How to Brush a Dog with a Shedding Blade

Most dogs shed leaving their furry mark on clothing, furniture, carpet and everywhere in between. Brushing your dog with a shedding blade can eliminate a great deal of their hairy mess. Shaped like a loop with a handle on each end, it's used like a brush to remove dead fur from your dog's coat and substantially reduce shedding.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Shedding blade

1. Use the blade in the looped position (handles together) to brush in the same direction as the fur grows. On long-haired dogs, the blade fills after about 10 strokes, so simply pull the hair off and keep brushing until you stop seeing fur collecting on the blade. Use this method on smaller areas.

2. Unlatch the handles so the blade is straightened out and brush with the flow of the hair. This method is best for large areas, like the back and belly. Clean the fur off the blade once a significant amount has accumulated.

3. Stay away from sensitive areas. The blade has teeth along one edge. These teeth grab the dead coat and pull it away from the dog's body. Using the teeth on a dog's tail, ears and legs could hurt the dog.

4. Use the flat side when bathing the dog. While one edge of the blade has teeth to remove dead fur, the other edge is flat and can be used to wring water from the dog's coat after a bath. Use it the same way as you would to brush the dog.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the shedding blade outside as it can get pretty messy.

[TobyLee]

on 11/5/2008 If using on a dry coat, dampen the fur with a bit of water or conditioner first. This prevents hair breakage and is makes it easier to manage any grooming tool.