Brushing a dog’s coat helps to eliminate matting, burrs and other objects found in
the coat,removes dead hair, distributes oil to the hair follicle, and stimulates the blood supply to the skin. Don’t forget about
brushing areas such as on and behind the ears, in the armpits, and around the base of the tail, these are common areas to mat.

Choosing Proper Grooming Equipment :

	Slicker- softer wire bristles that take out tangles and dead hair. Use lightly, a heavy hand can scratch the skin. A good tool for almost any breed, excluding short haired dogs like the Pug, or Boxer (see rubber grooming mitt) e.g. Shih Tzu, Golden Retriever, Bichon frise, cats.
	Double-sided comb (greyhound comb) - for fluffy and longer coats, wider toothed on one side and finer on the other. After using a slicker brush, brush through the coat with the wider end of the comb first and follow up with the finer side, making sure you didn’t miss any tangles. E.g. Yorkshire terrier, Bearded collie, Afghan Hound, Poodle
	Rake comb-wide-toothed stainless steel combs with handles the pull out the undercoat without disturbing the topcoat e.g. Shetland sheepdog, Chow chow, Pomeranian, Husky
	Rubber grooming mitt/ curry brush-a rubber-nubbed brush that helps pull out undercoat on short coated dogs e.g. Bassett hound, Bulldog, Pug, Doberman, Greyhound
	Mat splitters/mat combs-to be used with extreme caution, tools have razor sharp blades. Please consult a professional groomer before using these tools so they can show you the proper method of use.

Hot spots:

These are warm, swollen, and painful areas of skin. They smell terrible and may ooze pus. They can develop in reaction to a flea bite, because of allergies or other skin problems, and a lack of grooming. They are common in thick-coated dogs that have dead hair trapped next to the skin. Regular and thorough brushing to the skin is important to allow air to flow through the coat which helps insulate and cool the dog naturally. Matted dogs are also prone to hot spots as the mat traps the moisture against the skin. The skin cannot breathe and the dampness continues to irritate the skin, creating a hot spot. It is important to clip the hair around the hot spot and cleanse the skin to start the healing process. Hot spots often start to heal after getting more air to the area, but it is recommended to see your vet depending on the severity of the hot spot to learn more about underlying problems the dog might have that led to the hot spot developing.