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Happy Healthy Dogs - Grooming
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items A practical guide to keeping your dog clean, comfortable and healthy — with quality grooming products organized by coat type and specific needs. From everyday essentials to sensitive-skin, deshedding and coat-care favorites.
Sections
14
Ear Health
Grooming
Short Single Coat
Short Double Coat
Medium Double Coat
Long / Feathered Double Coat
Ear Health
Healthy ears don’t need to be aggressively cleaned every day. Routine checks + appropriate cleaning when needed is a much better approach. If an ear is painful, very red, has a strong odor, discharge, or your dog is constantly shaking/scratching, ski...
The best ear cleaner for infection prevention.
EPIOTIC® Advanced Ear Cleanser
Another brand that works great.
CLEANING YOUR PET'S EARS
For routine and maintenance. Great for allergy flare prevention.
Vetoquinol Ear Cleansing Solution, Gentle
Grooming
Your dog doesn’t need a drawer full of grooming tools. Start with their coat type, then buy the brush that actually works for it. Here are my quality picks from budget-friendly everyday tools to professional-grade options.
If you have a dog that needs more attention to coat care you may choose to invest in your own grooming table. Save your back and make grooming less of a chore and more of a bonding experience for you and your pooch.
Professional Pet Grooming Tables
Short Single Coat
Rubber curry brush, grooming mitt, or short-bristle brush. Short coats generally don’t need aggressive de-shedding tools every day. Short coat ≠ no grooming. A quick weekly brush removes loose hair, distributes natural oils and cuts down on the fur c...
The start of your groom for SHORT single coat dogs. Loosen up the fur before brushing.
Coastal Pet Safari Comfort Grip Curry Brush
The last item necessary for your short coat collection. Short coat ≠ no grooming. A quick weekly brush removes loose hair, distributes natural oils and cuts down on the fur coating your furniture.
Undercoat deShedding Tool Small Dog Short Hair
Premium in your dog brush collection but so necessary.
Chris Christensen Natural Boar Bristle Brushes
Brushing and shampooing works on every coat. Excellent for loosening dead coat before brushing
ZoomGroom - Dog Brush for Grooming and Shampooing
BEST grooming tool ever. So easy to use and pulls everything pretty quickly.
The ORIGINAL by SleekEZ® (Medium) Grooming Tool
Short Double Coat
For the dogs that somehow leave enough fur to build a second dog. Reach the undercoat without constantly attacking the topcoat. Short + double-coated is not the same as a smooth single coat. These dogs have a dense undercoat that can produce a ridicu...
This is the first in your DOUBLE coated SHORT coat collection. Example: Labrador Retriever, Corgi, German Shepherd (shorter coat), Australian Cattle Dog
Safari Grooming Dog Brush Double Row Undercoat Rake
Professional-quality without an outrageous price. Double Short Coat.
Andis Premium Fine-Tooth Deshedding Rake - Black
Loosens the undercoat and creates a healthier coat.
FURminator Medium Dog Undercoat deShedding Tool
Medium Double Coat
Medium double coats need more than a quick surface brush. Slicker first, then a comb to make sure you’re actually getting through the coat.
Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, English Shepherd
In expensive upgrade.
Large Firm Slicker Brush
Premium brush
Chris Christensen Karben Slickers
Essential for checking that you’ve actually reached the skin to prevent matting!
Greyhound-Style Combs
Long / Feathered Double Coat
For fluffy dogs, the goal isn’t just making the outside look pretty. Brush in sections all the way to the skin, then use a comb to find the sneaky tangles hiding underneath.
AKC specifically recommends slickers for dense coats and undercoat rakes or...
Long / Feathered Double Coat
Examples: Rough Collie, Golden Retriever, Bernese Mountain Dog, Newfoundland, Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernard
This is the most affordable.
Safari® by Coastal® Curved Firm Slicker Brush for Long Hair
Premium! If you haven’t started your Chris Christiansen collection yet you should.
Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brushes
For the denser coats
Chris Christensen Big K Slicker Brushes
Finishing and checking
Combs
For seasonal shedding.
Professional Pet Grooming Undercoat 12 Teeth Rake
Long, Fine / Silky Coat
Long hair needs a little more finesse. Use a quality pin brush rather than ripping through tangles with an aggressive de-shedding tool.
Pin brushes are particularly suited to many long-haired breeds, while a comb is useful for checking for remaining...
Long, Fine / Silky Coat
Examples: Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, Afghan Hound, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Irish Setter
Chris Christensen Ice Slip Max Pin Brush
Long coats. Go slow and give lots of treats.
Chris Christensen Big A Slicker Brushes
Affordable and gentle.
Safari® by Coastal® Complete Dog Brush
For finishing and finding tangles
Metal Fine Tooth Comb
Curly / Poodle-Type Coat
Curly coats are beautiful but have serious matting potential. The brush needs to reach through the coat rather than just fluffing the surface.
Slicker brushes are specifically useful for curly and dense coats because they help remove loose hair and ...
Curly / Poodle-Type Coat
Examples: Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle, Bichon Frise, Portuguese Water Dog, Lagotto Romagnolo
Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brushes
Essential do not skip
Chris Christensen Mark Slicker Brushes
More affordable
Coastal Pet Safari Cat Self Cleaning Slicker Brush
Check all the way down to the skin
Stainless Steel Comb
Gets most of those tangles out
Warren London FurBreeze Pro Max Slicker Doodle Brush ...
Wire / Rough Coat
Wire coats are their own category. Brushing keeps the coat maintained, but some wire-haired breeds have coats that are traditionally hand-stripped rather than simply clipped.
