The Better Brush From FURminator You Should Be Using
My Happy Husky has always recommended just two brushes that best suit huskies: The FURminator Undercoat Rake and a quality Slicker Brush.
The undercoat rake is incredibly simple and your husky will experience a much better brushing session compared to when you use a de-shedding tool.
Undercoat rakes contain a single line of blunt, rounded metal prongs that reach down into the undercoat. There’s nothing sharp on the brush which prevents any kind of tugging or cutting. The dead fur simply gets caught up in the rake and it comes out. No drama.
This simple design outperforms de-shedding tools over and over again, AND it provides the least irritation for your husky throughout brushing. It’s crucial that your husky considers brushing as a positive and enjoyable experience, otherwise, next time will be a nightmare.
The FURminator has its own slicker brush, but it’s not as good as this one from a company named Hertzko.
Slicker brushes are great at maintaining the topcoat.
So we always recommend starting any brushing session with the FURminator undercoat rake, before finishing off with a slicker brush.
The slicker brush is made up of short thin metal wires. These do not reach down far enough to access the undercoat, so there’s no risk of them touching the skin.
The thin wires smooth out and remove final hair and debris from the topcoat. And they do an awesome job of it. Combining these two brushes together is a favorite for many husky owners. We seriously recommend trying it out!
The good news for you is that you are already keeping up on your dogs’ shedding by brushing them weekly. That means that they probably don’t have huge clumps of hair that need to be removed- making the job much easier on their skin and your arms. If you do decide to get a Furminator, your dogs would probably need the large size, and I would recommend buying the whole system, including the shampoo and especially the conditioner. Undercoat is definitely much easier to remove on dogs who are clean, conditioned, and dry. Don’t every use a Furminator on a wet dog, that will only tug and rip at the coat. Using a good conditioner, whether it’s the Furminator brand or some other high quality one, will help to reduce the tearing or shredding that many people notice when Furminating their dogs’ coats. Simply put, dirty, coarse hair will get stuck in the fine teeth much more easily than clean, smooth hairs will.
One last tip: making sure your dogs are fed a high quality diet will definitely help reduce shedding, as will certain vitamins and supplements. Be sure to ask your vet if there’s anything you can add to your dogs’ diets to make their coats the best they can be. Your dogs and your arms will thank you for it.
Thanks for the insight, Kevin! Soggy Paws offers grooming, self wash services and retail in their three Chicago locations: Uptown, Logan Square and South Loop. They also offer grooming and retail in Lincoln Square. Check them out!
Furminators: either you love them or you hate them. For those who aren’t familiar with them, Furminators are rectangular shaped, rake type combs with very fine teeth that are extremely close together. They come in three sizes and can be much more expensive than other dog brushes or combs. These tools aren’t meant to style or de-tangle a dog’s fur: their only purpose is to remove undercoat. This is the fur that most dogs typically shed twice a year, roughly in the spring and in the fall. It’s that soft, fluffy hair that is denser and closer to the skin than the coarser outer coat that most breeds have. And, if I know anything about German Shepherds or Shepherd mixes, it’s that most of them have a lot of undercoat. Because of the many fine teeth that they have, Furminators do an excellent job of removing all this hair. However, because the teeth are so fine and so close together, that means that it takes a lot strokes (and strong arms) to remove the mounds of hair that is often pictured in Furminator ads (like the picture on the left). Not only can this be an exhausting workout for an owner, that kind of repeated brushing can be irritating to a dog’s skin.
De-shedding your dog, either with the Furminator (™) or another tool is a good thing, but like with many things, use in moderation! In the wild or frankly just as a working dog, your dog’s undercoat, which releases naturally, would be stripped as it brushed by trees and twigs. In our homes, this does not happen naturally. However, just as important as considering that it would be removed, is how frequently it would be removed. Your dog’s hair would be removed constantly and gradually. The biggest challenge with de-shedding is that owners allow the undercoat to build up and then try to remove too much hair at once. Instead, do smaller bursts more frequently. We recommend that you do a 2-step process for 5-7 minutes 2-3 times per week. First, use a de-shedding tool to ‘loosen the undercoat.’ Do this for no more than 2-3 minutes and make no more than 3 strokes over the same spot. Then use a straight comb to remove the loosened hair from the top coat, to pull it out so it can not sit in and build mats. This process of 5 minutes 3 times per week will be more comfortable for your dog, reduce skin irritation, and allow the hair to continually release and replenish in a healthy, natural way. Oh, it’s a much easier process for you, too!
Ensure your husky likes the brush
As you’re going to be brushing your husky a lot (every few days), it’s essential that he enjoys the experience.
There’s nothing more frustrating than your husky freaking out every time he sees you grab the brush.
So start by brushing him in the evenings, after he’s had his daily exercise and is in a calm state. You can start giving him small tasty treats (tiny pieces of chicken breast works well) as you’re brushing him.
This will quickly build a positive association with the brush. Once this is done, brushing him will be easy and stress free.
Should You FURMINATE A Husky Dog?!
Furminator is a well-known brand that has a range of brushes all designed to help groom your furry friend. But is the FURminator de-shedding tool good for huskies?
The FURminator de-shedding tool is not ideal for huskies as it can inadvertently damage the healthy topcoat layer with incorrect use. It’s better to use an Undercoat Rake to remove dead fur.
Important note* FURminator has a range of other brushes that are more suitable for huskies. This article highlights what those are further below.