# Grooming Tool Recommendation



## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

What grooming tools do I need? Nail clippers, brushes etc.? I want to know what products work well for any of you? Gotcha Day is a little over a week away. I really like Chewy.com but will look elsewhere if needed for good products.


----------



## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

My basic toolbox is:
Milller's Forge nail clippers:





Greyhound comb:






Wood pin brush:
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Chris-Christensen-Brush-Large-inches/dp/B001LNSU0C/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1458765436&sr=1-1&keywords=Chris+Christensen+Wood+Pin+Brush+20mm+Large+9.25+inches[/ame]

I also have some scissors and a mat remover, but these 3 basics do the job for me.


----------



## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

A really nice pair of straight scissors to neaten the outline of his feet and the fur between his paw pads and a pair of thinning shears to neaten up the hair that pops up between the toes and the feathers up the first joint. Doing these things will help reduce the amount of dirt and sand your adult dog tracks in. The thinning shears are also great for taking care of any mattes behind the ears.

Slicker brush and a steel comb and a dremel to smooth nails down.


----------



## Goldens&Friesians (May 31, 2014)

Basics tools are a slicker brush, undercoat rake, greyhound comb, nail clippers, and ear cleaner. If you want to try to learn to fully groom on your own there are also a couple different scissors you should get to trim up the hair on the feet and around the ears, otherwise, a GOOD groomer should be able to take care of the scissoring stuff for you.

As far a specific equipment, I took a brief look at the site you mentioned, and the grooming tools I saw seemed kinda low quality. The toenail clippers might be ok, but I didn't like the brushes. I get most of my stuff from Pet Edge. This is a list of the stuff I use. 

This first list is necessary items.

-Slicker brush (size regular): https://www.petedge.com/zpetedgemai...leSearchString=Slicker+brush&wec-locale=en_US

-Undercoat rake: https://www.petedge.com/zpetedgemai...eSearchString=undercoat+rake&wec-locale=en_US

-Greyhound Comb (I like the fine/coarse comb): https://www.petedge.com/zpetedgemai...eSearchString=greyhound+comb&wec-locale=en_US

-Nail clipper: https://www.petedge.com/zpetedgemai...pleSearchString=Nail+clipper&wec-locale=en_US

-Ear cleaner: https://www.petedge.com/zpetedgemai...mpleSearchString=ear+cleaner&wec-locale=en_US

And this is a list of stuff that's not totally necessary, but nice to have. 

-Dremel (use after cutting nails with clippers to smooth them): https://www.petedge.com/zpetedgemai...d&simpleSearchString=dremmel&wec-locale=en_US

-Curved shears for trimming hair in feet (or you could get strait shears too, I just prefer the curved.): https://www.petedge.com/zpetedgemai...pleSearchString=fromm+shears&wec-locale=en_US

-Thinners for hair around ears-these vary greatly in price and number of teeth. Generally, the more teeth the finer/more natural looking the cut, and the fewer teeth the more choppy the cut. I would recommend something over 42 teeth, but just do the best you can afford.

-A high volume dryer. These are very pricey, but will blast out the undercoat while you dry the dog. Not all driers are created equal and some are more powerful than others (and generally have a bigger price tag too.) Saving up and investing in one of these will make you wonder how you ever survived without one! I use the K9 II, but am also considering investing in a Chris Christensen Cool Dry because they are quieter (downside is they are less powerful than a K9). K9s are extremely loud, but are also the most powerful dryer on the market. Either one of these driers will set you back about $400. There are cheaper ones that may meet your needs, but I've only ever used the K9's. One dryer I for sure wouldn't get is the Double K Challengair-it has like zero force to it.

As far as the basic equipment though, I would try to do nails and ears once a week. For brushing I recommend you start with the slicker, follow with the undercoat rake, and finish with the comb. When brushing areas to pay particular attention to (as many people miss them and mats form easily) are behind the ears, under the armpits and in the sanitary area, and the feathering on the hind legs. I would try to do brushing at least once a week, more is better. The more often you brush, the less your dog will shed all over your house.


----------



## Goldens&Friesians (May 31, 2014)

I forgot tooth brush and tooth paste! This is something I try to do everyday with my dog. My first golden lived to be 15 1/2 and NEVER had periodontal disease or had to have a professional dental cleaning, and I attribute this partly to her genetics, partly to her food, and partly to keeping up with brushing her teeth. My current golden is almost 5 and she has never had any problems either. I also use a tooth scaler to scrape off any tarter that forms, but not all dogs are tolerant of this.


----------



## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Eh, for fun.  

Very simply - you need a slicker brush (and a good one) for getting burrs and debris out of your dog's coat. The other brushes are going to be pretty useless for brushing out a mucked up coat and preventing mats. The greyhound combs are helpful here as well, but I think the slickers are easier on the coats - they work a burr out with the least amount of coat tearing/stress. 

Toe nail clippers are a must need - and preferably clip at least once every 2 weeks (I clip twice a week to keep nails very short for show, but it isn't necessary to keep nails that short otherwise).

You don't really need expensive ear cleaner and or need to be always cleaning dogs ears. Too much cleaning can actually lead to ear infections... Once a week using an alcohol wipe per ear with my dogs is just fine. Alternatively, purchasing a bottle of rubbing alcohol and having "tshirt material" to dab and use as a cloth to clean out the canal and around the ears works as well. 

Really hairy ears and feet look hideous to me - plus the excess hair around the ears is just waiting to mat, so I keep that cleaned out. Actually my Jacks needs a trimming of the feet and I might show a before and after pic on that at some point - just to show much better cleaned up feet look! His ears are naturally "clean" - so I don't need to trim up the feathering on the ears too much. I DO use a stripper behind the ears and down the neck to clean out the excess fur and undercoat. If I don't do this, he will develop yeast infections around his neck because the ruff and undercoat is pretty thick. Stuff you won't really need to do for a few years yet with your dog - it seems to be a senior dog thing. Any trimming on a young dog is more about keeping them looking nice and not "stuffy necked". 

Have fun. 

Shopping for my dogs is my favorite. 

@dryer - I put pics of the dryer I used at home and at shows for a couple years. I still have the dryer and have some affection for it because it served me well. And if I show at a location that has really weak power outlets, I'd probably switch to that dryer. Currently I have a cool dry which is a bit more macho that the B-Air dryer (heavier too), but it has better attachments and you aren't stuck between low and high - you can roll that dial up and down. There's no reason to get carried away with purchasing a mondo expensive dryer if just grooming 1-2 dogs at home.


----------



## Matt Fonagy (Mar 13, 2016)

The brush that has worked best for me and my two goldens and German Shepherds would have to be this one. It is very cheap and works just as good as my FURminator used to. [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Copatchy-Brush-Shedding-Pet-Deshedding/dp/B01DJSLZ1M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462716846&sr=8-1&keywords=copatchy+dog+shedding+brush[/ame]


----------



## TheRocky (Jun 8, 2016)

Here's the top five basic dog grooming: Dog Brushes and Combs, Nail Trimmers, Dog Shampoos, Dog Ear Care, Dog Hair Clippers . Hope it will help


----------

