Furrish De-Shedding Tool for Dogs

The Furrish De-Shedding Tool for Dogs is a de-shedding tool - a fine-toothed blade that reaches past the topcoat and pulls out the dead undercoat, which is where almost all the hair on your floor actually comes from.

Key Features

• Gets down through the topcoat to the loose hair underneath
• Designed not to cut or damage the coat it passes through
• Rubber handle with an ergonomic grip for longer sessions
• Furrish list it for long and straight coats
• Noticeably reduces how much hair ends up on furniture and clothes
• This item is currently out of stock

How Often, And How Hard

• Once or twice a week is plenty for most dogs, more during a seasonal coat blow
• Long, gentle strokes in the direction of hair growth. Let the tool do the work - pressing harder does not remove more undercoat, it just scrapes skin
• Stop when the tool stops filling up. Chasing the last of it is how you end up with a bald patch and a sore dog
• Do it outside if you possibly can. The amount that comes out is genuinely startling

Do Not Use It On A Double Coat You Want To Keep

• A de-shedding tool removes undercoat, which is exactly right for a Labrador or a Husky in moult
• On a dog whose coat you are growing out, or on a wiry or silky single coat, it thins out hair you wanted to keep
• Never use one on a matted coat. It will catch, and it will hurt

Getting The Technique Right

• Brush a dry coat, not a wet one. Wet hair stretches and breaks, and a wet mat tightens
• Work in sections, starting at the shoulders and moving back to the tail, then down the legs and belly. The belly, armpits and behind the ears are where mats actually form, and they are the bits everyone skips
• Short strokes in the direction the coat lies. Never drag a brush through a knot - hold the hair at the base so the pull is on your hand, not the dog's skin
• Little and often beats a long session once a month, both for the coat and for the dog's opinion of being brushed

When To Stop And Call A Groomer

• A mat you cannot get a comb under is past brushing. Forcing it hurts, and a dog that is hurt once during grooming remembers
• Tight matting against the skin traps moisture and heat and can hide sores underneath. In this climate that goes wrong quickly
• A groomer can clip a matted coat out safely in minutes. It grows back

Who Makes It

• Furrish is a UK dog grooming range built for home use rather than for salons - the kit you would want between professional appointments
• The range covers the whole routine: brushes and combs, shampoos, a detangler, wipes, colognes, a towel and clippers

Good To Know

• Check the skin as you go. Grooming is the best regular chance you get to find lumps, ticks, hot spots and sore patches early
• Stop before the dog wants to stop. Ending on a good moment is what makes the next session easier
• Clean the tool after use and let it dry - a damp brush in a cupboard grows things
• Grooming products are not treatments. Persistent scratching, bald patches, scabs, a greasy or yeasty-smelling coat, or a smell that comes back within a day of a bath all need a vet rather than another product
• The blade is fine and reasonably sharp. Keep it away from children and do not run it over a lump, a wart or a skin tag