If you’re lucky enough to own a large dog that is hypoallergenic and nonshedding, you’ll know just how rewarding they can be.
Large dogs give all the more cuddles, love and affection, and fun playtime without shedding hair. However, you’ll also know that they need grooming – a lot. That’s why it’s important to have one of the best slicker brushes for a large dog.
Large dogs have lots more hair that needs to be tended to in order to prevent it from getting matted or tangled. Slacking on brushing your pooch can lead to a build-up of hair against their skin, making it difficult for the skin to breathe.
This can lead to oils and dirt getting trapped and possibly even causing skin infections. Additionally, matted hair left unattended will also start to pull on your dog’s skin and possibly create legions.
Even if the skin doesn’t get that irritated, it will still be constantly pulled at and put your pup in discomfort. Luckily for all large dog owners out there, we have found the solution – a slicker brush.
Slicker brushes are wire dog brushes that remove excess hair from their coats as well as distribute their skin’s oils throughout their entire coats.
Today we have found five of the best slicker brushes for large dogs so that you don’t have to waste time.
- Pros
- Durable and strong: this brush is perfect for larger dogs with lots of thick hair due to its sturdy plastic construction and durable bristles.
- Comfortable: not only for your pet, but for you too! The handle is non-slip and will help to avoid wrist strain.
- Self-cleaning: the amount of time that you’ll save with this feature will shock you.
- Cons
- Large border: there is a large border around the bristles of wasted space that could have housed more bristles.
The first slicker brush on our list today is from the brand Hertzko, and it is one of the highest-rated grooming brushes on the market. The fine wire bristles work to remove any loose hair that your pup hasn’t shed yet, remove dander and trapped dirt, and eliminate tangles. If there’s one thing that’s for sure, your dog will be feeling much lighter and more comfortable after a session with this slicker brush!
The wires are bent to avoid poking your dog every time the brush is reintroduced to their fur. It also prevents the bristles from scratching them, making the experience more enjoyable for both of you.
The Hertzko brush is also self-cleaning, which we love as it is so easy to use and clean. All you need to do is press a button so that the bristles retract, pull all of the hair off, and store the brush away. This is an amazing feature that will save you so much time cleaning your slicker brush!
- Pros
- Support a small business: Ryan’s Pet Supplies began in 1959 as a family-run business. Choose to support them instead of a large corporation.
- Non-slip handle: this prevents you from losing grip of the handle that could lead to accidental injury of your pooch.
- Extra-long pins: works excellently on large dogs with very thick, curly hair.
- Cons
- Difficult to clean: you’ll need a comb to remove all of the hair from this brush which might end up bending the bristles.
The Paw Brothers slicker brush comes in five options for you to choose from – extra long pins for dogs with lots of thick hair, then four others regarding the size of your dog.
For large dogs, we recommend either the extra-long pin brush or the option for large to extra-large dogs. The stainless steel pins are both durable and sure to remove everything that shouldn’t be in your dog’s coat with ease.
Whether this is dander, dirt, hair, or more, you’ll be impressed with the performance of this slicker brush. Each bristle has a tiny metal cap on it to prevent hurting your dog as much as possible.
These aren’t large enough to alter the effectiveness of the slicker brush, though, so don’t worry! This is much more effective than a traditional pin brush.
- Pros
- 100% satisfaction guarantee: the manufacturer cares so much about any issues you might have that they’ll work tirelessly to amend the issue.
- Cheapest price: this brush is the cheapest option on our list.
- Comes with free nail clippers: get the most from your money thanks to this free gift.
- Cons
- The product might feel flimsy: the low price might sacrifice the quality of the brush handle.
This is the cheapest slicker brush on our list and also happens to be the best value for money as well. Not only will you receive a high-quality slicker brush, but you also get a pair of dog nail clippers to finalize your grooming routine.
The Ruff’N Ruffus slicker brush is another self-cleaning bush that saves you time and a lot of patience. Plus, retracting the bristles can save them from getting damaged between uses.
