How to Brush Your Puppy

Depending on their coat type, your puppy will need to be brushed and groomed regularly to prevent matting or skin irritation. It is important to build positive associations around the grooming tools like brushes, clippers and nail trimmers, so your puppy will be happy and relaxed when you brush his hair. In this blog post, I’m going to show you how to keep your puppy comfortable during the grooming process, how to maintain his coat, and the best tools to use!

Your Puppy’s Coat

A puppy’s coat as a whole is completely di­fferent to an adult coat. It’s softer, fluff­ier and a lot more delicate. You will get different variations depending on the breed type too, for example malteses have long straight hair so they will require brushes and techniques tailored to their hair type. This is their coat can remain healthy and unmatted. The same can be said for curly haired dogs.

Double coated breeds such as huskies also require certain brushes and techniques to ensure their coat remains healthy. They require a lot of care to make sure their undercoat does not get matted, which can lead to skin infections and irritations if left unbrushed.

Getting Used to Brushing

It is essential you allow your puppy to get used to the brushing sensation. Always make sure introductions to the different tools are positive-if they’re not cooperating, they won’t enjoy it! This can make it a lot more difficult to brush them when they’re older or when they visit the groomers if they find the experience too stressful.

Let them have a sniff­ of the different tools, and move it closer to their body as they become more comfortable. Slide your fingers through their coat as well. This gets them used to the sensation so it doesn’t feel strange for them when the brush is being used on them.

Give them plenty of praise and feel free to reward them with training treats too. This creates positive associations and makes your time brushing them in the future so much easier. It’s all about going at the right pace for your puppy, and not to overwhelm or stress them.

What Tools To Use

Depending on what type of coat your dog has, you will mainly be using one of the following brushes:

Slicker Brush

This is a thin bristled brush which is designed to maintain a dog’s coat by brushing out and preventing matts and tangles. It can come in di­fferent variants but for a puppy, we recommend the soft tipped slicker brushes. A puppy’s skin is very delicate, and this brush makes the brush-out a lot softer for them. It’s a staple in a lot of doggie households and can be used on all long hair types.

Comb

The next type of brush is a comb. Combs can also be found in a lot of doggie households and again can be used on all long haired dogs. It’s primarily used to go through the coat to ensure there are no tangles left over and to target specific areas such as the face.

Massage Brush

The next brush is a massage brush. This can be used on shorter or thin haired dogs when they are wet. It massages them as they are being brushed to stimulate their oil glands but also relaxes them and desensitises them to the grooming process.

Rake

Your other brushes that you can use are rakes and de-shedding brushes. These are both designed to go down into the doggies undercoat and pick up dead-hairs.

Brushing your Puppy

1. For the brushing, take your slicker brush and let your pup have a sniff to show it isn’t something to be afraid of.
2. Run your fingers through his coat, while giving him lots of praise and maybe even a treat or two!
3. Then we select the area you want to brush. Start brushing at a moderate speed, and then stop shortly after. Always make sure to take regular breaks during brushing, as puppies can become agitated if they are not used to it.
4. Keep this up daily and your puppy will be used to brushing in no time! Daily brushing is also very important for overall coat and skin health

Why Brushing Is Important

If you don’t brush your dog’s coat, it can get very matted. This can cause a series of fungal infections and skin and irritations, which may lead to your puppy having to be shaved down to let his skin breathe, adding a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety.

So keep on top of your brushing to ensure trips to the vet are avoided and that your puppy can enjoy being brushed and groomed!

If you want to bring your puppy into our grooming studio, you can book online or you can call your local Petmania store and see what your options are!