Best Slicker Brush for Dogs (For All Sizes, Coats & Breeds)

Grooming your dog is an important part of what keeps them healthy and happy. A slicker brush is one of the most popular grooming tools as it gets rid of dirt, dead skin and hair – quickly and easily.

But with so many of these brushes on the market claiming to be the best: we need to delve a little deeper to work out which is the best for your dog.

Below I have lined up a few different categories and matched the best slicker brush to that group. After reading this article, you will know exactly which brush you need to be using on your dog.

Quick NavigationBest Slicker Brush Large DogsBest Slicker Brush Long Haired DogsBest Slicker Brush for Small DogsBest Slicker Brush for Short Haired DogsBest Slicker Brush for PuppiesBest Curved Slicker Brush (Universal Slickers)Conclusion

Safari Self Cleaning Slicker Brush
Best for Long Haired Dogs
WPS Dog Grooming Slicker Brush
Best for Short Haired Dogs

Best Slicker Brush Large Dogs

Larger dogs, especially those with thick coats such as a Newfoundland, need a significant amount of maintenance and grooming to keep a healthy, shiny coat of fur.

Pet Trouper Grooming De-shedding Slicker Brush

Our Top Pick for Large Dogs

Slicker Dog Cat Grooming Brush - NO.1 For Deshedding Detangling and Dematting Small, Medium and Large Short to Long Hair Pets. Cut Shedding, Massage and Stimulate Healthy Coats.

This slicker brush is most certainly our top pick for large breeds of dog. An excellent choice for animals with long, thick hair and undercoats, which malt often.

With a flat head and balls on the end of the brush to protect the skin, this brush is ideal for larger breeds- short or long coat. As the pins on this brush are spaced out a little, it makes it perfect for the removal of small tangles and knots.

Made of bamboo, this is a heavy duty and well-lasting brush, which is durable for frequent use.

The ball on the end of the wire bristles gently massage the skin and increase circulation, leading to the production of essential oils to nourish the skin and your pet’s furry coat.

Works Great on these Breeds:

  • Siberian Husky
  • Golden Retriever
  • St Bernard
  • Irish Wolfhound
  • Newfoundland
  • Great Dane
  • Bull Mastiff

If you’re shopping around, you can’t go wrong with these other two other options. Just because they weren’t our top pick doesn’t mean they won’t work great. Just visit the links to find out more about each one.

Best Slicker Brush Long Haired Dogs

Dogs who have long, thick or curly coats need regular maintenance and grooming on their coats to keep it healthy and free from tangles. It is important to invest in a more heavy-duty brush, which will be able to penetrate deep into the coat and remove any excess hair, dirt and mats.

Safari Self Cleaning Slicker Brush

Our Top Pick for Long Haired Dogs

Coastal Pet Safari Dog Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush - Dog Deshedding Brush - Prevents Mats and Tangled Hair - For Dogs with Short or Long Hair - Medium - 4.25' x 4.06'

This brush is ideal for those of you with long, thick and curly haired pets who need grooming every day. With its self-cleaning power, this brush is an excellent choice for saving time and effort trying to remove large amounts of hair with its retractable wire pins.

With its closely packed bristles, it is an ideal brush to use on those with double coats or thick undercoats. Ideal for removing tangles and mats, this brush is the best option for long haired dogs.

Works Great on these Breeds:

  • Collie
  • German Sheppard
  • Setter
  • Spaniel
  • Terriers (such as a west highland terrier)

The longhaired category is filled with many options. If you are shopping around, you might want to check some of the options listed below…

WATCH: This video contains some tips on what to look for when buying a slicker brush for long haired dogs

Best Slicker Brush for Small Dogs

Smaller framed dogs are more fragile than larger breeds, and whether the hair is long or short- there needs to be a flat, small head used for these animals to prevent discomfort or injury.

Chris Christensen A5I Mark I Slicker, X-Small

Our Top Pick for Small Dogs

Chris Christensen Mark I Slicker Brush, Groom Like a Professinal, Stainless Steel Pins, Lightweight Beech Wood Body, Ground and Polished Tips, Extra Small

Due to its compact, easy to hold size- this brush is the best choice for smaller dogs.

The metal pins are rounded at the end of this brush- leading to a gentler feel on the skin. With this feature, it is ideal for dogs with problematic or sensitive skin. It is designed not to damage the skin or pull hair when brushing, so is ideal for dogs like a miniature poodle who has thick, curly hair that tangles easily.