AKC recommends learning the technique from an experienced groomer because ...
A nice pin brush is great for daily brushing and maintaining the coat.
Chris Christensen Original Series Oval Pin Brushes
A quality slicker is the workhorse for wire coats. Use it to work through furnishings, remove loose hair, and gently prevent tangles before they become mats
Chris Christensen Mark Slicker Brushes
The affordable option that gets the job done. Great if you want a solid everyday slicker without spending professional-groomer money.
Coastal Pet Safari Dog Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush
The “did I actually brush all the way through?” test. Run a metal comb through the coat after brushing to find hidden tangles and mats.
Chris Christensen 7.5in Greyhound Style Fine
A smooth, fine-tooth finishing comb for checking the coat and working through smaller tangles around the face, beard, legs and furnishings.
Chris Christensen 7.5" Fine Finishing Buttercomb #001
A specialized stripping/de-shedding tool for appropriate rough and wire coats. Useful for removing dead undercoat, but it isn’t something every wire-coated dog needs.
Mars Coat King
For maintaining traditional hand-stripped coats. This is a technique-specific tool, so learn proper hand-stripping before using it rather than treating it like a regular brush.
Mikki Dog, Puppy Grooming Stripping Knife
A simple tool groomers use to help grip and remove dead wire coat. Especially useful when maintaining the characteristic harsh texture of a traditional coat.
Groomer's Stone Pets Grooming Tool, Grey
Bath and Coat Care
A good bath routine should match the coat, not just make your dog smell good. These are quality shampoos, conditioners and detanglers for everything from short double coats to long, curly and wire coats — including gentle options for sensitive skin a...
Don’t break your back trying to clean your dog! This made my life so much easier.
Dog Bath Hose
Shampoo
All coat shampoo! My affordable everyday pick. Gentle enough for routine baths without turning your dog’s coat into a squeaky, stripped mess.
earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Itch Relief Dog Shampoo
Short Smooth Light Coat Dogs. A simple budget-friendly shampoo for routine baths when you don’t need anything fancy.
Burts Bees Oatmeal Dog Shampoo with Honey
Long, silky, curly and fluffy coats. A good choice when you want to clean the coat while making the post-bath brushing session easier.
TropiClean Perfect Fur Curly & Wavy Shampoo
Hypoallergenic
“Hypoallergenic” doesn’t mean allergy-proof. If your dog has persistent redness, itching, recurrent ear problems, hair loss or skin infections, shampoo shouldn’t replace a veterinary skin workup.
Sensitive skin, short coats, double coats, long coats and mixed breeds. When your dog doesn’t need fragrance, botanicals or a complicated formula — just a gentle shampoo for getting clean.
Hypoallergenic Dog Shampoo, Sensitive Skin & Allergies
Sensitive and allergy-prone skin; short, double and longer coats. A veterinary-focused option when ordinary pet-store shampoo isn’t agreeing with your dog’s skin.
Allerderm Shampoo For Dogs & Cats - Sensitive Skin
Sensitive, itchy or allergy-prone skin; short, double, long and curly coats. A more targeted option for dogs whose skin needs more support than a basic grooming shampoo can provide.
DOUXO® S3 CALM Shampoo
Deshedding
Short and Long Double Coats. Made specifically for shedding dogs. Pair it with proper brushing rather than expecting shampoo alone to remove the undercoat.
deShedding Ultra Premium Shampoo Dog 16 oz
Short, medium and long double coats. A good middle-ground option for seasonal shedders when you want to loosen dead coat during bath time.
PerfectFur Thick Double Coat Shed Control Shampoo for ...
Short and Double Coats. An affordable option for dogs that leave fur everywhere during shedding season. Think of it as part of the routine, not a miracle deshedding treatment.
Shed Control Shampoo
Double Coated and Heavy Shedding Dogs. Follow the shampoo with conditioner to help loosen the dead coat and make brushing afterward easier.
Shedding Ultra Premium Conditioner Dog 16 oz
Conditioners and Detanglers
Pick based on your dog’s coat.
Short coat: shampoo + occasional conditioner
Double coat: shampoo + deshedding product during shedding season
Long/feathered: shampoo + conditioner + detangler
Curly: shampoo + conditioner + leave-in detangler
Wire coa...
Short, double, long and wire coats. A straightforward everyday conditioner that adds softness without requiring a complicated grooming routine.
earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe Conditioner Dry Skin
Long, silky, feathered and curly coats. For coats that tangle easily, this gives you more slip for brushing and helps make maintaining long hair much easier.
Chris Christensen Ice on Ice Dog Conditioner
Long, curly, fluffy and double coats. A grooming favorite for adding slip and making the brush glide through coats that normally fight back.
The Stuff Leave-in Dog Conditioner & Detangler
Long, silky, curly and show-style coats. A more luxurious option when you’re looking for softness, shine and easier comb-through rather than simply getting the dog clean.
Luxury Care - Hydra | Pet Society
Long, silky, feathered and curly coats. The classic “please don’t let this become a mat” spray. Use on problem areas before brushing to add slip and make detangling much easier.
Chris Christensen Ice on Ice Detangling and Finishing Spray
Long, double, curly and fluffy coats. Great for dogs who turn brushing into a wrestling match. A little leave-in product can make regular coat maintenance much easier.
The Stuff Leave-In Dog Conditioner & Detangler
Dense, long, curly and heavily maintained coats. The heavier-duty option when you’re dealing with serious tangling or a coat that needs extra slip.
Chris Christensen Ice on Ice Dog Detangler