Both the brush and nail clippers are non-slip and therefore much easier to use than some other options on the market. The nail clippers have also been specifically designed for dogs and cats and are therefore much safer than normal nail clippers.
- Pros
- Premium products: Chris Christensen makes professional grooming products available to everyone.
- GroomGrip coating: prevents the ergonomic handle from slipping from your hand and hurting your dog.
- Suitable for thick-haired dogs: high-quality brush can tackle the curliest-haired dogs.
- Cons
- Expensive price point: compared to the other slicker brushes on this list, this is the most expensive.
From the cheapest brush to the most expensive now, Chris Christensen is a premium dog grooming manufacturer that offers professional equipment for everyone.
If you’re looking for one of the best on the market and budget is no issue, this is the brush to go for. The brush features a cushioned pad that can retract the pins to grasp every tangle that the bristles encounter. The obvious bend on the bristles prevents you from accidentally hurting your dog in any way.
One of the most interesting features of this slicker brush is that it has a variety of long and short bristles to grab hair from all layers instead of just one. This prevents you from having to re brush your dog multiple times to achieve the same result.
- Pros
- Recommended by everyone: the manufacturer states that this brush has been recommended by vets, professional groomers, and pet owners.
- Very convenient: remove all hair within seconds thanks to the retracting bristles.
- Extra length: helps you groom your dog faster thanks to the larger size.
- Cons
- Sharp pins: a few customers found that their dogs were still reacting adversely to this brush as the pins were sharper than expected.
Last but not least is the Slicker Pro from The Pet Portal Store, who are offering a high-quality slicker brush for medium to large dogs. It will remove mats, tangles, dirt, and more with ease from your dog’s coat. You won’t have to struggle with this brush!
This is another self-cleaning slicker brush, it takes about five seconds to remove the hair and pack the brush away after every grooming session. This keeps the brush effective and lasting longer than an alternative.
This brush is 5 inches long which is over one inch longer than the small to medium dog alternative. The additional length will make it easier for you to groom your big dog with less time, making the experience more enjoyable for you and your dog.
Best Slicker Brush For Large Dogs Buying Guide
Now that we have looked into the five best slicker brushes for large dogs, you might be wondering how to find the best one for your situation.
Large dogs are a vast umbrella term, so not all of these brushes might work for your dog. Don’t worry, though, as we have created this buyer’s guide to help you find the best slicker brush for your dog.
Make sure that you take this information on board to prevent you from opting for a brush that is designed for a dog with a much different coat than yours.
The bristles
The bristles of your slicker brush are probably the most important factor to consider, so you should focus on these before purchasing one brush.
There are also many features to look out for with the bristles, so pay attention to the following tips to make sure that you’re getting the best for your dog. Ideally, you want the bristles to be solid and flexible.
Flexibility
For starters, the wires should be flexible enough to bend as they work their way through the coat of your dog. If the wires are not flexible, they will be much more likely to scratch your dog if they find a lump or fold of skin.
Flexible wires will also be able to remove knots and mats from the fur without ripping hair out or pulling too harshly and causing discomfort to your dog.
Instead, they should slowly work the knots out, preventing hair loss and injury.
Compact
Make sure that the wire bristles are also close together so that they can detect as many tangles as possible within your dog’s long hair.
Using a slicker brush with bristles too far apart will mean that more mats will pass by undetected and possibly cause more discomfort to your pooch in the long run.
Slicker brushes will often have uniform lines of bristles close together, whereas other pet brushes will have bristles positioned further apart and dotted in no real pattern.
Slicker brushes need more compact bristles to pick up more hair with every stroke and remove as many knots as they can.
Angled position
High-quality slicker bristles should also be angled so that they don’t put too much pressure on their skin. If you’re using a brush with bristles pointing straight down, these are more likely to irritate your dog’s skin every time you place the brush on their coat.
