Best Dog Brush

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Best Dog Brush For Labs

The best dog brush for your pet will keep coat tangle free, last a long time, be nice to hold and kind to their skin. Not every brush suits every type of fur equally, of course. For my Labradors I have a selection of grooming tools, and the one I pick up depends on the time of year and whether they are currently blowing their coat. Most dog owners can get away with having as a minimum a comb, rake and pin or slicker brush ready to use.

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Is it that time of year again already? Your dog is shedding. And as much as you use your pet brush and sweep away the fur, you find yourself doing it several times a day-everyday. It’s exasperating. But, don’t worry! I have some great solutions.

Dog Shedding

If you are raising a dog for the first time, you might be surprised by how much he sheds. Some dogs molt more than others. Labrador retrievers for example have a double coat, meaning they have two layers of fur. The undercoat is made of short, dense fur and is meant to keep your dog insulated from extreme temperatures. The top or outer coat is made of longer hairs, called “guard hairs.” This outer coat helps repel dirt and moisture.

Double-coated dogs shed a lot so the best thing to do is to brush your dog regularly to remove as much dead hair as possible. This is where choosing the best dog hair brush comes in. The best brush for your dog will depend on what you are trying to achieve. From removing loose undercoat fur to creating extra shine for outer fur, using the right brush will help you accomplish the task at hand.

Dog Brushes and Combs

As there are many different types of dogs, there are many different types of dog brushes. Designed to go through different coat lengths and textures, they are not a one size fits all thing. The best Golden Retriever brush won’t be the same as the best brush for Labs. Your options include:

  • De shedding brushes
  • Slicker brushes
  • Brush gloves
  • Pin brushes
  • Dog grooming comb
  • Undercoat brushes

Best Dog Brush for Shedding

We are massive fans of the Furminator Dog Brush*. The Labrador Site’s resident dogs all benefit from a regular grooming with one of these excellent tools during shedding season. The Furminator dog brush is the best dog brush for removing loose dead fur beneath the topcoat. For dogs that shed a lot before growing in their fur, it may be too harsh and remove too much fur, leaving behind bald patches. If, however, your dog’s coat is dense enough and is molting a lot, then the Furminator may just be the right tool to help remove excess hair.

Remember to be cautious when first using the Furminator because it is such an effective tool for removing fur. Try brushing your doggy a little bit at a time and see how his fur responds. Check to make sure you’re not leaving behind patches or bald spots. The Furminator comes in a long and short fur version, so you can choose the best one for your particular breed of dog.

Dog Shedding Brush

Is your dog shedding like crazy and you need a good dog brush to remove the fur? MIU COLOR makes a popular dog brush* that claims to reduce shedding by up to 90%.

The handle is made of rubber to provide good grip. This tool is great for long and short-haired dogs. Chirpy Pets also makes a wonderful dog shedding brush* that removes unwanted fur. This brush is made of 4-inch stainless steel, which is not sharp to protect your dog’s skin.

Slicker Brush for Dogs

Slicker brushes are great for removing tangled, matted fur. It is particularly useful for brushing out thicker and longer fur around your Lab’s rump area. It does a great job at removing loose hair, knots, tangles, and dander. Hertzko makes a very popular and highly rated dog slicker brush* that will help remove matted fur without hurting your Lab.

Their bristles are fine bent wires that are designed to get deep into your dog’s coat without scratching his skin. It also comes in a bright, fun color and has a nicely gripped easy to hold handle. Safari Self-Cleaning brush* is another great choice as a slicker brush for dogs.

Its stainless steel pins gently remove mats, tangles, and dead hair. The brush comes in a range of sizes, so you can pick the best one for your particular pup. But best of all, the pins retract making it very easy to clean after a grooming session.

Dog Brush Glove

A dog brush glove is a glove with hundreds of pointy tips to help remove dog fur when you pet your dog with the glove on. It is good at removing loose fur gently and effectively. The shedding fur sticks to the glove, making it easy to remove hair. You can also use this glove while bathing your dog to give a gentle massage without hurting his skin. We recommend DELOMO Pet Grooming Glove.*

It is a highly rated dog brush glove that is sure to help remove unwanted hair from your Lab. And it could be the best dog brush for you if what you like is the tactile use of a glove. It comes with two gloves, the left hand and right hand. You can groom your dog’s excess fur away easily. And what’s more, your dog won’t even associate it with a formal brush. Ideal for reluctant groomees!

Pat Your Pet also makes one* that allows you to groom hard to reach places like the legs, face, or tail. This one also comes with two gloves. But it has a tightenable wrist strap, making it fit well to any owner’s arms.

De-shedding Short hair dog brush

Pet Neat makes a popular short hair dog brush* that claims to reduce shedding by up to 95%. It has a 100 mm stainless steel blade and an easy to grip handle so you can effortlessly brush your Lab every day to remove loose hair.

Rubber dog brush

Getting a rubber dog brush is useful for short or smooth haired dogs like Labs. The rubbery bristles make it a breeze to gently brush through your dog’s coat, distributing natural hair oils. Le Salon Essential Rubber Brush* is a popular choice and could certainly be the best dog brush for you. It’s ideal for use during bath time, where you can easily distribute shampoo on your dog with this brush.

You hold these brushes in the same way as you do with a horse brush. It’s an easy holding system for larger dogs, and gives you good control as you groom. Hertzko Shed Control rubber dog brush* is also another highly rated choice for Labs.

