How to Brush a Dog's Face

Part of grooming your dog is regular brushing. The face area can be a little tricky, as some dogs don't like having the hair around their face brushed or groomed in any way. Use the following pointers to help you brush the face of your dog so that everyone can see how cute your little bundle of fur really is.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Slicker brush
• Metal canine comb
• Mat splitter

1. Place your dog on the counter or a table where you can easily control the dog while you work to brush their face.

2. Start with the hair on the muzzle area. Use your slicker brush to brush downward from the nose to the sides of the face. If there are lots of mats and knots, this may be uncomfortable for your dog, so be gentle. Do this on each side of the nose.

3. Brush out the area under the chin and down the throat, as this is a part of the facial appearance of your dog. Don't forget to fold back the ears and brush from inside the ear down the side of the face. After that, work to smooth out tangles and mats on the forehead area and behind the ears. You want to brush over the entire head area to complete the groomed look of the face.

4. Use a warm moist washcloth to dampen and clean any dried drainage from your dog's eyes. This drainage can get very matted and hard, making it difficult to brush or comb through.

5. Take your metal comb and guide the comb down through all the areas you previously did with the slicker brush.

6. Remove stubborn hair mats and thin out thick sections of facial hair by using the mat splitter. This is a sharp brushing instrument, so take care while handling this tool.

Tips & Warnings

• The more you brush your dog, the more cooperative they will eventually become during the process.