It is best to get into a routine when brushing your dog or puppy. Use the same location every time, and the same brush and way of brushing so your dog is comfortable with what is happening. If your dog has not been brushed in a while it is important to approach grooming slowly. Try grooming for short periods several times a day rather than your whole dog all at once. Make sure you groom a different area each time until you have groomed your whole dog.  

Wait until your dog is calm to begin grooming. This is especially important if they are a puppy. Trying to groom when they are excitable or playful; can make the process more hazardous as they may hurt themselves trying to play with the brush. If your dog has started showing signs that they are no longer enjoying their groom, take a break and try some more later. It is important the grooming experience is as stress free and enjoyable as possible.  

Start with a rubber or silicon brush at the head and work towards the tail, massaging the coat and skin to loosen dead hair and dirt. When you have massaged the whole dog, change to a brush for removing the dead hair, such as a slicker brush, and brush the dog from head to tail in the direction of the fur. Brushing should be firm but not hard, you need to remove knots and loose fur but not scratch the skin. If your dog is long or double coated or moulting hard, an undercoat rake can help remove any loose and trapped hair. Matts should be worked out gently or clipped out if very tight to the skin.  

Take the opportunity to check your dog for any lumps or bumps, wounds or skin conditions while you are brushing and check for fleas and other external parasites. Finding parasites early allows for prompt treatment and resolution, while finding lumps allows for vet advice and either treatment or monitoring. Grooming is the perfect time for a health check. You will already be looking at their ears, tail, limbs etc. Open the mouth and check their eyes too to allow you to complete the health check process.  

Brushing little and often is best for puppies. Your puppy can be brushed gently with a soft brush from very young. The first job is to train your puppy to sit or lay comfortably in the grooming area, so spend some time training pup to stay there calmly before starting to brush.  

Once pup is settled, you can start brushing gently, in the direction of the hair, on the body. Stop and treat pup if they are laying still, but if they struggle, put them back into sit or lay and try again. It may be that you manage just a couple of brush strokes for the first few times but repeating the routine daily will soon get pup used to it. Build up the length of time spent and increase the areas being brushed, and within a few weeks you will be brushing pup all over. 

Smooth-coated dogs include Beagles and Greyhounds have a short coat sitting flat on the skin. These coats do not matt easily, but they still need brushing weekly to remove dead hair and dander to keep the fur sleek and shiny. 

 The best brushes for short-coated dogs are generally made of rubber – these grip the very short hairs without irritating the skin underneath. Curry combs or silicon grooming mitts remove dead hair and dirt and stimulate the skin to produce natural oils to keep the coat healthy. A natural bristle brush could also be used twice weekly to keep the coat in good condition. 

German Shepherds, Malamutes and Huskies have two distinct coat layers – a thick, soft undercoat for warmth and insulation and a longer, coarser topcoat for waterproofing and protection from dirt. These coats need a lot of grooming to prevent matting and remove dead undercoat hair. A slicker brush has a flexible head for dog comfort and can be used daily to remove dead hair and prevent matting.  

 The undercoat, if not removed, can become compacted as it matts and gets trapped under the coarser topcoat. In hot weather this can make the dog overheat as body heat cannot get away from the skin. During moulting, the undercoat sheds in large clumps and using the correct brush will help to lift it away. An undercoat rake has wide-set pins to break up matts in the undercoat, preventing compaction, and help lift out the undercoat during moulting. 

The wire coat of many breeds (such as the wire fox terrier) is a two layered coat: a soft undercoat with a wiry longer topcoat. Keeping both coat layers in good condition is essential for your dog’s comfort. 

 Many owners prefer to keep their wire-haired dogs' coats short, either by stripping or clipping the hair. A stripping knife can assist with hand stripping. This allows the removal of the dead coarse hair from the root, allowing new wiry hairs to grow through. Keeping the coat wiry maintains the coat structure, allowing the skin to breathe. The wire coat also sheds dirt easily. If the body coat is clipped, the wire is reduced, and the coat becomes softer and more likely to matt and retain dirt. Groomers will clip sensitive or awkward areas such as the thinner coated belly, parts of the face and the lower legs.  

Many crossbreed dogs have combination coats: Cockapoos, for example, have the curly, wool-like coats from the Poodle and the sleek hair from the Spaniel. These coats can take some time for the new owner to work out the best grooming routine and which brush is best.    

For these combination coats, the slicker brush is best for daily use, with a dual brush for longer coated dogs. The pin side of the dual brush is good for removing tangles and the bristled side keeps the hair glossy. A comb is also essential after brushing to check for any remaining knots in the hair. 

The amount of shed depends on the breed of dog, coat type and length.  

 Breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier, Bichon Frise, Poodle and their crosses tend to shed very little. Short-coated dogs such as Beagles shed the most, along with longer and double coated breeds such as Labradors and German Shepherds. 

 All dogs need brushing regularly to remove dead hair from the coat and keep the coat in good condition. Brushing a high shedding dog regularly will greatly reduce the amount of fur that is left around the home.  

Brushing your dog stimulates the oils in the coat, improves coat condition, prevents matting and reduces shedding. Indoor dogs shed quicker as the temperature is warmer, so the shedding hair can matt quickly. Matts that are close to the skin pull and become uncomfortable when the dog moves, and the skin can become sore and infected underneath. The process of grooming allows your dog to get used to regular handling. It allows you to check for any lumps, bumps or irritation that you could then discuss with your vet. It is also useful as it will reduce stress for your dog during vet visits if they are already used to handling and examinations. Brushing also removes dander – the naturally shed flakes from the surface of the skin. Grease is spread over the fur and removed from the skin surface, allowing the pores to stay open, reducing some skin conditions.  And, finally, grooming your dog helps with bonding and so can be rewarding for both of you.