What kind of brush?!

[Nicola81]

Hi,
Dexter's coat is starting to fall out everywhere now!    He is 6 months old and I have been using a soft brush every day since we brought him home.  As he is getting fluffier the soft brush doesn't seem to be doing the job at removing the loose hair!  What kind of brush should I move onto?  Don't want to make a mistake and get something that might hurt him! 

[jaybee]

Hey Nic,

We've got a metal comb and a little slicker brush. I comb him through first then gently go over him with the slicker. That takes some of the loose hair out.

[LynneB]

Slickers are good, also a pin brush will get down through the coat where sometimes the slicker misses. It will also "ping" when you hit a knot

[Nicola81]

Thanks - did you just get those from Pets at Home?  I've just found a bit of his fur floating round my desk at work!

[LynneB]

You can get them form any pet store

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Thanks - did you just get those from Pets at Home?  I've just found a bit of his fur floating round my desk at work!

^^ is that not normal? I have Charlie fur EVERYWHERE.

When he was a bit younger he did shed a lot (my mam and dad have black throws on the chairs for him), I have green ones - so he might still shed as much and I don't notice it - BUT I do think he's stopped shedding as much

[Nicola81]

He has all of a sudden just turned into a little fluff ball!!!  It happened over the space of a week and he has grown this massive amount of hair on the top of his head – he is sporting a 90’s style curtains fringe at the moment!    The girl I sit with at work has a Samoyed and she has his fluff floating on her side of the desk!

Popping to P@H on the way home tonight – they have the combs in stock!  Lucky Dex getting a good brush tonight! 

[KellyT]

wind an elastic band through the comb teeth - this will help pull out some of the puppy fluff - it's works a bit like hand stripping

[Nicola81]

So, I bought a Ball Pin Slicker last night and he won't let me anywhere near him with it!  I go to brush him and he jumps as far as away as he can!  I've tried giving him treats while doing it, brushing him with his puppy brush then introducing the slicker - but he just jumps and runs away!!   

I know its not hurting him but can't figure out what the problem is!  Any ideas?

[KellyT]

It probably feels different when your brushing him with it. sometimes my pinslicker brush makes a funny noise as well as it goes through thicker coat or coat with knots.

Little steps, show him the brush and maybe run it over his body but not the actual brush side, praising all the time. Slowly turn the brush over and run it gently over him with the brush side.

Sometimes it helps if you brush them on a table or standing on something thats off the floor so that they realise it's not a game, and learn to associate being brushed with that etc.

Hazel was scared of the slicker at first, I do think it's the feeling of the pins, as it's probably weird at first, and she still doesn't like it on her leg feathering. 

[ElaineH]

Put him on a table or the ironing board, he has the opportunity at the moment to run away if you're trying to groom him while he's on the floor.