Best Dog Brush for Every Coat Type: Smooth, Double, Long, Curly and Wiry
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The best dog brush is the one that suits your dog’s coat. A rubber curry that is perfect on a boxer will barely touch a collie, and a pin brush that glides through a long coat does little on a smooth one. This page matches brush types to coat types using guidance from the AKC, the ASPCA, VCA and Blue Cross, explains how often to brush, and gives our picks based on testing and interviews by other reviewers.
The short answer: smooth, short coats need a rubber curry and a bristle brush about once a week. Long and silky coats need a slicker or pin brush, ideally daily, plus a comb. Double coats need a slicker and comb weekly, and an undercoat rake or deshedding tool in shedding season. Curly coats need a slicker and comb a few times a week, and wiry coats are often hand stripped by a groomer.
How we wrote this: the coat and brushing advice comes from the American Kennel Club (AKC), the ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, PetMD and the UK charity Blue Cross, and the product notes come from hands-on tests by Your Best Digs and a Doodle Doods owner, groomer interviews by NBC Select, and the makers’ product pages, all linked where they are used and checked on 29 October 2026. We did not test these brushes ourselves, and we do not show prices or ratings. Sore, red or flaky skin, hot spots or mats tight against the skin need a vet or groomer, not more brushing.
Which brush for which coat
| Coat | Examples | Brushes the sources suggest | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth, short | Boxer, Beagle, Chihuahua | Rubber curry, then a bristle brush | About once a week |
| Double | Husky, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd | Slicker plus comb; undercoat rake or deshedding tool when shedding | At least once a week |
| Long, silky | Yorkshire Terrier, Shih Tzu | Slicker or pin brush, then a comb or bristle brush | Daily |
| Curly | Poodle, doodles, Bichon | Slicker brush plus comb | A few times a week |
| Wiry | Most terriers, Schnauzer | Slicker brush; hand stripping by a groomer | Ask your groomer |
Smooth, short coats
The ASPCA says a dog with a smooth, short coat, like a Chihuahua, Boxer or Basset Hound, only needs brushing once a week: use a rubber brush to loosen dead skin and dirt, then a bristle brush to remove dead hair. AKC says rubber brushes are best on short coats because the bristles will not get through long or thick coats, and VCA suggests short bristle brushes or flexible grooming gloves for smooth-coated dogs such as pointers and boxers.
Double coats
For double-coated dogs, groomer Dale Martins tells the AKC to brush with a slicker brush and follow up with a comb at least once a week, brushing the hair, not the skin. AKC says undercoat rakes work on double-coated breeds of every length if you match the pin length to the coat. Our best deshedding tool for dogs guide covers rakes and deshedding tools for shedding season in detail.
Do not shave a double coat to stop shedding. Martins says shaving does not stop shedding but damages the topcoat and can increase the chance of skin problems or sunburn, and the ASPCA warns that removing the coat can lead to overheating and sunburn.
Long, silky coats
The ASPCA says a long coat, such as a Yorkshire Terrier’s, needs daily attention: remove tangles with a slicker brush, then brush through with a bristle brush. VCA also advises daily brushing for long, silky hair to deal with knots before they mat, and says long-tooth combs suit long-haired dogs like collies. AKC describes pin brushes as finishing brushes for long-coated breeds.
Curly coats
VCA says slicker brushes work well for dogs such as poodles with curly, non-shedding coats. Curly coats knot easily, so follow the slicker with a comb to check you have reached the skin. Many curly-coated dogs also need regular professional clipping; Blue Cross says long or rough coats often need clipping every four to 12 weeks.
Wiry coats
AKC lists slicker brushes for wire coats. Blue Cross says terrier types and some other breeds may need stripping rather than normal grooming to remove dead hair, and AKC notes that shaving a wire coat can stop it growing back hard. Ask a groomer about hand stripping.
How to brush without hurting your dog
- Use a light touch with a slicker. AKC says pressing down hard could cause your dog discomfort, and Blue Cross says not to apply too much pressure and to look out for bent pins.
- Brush in sections, down to the skin, and check behind the ears and under the legs, where AKC says mats commonly form.
- Detangle before a bath. Blue Cross says mats only get worse with shampoo. See how often to bathe a dog.
- Leave tight mats to a professional. PetMD says not to cut mats out with household scissors, because they can sit very close to the skin, and to see a groomer or vet if a mat is tight against the skin, will not loosen with gentle brushing, or hurts your dog.
Our picks
Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush
Best slicker for most coats. A slicker with fine bent pins and a button that retracts them to release the hair. Your Best Digs found it worked the best of all the brushes it tested on both its long and short haired dogs, and that it did not pull or tug around the withers, an area that often mats.
Best for: double, long, curly and wiry coats. Skip if: your dog has a smooth, short coat.
KONG ZoomGroom Dog Brush
Best for smooth coats and bath time. A rubber curry with 3/4 inch rubber fingers that KONG says massage the skin; it works dry or with shampoo. A groomer interviewed by NBC Select uses it on short-haired breeds that shed. Keep expectations modest: in a hands-on test Your Best Digs found it removed only a few hairs from its test dogs, so it is a massage and bath brush, not a deshedder.
Best for: smooth, short coats. Skip if: your dog has a long or thick coat.
Chris Christensen Oval Pin Brush, 27mm
Best pin brush for long coats. A beechwood brush with polished stainless steel pins; Chris Christensen suggests 27mm pins for medium to long coats and 35mm for long, thick, full coats. An owner at Doodle Doods found the 27mm glided through her Goldendoodle’s coat, detangling and smoothing as it went, without irritating her dog. NBC Select notes pins might fall out over time.
Best for: long, silky and long wavy coats. Skip if: your dog is heavily matted; work the mats with a slicker and comb, or see a groomer, first.
Chris Christensen Greyhound Style Buttercomb #000
Best comb. A 7.5 inch metal comb with a coarse end for thick, dense coats and a fine end for thin coats. Chris Christensen says to use it to check for mats and tangles after brushing, and two groomers interviewed by NBC Select call it a favorite for exactly that. It costs more than a plain comb, and we found no independent hands-on test of it.
Best for: finishing long, double and curly coats. Skip if: your dog has a smooth coat.
Hartz Groomer’s Best Combo Dog Brush
Budget two in one. A pin side for detangling and a bristle side for finishing. Your Best Digs found the pin side did little on a terrier mix’s coat but detangled a border collie’s ruff nicely, and the bristle side gave his coat a sheen.
Best for: medium and long coats on a budget. Skip if: you need a detangler for a curly or wiry coat.
For shedding season on double coats, see the best deshedding tools for dogs. For nails, ears and teeth, the dog and cat grooming buying guide covers the rest of the kit.
FAQ
What type of brush is best for my dog?
It depends on the coat: a rubber curry and bristle brush for smooth coats, a slicker and comb for double and curly coats, a slicker or pin brush and comb for long coats. The ASPCA suggests asking your vet or groomer which brush suits your dog’s hair type.
How often should I brush my dog?
AKC says most dogs only need a few brushing sessions a week, while long-coated breeds often do best with daily brushing. The ASPCA says once a week is enough for smooth, short coats.
Is a slicker brush bad for dogs?
No, but use a light touch. AKC says pressing down hard could cause discomfort, and Blue Cross says to check for pins sticking out at the wrong angle.
Should I brush my dog before or after a bath?
Before, at least. Blue Cross says to detangle mats before washing because they only get worse with shampoo. A rubber curry can also be used during the bath to work in the shampoo.
Can I cut out mats myself?
PetMD advises against cutting mats out with household scissors, because they can be very close to the skin. Ask a groomer or vet to remove tight mats.