Home / Grooming / Brushing by Coat Type
Brushing is the highest-value ten minutes in dog care. It removes dirt and loose hair, spreads the skin's natural oils through the coat, prevents the tangles that become painful mats, keeps skin clean and free of irritants, and puts your hands over every inch of your dog often enough to catch lumps, ticks and sore patches early. All of that only works when the tool and the rhythm match the coat in front of you. This page is the matching table, built on the ASPCA's coat-by-coat grooming guidance and the AKC's brush guidance, with the technique that makes each session count.
| Coat type | Example breeds | Main tools | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short smooth (single) | Boxer, Chihuahua, Basset Hound, Pug | Rubber brush or grooming glove, then a bristle brush | Once a week |
| Double | Labrador, German Shepherd, Husky, Golden Retriever, Corgi | Slicker brush, undercoat rake, metal comb | Once or twice a week; daily at peak shedding |
| Curly | Poodle, Bichon Frise, curly Doodles | Slicker brush, metal comb | Two to three times a week minimum; daily for long clips |
| Wire | Border Terrier, Wire Fox Terrier, Schnauzer | Slicker brush, metal comb; hand-stripping for the traditional texture | Once or twice a week |
| Silky and long | Yorkshire Terrier, Shih Tzu, Maltese, Afghan Hound, Collie | Pin brush or slicker, bristle brush, metal comb | Daily attention |
The ASPCA describes the same pattern in its own guidance: a rubber brush then a bristle brush weekly for smooth short coats; a slicker brush weekly for short dense coats prone to matting, such as a retriever's; and daily tangles-out sessions with a slicker and bristle brush for long coats such as a Yorkshire Terrier's. Where a long coat is kept in a short pet clip, the daily rule relaxes to match the length actually on the dog.
Brushing is the core skill of the whole grooming library: it supports bathing, drives the deshedding routine, and the handling practice carries straight into nail trims.
Match it to the coat. The ASPCA pattern: smooth short coats once a week, short dense coats once a week, and long coats daily. Double coats need once or twice a week normally and daily work at the peak of a seasonal shed. Curly coats need brushing two to three times a week at minimum, because their shed hair stays trapped in the curls and mats.
Most owners need two tools: the main brush for their coat type from the table on this page, plus a metal comb. The comb is the quality check: if it glides from skin to tip, the coat is truly brushed out. Add an undercoat rake if you own a double-coated breed.
A slicker has many fine, short, angled wire pins on a flat or curved pad; it is the detangling and dead-hair workhorse for medium, long, curly and double coats. A pin brush has longer, widely spaced pins with rounded tips; it is gentler and suits long silky coats and finishing work. Bristle brushes suit short coats, and rubber brushes or grooming gloves lift loose hair and dirt from the shortest coats.
Work it with your fingers first, splitting the mat lengthwise into smaller pieces, then brush the edges with a slicker in short strokes, holding the base of the mat so it does not pull the skin. Mats tight to the skin, behind ears, in armpits or across a large area are a groomer's job: clipping them out at home risks cutting skin that is pulled up into the mat.
Before, and again after drying. Brushing a dry coat removes loose hair and mats safely; water tightens mats and makes them far harder to shift. The post-bath brush, once the coat is dry, lifts out the hair the bath loosened.
Yes, in the practical sense: it does not stop hair cycling out, but it collects the loose hair on the brush instead of the sofa. Five to ten minutes a few times a week makes a visible difference, especially in the spring and autumn coat changes described in our deshedding guide.
Last updated: November 2026. The facts on this page were checked against the sources listed above. How we work: our methodology.