How to Line Brush a Dog

You have a long-haired dog that needs a good brushing. You've heard that the correct way to brush your dog is to line brush it. Line brushing is a method of brushing a dog where you part the hair and brush out each section. You brush out each line of hair with a slicker brush until you finish the entire coat. Line brushing is an essential part of dog grooming.

Things You'll Need

• Slicker brush
• Comb
• Hair clips

Instructions

1. Part your dog's hair along the back and brush the layer on each side.

2. On the left side of the dog, use your comb to part the coat horizontally about a half inch down from your first brushing and lay the hair backward against the grain.

3. Brush upward from roots to tip on both sides of the part.

4. Part the hair a half inch below the current part and move that hair upward. Use a hair clip, if necessary, to keep in place.

5. Brush the hair upward from the part and downward from the part.

6. Continue to part the hair by a half inch and brush up and down until you reach the abdomen. Let all hair fall back to the normal lay of the hair and brush it in position.

7. Brush the chest and legs in the same fashion, starting by parting the hair and brushing both sides of the part.

8. Finish up your brushing by brushing the hair back to the lay of the hair.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to remove tangles and mats from your dog before line brushing.

• Be very careful brushing around the face, eyes, genitals, and anus.

References

• Margaret H. Bonham, "Dog Grooming for Dummies," 2006