Home Grooming

A slicker brush is best used on a freshly cleaned & conditioned coat. I recommend spraying the dog’s dry coat with a conditioner before brushing. Brushing a dirty unconditioned coat breaks good live hair & it pulls on the dog’s skin more making it a uncomfortable experience and the dog can then get negative associations with being groomed. Please make sure you reward your dog with high value treats during and after the groom, give verbal praise and toys to play with afterwards. You get best results training your pup for grooming when they are a little tired after after a play session or walk and are a little hungry. Start brushing from the bottom of the dogs legs and work your way up. Then follow with a comb to check that there are no knots left in the coat and that you can see through to the skin. You can use the last single tooth of the comb to splice knots and then re- brush. Pin brushes, bristle brushes & human hair brushes are only good for going through tangle free coat, they are useless in getting out tangles or knots/matting.  Wide or large brushes work the same as smaller versions, they just brush more hair in one stroke saving time in bigger dogs but can be trickier to get around little dogs legs & and not suitable for pet owners to use them around little dogs faces. Try your slicker brush on your own skin, does it scratch you? If so it may be why your dog might not like being brushed. 

1. Charmaine’s favourite salon grade brush is the single purple Les Pooch slicker brush from $89.99 at https://www.thegroomingschool.com.au/ It won’t scratch your dog’s skin which means no tears for you or your dog. It is ergonomic for your wrist & the angle helps the strokes get through the coat to the skin.  Les Pooch brushes get out most tangles, knots & some light matting with ease. It will last a pet owner a lifetime. They last over a year in the salon being used every day. Also available for purchase at the Narara salon.
2. Activet make a almost identical  brush – single Pro purple is what I recommended when I couldn’t get Les Pooch in Australia some time ago – from $70 https://groomerselect.com.au/collections/activet-brushes

3. The Artero range of slicker brushes with size and flexibility choices for different dog coat types from $17 available at the Narara salon
4. Groom Professional  & Show Tech brands of curved slicker brush available at my Narara salon from $20, not as soft as the above brushes but good value & work well. 

5. Lawrence Tender Care or Shear Magic Slicker Brushes are great for introducing puppies to grooming.

6. Plush Puppy slicker brush – great for in between maintenance of knot free coats or for use when training puppies for grooming.

AND 

Charmaine’s Favourite Combs

1. OZ Grooming World Prism Rainbow Comb Medium/Coarse 7.5″ with Titanium Plating 
2. Yento Special Scissoring Comb 19 cm or 23cm 
3. Shernbao Professional Pet Comb 18.7cm [Black or red) 
4. Ashley Craig Grooming Australia Greyhound comb fine/coarse combination 
5. Artero Metal Grooming Combs  available at the Narara salon

Charmaine’s favourite rake for double coated dogs is – 
ANIMAL HOUSE 3.5″ LENGTH MOULTING RAKE (2 LENGTH TEETH) – MADE IN ENGLAND 

Charmaine’s favourite Cat Comb is 
ANIMAL HOUSE SHEDDING COMB – LONG COATS – MADE IN ENGLAND https://www.petnetwork.com.au/collections/brushes-combs-and-slickers/products/animal-house-shedding-comb-long-coats-made-in-england?variant=26600665287

Charmaine’s 2nd favourite for a cat comb is the Utsumi moon comb. https://www.ozgroomingworld.com.au/utsumi-half-moon-shape-comb

For show coated poodles you can’t go past no 1 all systems poodle combs https://www.challengedogsupplies.com.au/productDetail.php?productDisp=1069 

Charmaine’s Favourite Pre-Brushing & Conditioning Sprays are 

1. Melanie Newmans Salon Essentials Relax Coat Conditioning Spray 
2. Coat Handler Anti-Static Detangling Spray
3. OMG Plush Puppy

Charmaine’s Favourite Products to help detangle knots when used with a little heat in the process of blow drying the coat are –

1. Hypknotic -https://www.lindagillsecretweapon.com.au
2. Cowboy Magic
3. Artero Matt-x dematting spray
4. ProMagic

Charmaine’s Favourite Ear Cleaning Products

1. Lisa Leady’s K-9 Miracle Ear Elixir
2. Natural Animal Solutions Ear Clear
3. Elsie’s Ear Powder

Charmaine’s grooming demonstrations can be found on the Gosford Grooming Facebook & Instagram pages

https://www.facebook.com/204021669609743/videos/144600146781144
https://www.facebook.com/204021669609743/videos/3370719209615600

We use and recommend Australian Pet Stylist – Melanie Newman for Shampoo, Conditioners & grooming related products
https://melanienewman.com.au

Australian Pet Stylist – Linda Gill Secret Weapon Product Users Group on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583059595292027