Both of these brushes are good de-shedding tools. Something to note: rubber dog brushes are not very effective at removing matted or tangled fur. So we advise you use another brush, like the slicker brush, for that purpose.

Pin Brush for Dogs

Pin brush for dogs are the most common type of dog brushes people get. They look similar to brushes used by people. They are typically oval in shape and have wiry pins. Unfortunately they are not very useful in grooming your dog.

Pin brushes are good after your dog’s coat has been fluffed out or if there’s loose fur hanging around, but not much else. Andis Premium Pet Grooming Tools* makes a good pin brush for removing tangles and loose hair.

Safari also makes a good pin brush for dogs* that does the same thing.

Kong Dog Brush

The Kong dog brush* is a rubbery hand held object with rubbery tips that help grab at loose hair. It helps remove dead hair and stimulates healthy hair oil production. It’s another best dog brush at Labrador Site HQ too!

This great little dog brush is also effective to use it while bathing your dog. You brush your dog in circles, then go from head to tail to collect all the loose fur. If your Lab is still a puppy, use a smaller Kong brush to remove his excess fur.

Vacuum Dog Brush

Tired of vacuuming your dog’s hair after brushing him? What if you could vacuum and brush at the same time? Shop-Vac makes a dog brush vacuum* attachment that fits 1 ¼ inch hose or wand end. It is safe for grooming pets and great for removing unwanted hair.

Bristle Brush for Dogs

Bristle brush for dogs are great for use on short, smooth coats that shed frequently. The tightly packed natural bristles pick up loose hair and stimulate the skin. The Conair Bristle Brush* easily fits in the palm of your hand while you brush your Lab.

It helps distribute oils evenly throughout your pet’s coat. You can use it daily to maintain a shiny coat. GoPets makes one that is double sided pin and bristle brush for dogs*. If you buy this one, you’ll have the convenience of having two brushes in one.

Dog bath brush

Looking to massage your doggy thoroughly with shampoo when bathing him? Bodhi Dog possibly makes the best dog brush for the bath*. With soft rubber tips that scrub away dirt, dead skin, and loose fur making it a useful pet brush for bathing and grooming.

This grooming tool won’t tug on hair making it the perfect brush for pets with sensitive skin. It can be used wet or dry. Four Paws Magic Coat Love glove dog bath brush* also does a similar job at brushing your dog’s coat while bathing. It helps improve lather and helps remove dead hair.

Dog Combs and Brushes

Need to remove matted, tangled fur from your Lab? Using a dog comb can help remove loose hair and dirt. Andis Pet Steel Grooming Comb* is ideal for your Lab. It is lightweight and includes fine and coarse teeth to brush out tangles and smooth out your dog’s coat.

Evolution makes a shedding comb with rotating teeth* that gently detangles your dog’s coat quickly. The teeth rotate to pull through the coat without hurting or damaging your dog’s fur.

Dog Undercoat Brush

Rake brushes are designed to penetrate a dog’s dense coat and remove dead undercoat near your dog’s skin. It should be used with minimal pressure. RUBOLD makes a popular dematting tool for dogs*. This rake brush will not scratch your dog because it is rounded on the outside, while sharp on the inside, so it is effective at clearing matted fur and tangles fast and easy.

The Labrador Handbook by Pippa Mattinson

Yinfan Pet Dog Dematting Tool for dogs* is also effective at removing dead undercoat while being gentle and easy to use.

Best dog brush for Labs

Best Dog Brushes

As we have seen, there are many varieties of dog brushes out there. We suggest you get a couple of different ones to try out on your pup’s coat. The best dog brush for your Lab will help you reduce fur around the house while keeping your dog’s coat shiny and healthy. You can find out more about Grooming Your Labrador and The Best Grooming Products in these fun articles.

Affiliate link disclosure: Links in this article marked with an * are affiliate links, and we may receive a small commission if you purchase these products. However, we selected them for inclusion independently, and all of the views expressed in this article are our own.

The Labrador Site Founder

Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.

She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program 

Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website

9 COMMENTS

  1. I do own two pugs and i bought Furmitor brush which is working so perfect on them.Your doing good work recommending people on the right brush.congrats

  2. I’ll have to try some new brushes, but my dog is very young and still afraid of any brushing. For some strange reason he fears brush gloves the most, I thought they would be best to getting used to brushing.

  3. I have tried many grooming tools, bristle brushes, wire pin brushes, and the rubber bathing brush (which gave me a sore blister where the strap goes over your knuckles), I also bought the grooming glove which did help with our young lab to get her used to being groomed, but I found it didn’t remove very much of the loose soft undercoat though it did lift some hair from the surface.
    I found I had great results using a detangling brush a “tangle teezer” for people with long or curly hair which I’d bought for my daughter. This is kind and gentle on the scalp and removes tangles without tugging. It gently removes loose fur without tugging or hurting the dogs skin. I have two labs and they compete for getting groomed now, both wanting brushed first.

  4. I haven’t found a single brush that actually removes any loose hair. I heve most brushes and the gloves. Nothing. They only thing that actually gets the hair is a clothing lint remover. I run the sticky roller over his fur snd it fills quickly with hair. He doesn’t mind it at all. My Lab has a beautuful, shiny black coat.

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