: This is a drying fan that attaches to the cage and dries the dog while it is inside the cage. Most cage dryers come with a heater, so the dog isn’t too cold.
Floor dryer: Used mainly for “fluff drying” the floor dryer directs air onto the dog and helps to dry it. The floor dryer generally has a long arm and can be moved into various positions depending on the type of dog you are drying.
High-Speed Floor Dryer: Similar to the other floor dryers except this one having a higher speed motor on it for fluff drying long hair breeds such as Poodles and Sheepdogs.
Grooming Post and Loop: Try to find a portable grooming post so that it can be attached to the table anywhere you need it. The loop fits over the dog’s neck to keep him in place and keep him from hurting himself.
Grooming Table: A grooming table is typically about 2 to 3 feet and folds for easy moving and storage. They are about 30″ high and usually come with a rubber matting on the top of the table for comfort and to keep the dog from sliding around. A meal this size is quite versatile and can be used for many different dog breeds.
Tools that can come in handy for dog grooming
These tools that I am listing below are not as necessary for grooming your dog but will sometimes come in handy. More often than not you can not do without one or more of these dog grooming tools, especially once you’ve used them.
Hydraulic Grooming Table: This is a more sophisticated grooming table than the one we spoke about in our first article. The hydraulic grooming table can be raised and lowered from about 29″ up to almost 36″. This is a great help when grooming large breeds that you may not be able to lift up onto a stationary table. This type of grooming table should also be able to be folded and put away for easy storage.
Matting Comb: This heavy comb helps to remove mats on longer-haired breeds of dogs.
Nail Clippers: For different sized breeds of dogs you will want different types of nail clippers. For smaller dogs, you will want to get the scissor-type, for a medium breed dog the guillotine type clipper is best and for larger dogs, you will want a more robust clipper that is a pliers type to help with thicker and harder nails.
Oster Blades: For removing hair off of dogs these blades are numbered. The higher the number, the more hair it removes. The small animal clipper (A 2) is great to use although it does require interchangeable heads and that makes it a little less convenient. The A 5 model is a single piece clipper that has blades that snap into place. This is by far the easiest to use.
Oster Spray Lube: This is used to cool the blades as well as keep them lubricated. It also helps to prevent clipper burns and that’s a good thing, just ask your dog.
Rubber Brush: Great for short-haired breeds.
Scissors: There are several options and well as sizes available that will handle any type of coat that you may have in front of you on the table.
Silk Handkerchief: used to polish shirt haired white dogs
Small Pin Brush: used for long-haired small dogs
Stripping Knife: The fine stripping knife is used on sensitive areas like the head and ears while the coarse stripping knife is used elsewhere on the dog’s body.
Although it is not necessary to have all of these grooming tools available, especially if you are only doing one or two dogs, they can be quite handy to have if you are working on a particular breed.
Having the right tools will help you to have a more successful and pleasant experience when grooming your dog that both you and your dog can appreciate.