As a bonus, for the feline friends in your house – this brush will work great as a cat slicker brush.  This can potentially be a money saver for you since you will only have to buy one brush for all your pets.

Again, this brush is made of wood- so is more durable and not prone to snapping like its plastic counterparts.

Works Great on these Breeds:

  • Yorkshire Terrier
  • Chihuahua
  • Pug
  • Miniature Poodle
  • Bichon Frise

If you are shopping around, you might be interested in these brushes below, which also work well for small dogs.

Best Slicker Brush for Short Haired Dogs

For this category of low maintenance dog, a slicker brush with a flat head would be the best choice as it is gentler on the skin.

WPS Dog Grooming Slicker Brush

Our Top Pick for Short Haired Dogs

Airline Approved Pet Carrier with Wheels for Small Dogs and Cats - Removable Fleece Bed, Soft Sided, Mesh Windows Leash Clip, Handle, Carrying Strap (Brush)

With bent bristles and a small head, this brush is perfect for pets with shorter, finer fur. It is gentle on the skin and the bent bristles massage skin to improve circulation and drive the production of oils to moisturize the skin and coat.

With closely packed bristles, this brush is good for getting rid of excess hair and dead skin from the fur, while distributing natural oils through the hair to keep it healthy and shiny.

It does an effective job of managing fleas and tics on your pet’s skin too.

Works Great on these Breeds:

  • British Bulldog
  • Boxer
  • Labrador
  • Beagle
  • Pointer
  • Weimaraner

Though, not our top pick, these brushes all make great options for short-haired Dogs…

Best Slicker Brush for Puppies

Whether they are large or small; have long hair or short, it is important to use a more gentle slicker brush for a puppy. The best kind of brushes to use is those with flat heads and plastic balls on the end of the bristles, as this will prevent the wire from scratching your puppy’s skin.

JW Pet Company Grip Soft Cat Slicker Brush

Our Top Pick for Puppies

Petmate GripSoft Cat Brush, White & Blue, One Size

Although it may seem a little strange at first to include a cat slicker brush in this article, it does make sense. Puppies are small, fragile and have very soft fur, just like our feline friends. Therefore, this brush is the obvious choice for puppies.

With a flat head and coated bristles, this brush is very gentle and massaging, helping your pet to get used to being groomed the right way, and not finding the process uncomfortable and scratchy.

The small head makes for easy grooming, with the handle easy to grip and rotate to different parts of the body. It is certainly the best choice for your furry baby.

Some other great options for those looking to shop around…

Best Curved Slicker Brush (Universal Slickers)

Curved Slicker brushes are known as ‘Universal Slickers’ whereas flat ones are known as gentle slickers. Having a curved head serves to open up the space between each of the wire bristles, allowing them to reach deeper into the coat.

These brushes are much better for when you’ve got a collie or a heavy-coated pet. A flat slicker won’t penetrate deep enough into the fur coat to dig out the tangles and mats.

It is important to note that this brush needs to be used gently, if a heavy handed approach is used, it will scratch your dog’s skin.

Funny Bonez Self Cleaning Slicker Brush

Our Top Pick for Curved Slicker Brushes

Funny Bonez Pro Quality Dog and Cat Self Cleaning Slicker Brush - Grooming Comb Reduces Shedding and is Comfortable for Your Pet's Skin - Easy To Use Self Cleaning Design Makes Clean Up Simple

Curved brushes, as said above, are mostly used on high maintenance dog breeds, who need grooming every day.

This brush is the perfect size to meet all breeds of dog (and cat) and is great at penetrating deep into the coat and digging out any dirt and excess hair.

This brush has fairly closely spaced wire bristles, which means that the job of getting rid of any tangles and knots is made much easier.

As well as this, it helps in the distribution of natural oils through the strands to leave the coat healthy and shiny.

This is also a self-cleaning brush, which is perfect for high maintenance pets and saves a lot of time with tidying up. With one press of a button, the pins retract and hair can be removed in one swift motion.

Works Great on these Breeds:

  • Afghan Hound
  • Chow Chow
  • Siberian Husky
  • Poodle
  • Old English Sheepdog

Other options for curved Slicker Brushes:

Conclusion

Hopefully this article will have provided you with some much needed information about the different types of slicker brush on the market and how to spot the right on for your pet.

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