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Technique

How to Use a Slicker Brush Without Hurting Your Pet

To use a slicker brush safely, hold it loosely, keep the wires close to flat against the coat, and use short, light strokes that pull outward through the hair rather than pressing down into the skin. Let the wires do the work. A fine-wire head is good at lifting loose undercoat and smoothing medium and long coats, but those same fine wires can scrape the skin if they are dragged with too much pressure or over the same spot again and again. Groomers call that irritation brush burn.

Pressure, grip, and stroke

Before you start, brush the inside of your forearm with the pressure you plan to use. If it scratches or leaves red lines on you, it will on your pet too, and a pet's skin is often thinner than yours. Lighter than you think is usually right.

Hold the handle with your fingertips, the way you would hold a pen or a light racket, not in a clenched fist. A fist adds pressure without you noticing.
Move from the wrist in short strokes that lift away at the end, about the length of your palm.
Brush in the direction the hair grows.
Keep the head close to flat against the coat. Tilting it so only the edge wires touch digs them into the skin.
Stay away from the eyes, face, ears, and genitals, and go extra gently on thin-coated areas such as the belly and inner legs.

Line brushing for thick or long coats

Brushing only the top of a thick coat makes it look smooth while tangles stay hidden underneath. Line brushing reaches all the way down. Part the coat with one hand so you can see a line of skin. Brush the hair just below the part, out and away from the skin. Move the part up about an inch and repeat, working up a leg or along the side in rows.

Check your work with a comb. The Dual-Length Grooming Comb has two tooth lengths on one comb, so you can use whichever side moves through your pet's coat best; its exact spacing is still being confirmed, so check it on the coat first. If the comb glides from skin to tip, that section is done. If it catches, go back with the Fine-Wire Grooming Brush, gently. On a dog with a dense undercoat, the Undercoat Rake can loosen the undercoat first, so the slicker has less to do.

What to avoid

Pressing harder at a tangle. Instead, hold the hair between the tangle and the skin, and work the very ends with the tips of the wires, a little at a time.
Going over the same spot again and again. If an area is not improving after a few strokes, move on and come back to it later.
Brushing a soaking wet coat hard. Wet hair stretches and breaks. Brush before the bath, and lightly once the coat is dry or nearly dry.
Using a slicker on a mat that sits against the skin. A fine-wire brush is not a mat splitter. Stop and ask a groomer.

Signs of brush burn, and when to stop

Look at the skin during and after each session. Pink or red patches, small scratches, a rash, or your pet licking or scratching one spot afterward are signs of too much pressure or too much time in one area. Stop brushing that area, let it settle, and use a lighter touch next time. If the skin looks raw, broken, scabbed, or swollen, or if it has not settled within a day or two, see your vet rather than brushing over it.

Also stop if your pet pulls away, growls, or snaps. Short, pleasant sessions with breaks build tolerance over time; a grooming wrestling match builds avoidance. A vet or a qualified trainer can help if handling is a struggle every time.

Keeping the brush in good shape

Lift the hair out of the wires after each session, while it is dry. Do not try to bend wires back into line with pliers; a brush with bent or snagging wires should be replaced. Store it dry, with nothing pressing on the wires, so they keep their shape.