However, if the bristles are angled they won’t be able to poke your dog’s skin when the brush is put back into their fur.
The wire also won’t be dragged across the skin so forcefully, hopefully leaving your dog feeling more content and comfortable during the grooming process.
Size of your dog
Slicker brushes are used for dogs with long to medium coats, but both small and large dogs can have long hair.
If you try to brush a large dog with a small brush, you’ll have to spend much longer on the task than if you were to have opted for the right size of the brush.
This can lead to the dog becoming agitated and possibly being put through too much stress than was needed, while you might suffer from hand cramps and stress of your own from seeing your dog upset.
Likewise, trying to brush a small dog with a large brush might cause you to miss those hard-to-reach areas such as around their face. This can lead to matts being left in their coats which might lead to unnecessary discomfort.
This article is about large dogs, which is why we have only included large brushes to help keep your pooch most comfortable. If you have more than one dog in your household of differing sizes, we might suggest that you opt for two slicker brushes – one for both of their sizes.
Brush head shape
The majority of slicker brushes come with a rectangular brush head, but some others come with an oval alternative.
The former can be used all over the body to create an even brushed effect, while the latter sometimes works better to fit the contours of your dog’s body and face.
The market is full of lots of rectangular slicker brushes and not many oval ones. However, the option you go for will depend on your personal preference and whichever you find works the best.
We prefer a rectangular brush because we think that it makes you less likely to miss patches of the coat while you’re brushing it.
Your dog’s coat
Dogs come in many different coat patterns, such as straight, wavy, and curly. The latter is more likely to suffer from lots of tangles and matts, which is why they might need a heavy-duty slicker brush.
Compare this to straight hair that isn’t so susceptible to tangles, a heavy-duty brush might be too much for this type of coat. Using a brush with bristles that are too inflexible can leave your straight-haired dog being put under too much stress with a painful brush.
As a rule of thumb, the less curly your dog’s coat is, the less heavy-duty the brush needs to be. The strongest slicker brushes should be reserved for the dogs with the curliest coats, such as teddy bear dogs.
Ease of cleaning
Every brush needs to be cleaned once in a while, so how easy they are to clean should also be a factor worth considering.
As slicker brushes have bristles very close together, it can be difficult to get in between them to remove all of the oil and dirt picked up from your dog’s coat.
As you can see from our favorites list above, it’s clear to see that some are easier to clean than others.
While some require you to soak the brush overnight to properly clean it, others have retractable bristles that allow you to easily remove any hair or pet dander from the brush face.
The easy cleaning brushes are more expensive and therefore might not be worth it to you to spend your money on.
However, we recommend finding a good cleaning technique for whichever slicker brush you choose so that you’re not brushing dirt back into your dog’s coat. This can lead to skin irritation and infection, as well as the brush not being as effective.
Conclusion for the Best Slicker Brush for Large Dogs
We hope that you enjoyed our article on slicker brushes. If you have a large dog that is nonshedding, you will understand the importance of getting the best slicker brush. Not only will it save you time, but choosing the right brush will also make grooming easy. A good slicker brush won’t scratch your dog’s skin and it will make for a fun grooming session. Happy grooming!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does a slicker brush hurt dogs?
A high-quality slicker brush should not hurt your dog, provided that the wire is high-quality and that the bristles are angled and not too long.
However, the more likely scenario is that your dog will get hurt from the improper use of a slicker brush.
Brushing your dog with too much force and a slicker brush will cause it to pull at the tangles and possibly break the hair, or even pull it out at the root.
This will lead to pain for your dog who might be starting to get stressed now.
Putting too much pressure onto the brush might also cause the bristles to poke further into your dog’s skin than they should, scratching the surface and leaving lots of micro-cuts over their body.
This can lead to infections or lots of irritation.
Overall, to prevent any harm from occurring to your dog with a slicker brush, always make sure that you are using a high-quality option with the correct techniques.
You can find these techniques to follow online or by asking the advice of a professional dog groomer.