What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Topics, guidelines and tips for coat and skin care and grooming Chow Chows.

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kevindd992002
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What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

Since we got Walter when he was 3 months old, the only brush we used is something like this: http://www.purrfectlypets.co.uk/media/c ... s_dogs.jpg

He is now 9 months and his mane is really thick. I noticed that he has a lot of tangled hair in the neck probably because of his neck collar moving around when are outside for a walk. What brushes do I need to untangle these and keep his hair looking great? Also, how often do I need to brush his hair?
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by m_saade »

Hi Kevin, i generally use 3 types of brushes but the most effective and the easiest for untangling is the slicker brush.

Make your dog sit, then push all his beard up towards his face and brush down the hair bit by bit, making sure that you are reaching down to the skin. And that is after drying the area very well in case it is wet.

I usually brush between 4 and 7 times a week.

But as a side note, all his body hair looks great after the brushing except for the neck area. Which keeps tangling quickly due to water spills and some drool.

A good bath is the only solution when the hair gets tangled too much. Or at least shampooing this area alone. (my dogs need shampooing for this area 1ce a month).
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

Thanks. What other brushes aside from the slicker brush do you use and what are their purpose? Is the main purpose of the slicker purpose for untangling hair?
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by m_saade »

The slicker brush's main purpose is for deshedding, but since the pins are very small they are very effective at removing dirt and detangling.

1 other brush i use is similar to the one you have with long pins but in the form of a glove. Same job as the one you have.

And the 3rd.. i dont actually recommend that. You can use it occasionally.. very rarely infact since it alwas gets stuck even if the hair is perfectly brushed.

I use the slicker most of the time.
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by Rory's Dad »

Kevin, there are really a lot of brushes/combs available, and I own all of them. Each is very specific in its purpose, and with a rough coated chow you actually could use all of them at some point, but let me get down to the basics...

Fur breakage and tangle around the collar...have Walter without a collar whenever possible. All collars are going to cause breakage to the neck fur. If he MUST be wearing a collar invest in a Round, Leather collar type. They will cause the least damage. They can be pricey and must be sized correctly, but look for ones with the smallest 'ridge' you can find. Even those with a ridge will be better than flat collars or nylon.

Comb...pictured above. Good for getting down to the skin and removing mild tangles, removing larger dirt clumps. Doesn't create a ton on static. If using for a nice finished look, combine with a spray (straight water mist or conditioning spray is fine).

Rake...good for the rear. Cleans out extra thickness and dead undercoat. Use sparingly on anything other than the rear. Will remove a lot of the undercoat. Good in shedding season or when blowing puppy coat.

Pin Brush...nice for daily maintenance of the top coat. Won't go too deep, and clogs up fairly often with Chow fur. Good for smoothing out any fly away type fur.

Detangler...hopefully not one needed very often, but is effective in breaking through tougher tangles, particularly at the base of the ears. Another one that should be used sparingly as it tends to remove a fair amount of fur.

Pin Brush...my least favorite, only because I have pricked my fingers more than I would like...and it stings. Excellent base brush. Will cut through both the top coat and the undercoat and even invigorate the skin (promotes new fur growth) and acts like a massage to Walter.

Flea Comb...not always for what the name says. Very fine toothed comb. Good to clean around the eyes (if they get goopy at all), and the nose folds. Also really good for a quick clean up of the back of the hind legs (instead of scissors). I also use it to remove any stray hairs on the muzzle, but those are both more for Show days.

Scissors...very important for trimming fur from between the paw pads. I have one dog that grows more paw fur than anything else. She constantly need to have her paws trimmed so the fur doesn't cause an irritation in her feet. I have safety scissors with the rounded ends, but that's for my peace of mind. They can also be used to trim and stray ear hairs or for cutting back the whiskers (I don't trim those, but know those that do).

And if you are going to do the grooming yourself, I would recommend either clippers for the nails or a dremmel. Overly long nails can cause serious issues (and its not real comfortable). I was never real confident with the clipping (my female has black nails and is a real bleeder since they grow very quickly). I use a dremmel with a sanding drum attachment on all my dogs. Easy to do after just a few times and the dogs don't mind it in the least.
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

Thanks for the replies. I'm assuming the black-colored brush above is the rake and the pink is the comb, right?

@Rory's Dad

Walter only really wears a collar during walks. When he is inside the house he doesn't wear any. I'll try to check for round collars but I'm not really sure if they're available locally. I may have to source from Amazon again though but I'm still not sure what to look for as I'm not familiar with them. Also, which part of a round collar is the ridge?

I think you typed Pin Brush twice in your post. Is that intentional or is one of them another type?
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by m_saade »

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A rake generally looks like this.. some of them look like they have blades too.. never used one of those so i am not sure about them.

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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

Oh ok. So the black picture above is a slicker brush. What do you call the pink one you posted?
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by m_saade »

The pink one is the comb.
As Rory's dad said this needs a spray to work well. He is more experienced with these since he is involved in dog shows.

Without sprays or conditionners, i am able to use the comb for a week or two after bathing because that is when the hair is he softest. But after that it just gets stuck. Then i use it to clean my slicker brush and the pin glove

It does a great job at that.

And in case Rory's dad did not receive your question, i guess that one of the pin brushes he mentioned, the one that hurts his fingers, that is the slicker brush.

Because the slicker brush can pierce through your skin if you brush quickly while holding the hair in the other hand. And that is because you have to separate the hair with one hand, so u can see the skin, and brush down the hair with the other hand.Happened to me many times.

Thats why i recently ordered slicker brushes with coating on the tip like the attached pic.
But i haven't received them yet so i cannot give feedback on those yet.

We surely will wait for his clarification on this if he checks the thread.
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

Thanks for the clarification.

And just the confirm again, the pink comb you've posted above is the "3rd" tool that you're referring to that you rarely use, right? 1st is the slicker brush and the 2nd is the pin glove.
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by m_saade »

Yes that's it :)

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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by Rory's Dad »

Yes, my mistake, the 2nd mention of the pin brush should have been the slicker.

As for the collar types, you want a rolled collar. Essentially they fold the leather in on itself. The difference is in the seam. Some will inturn the stitching so it is completely round. Other will go the extra step to make it completely round...just for reference
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

Ok. You mentioned that a pin brush would be enough for daily maintenance. The brush I have now is considered a pin brush, right? And for the tangles, I'd need to buy a comb and use water spray when brushing him.

What did you mean by "ridges" earlier regarding the round collars?
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by Rory's Dad »

The brush pictured in the link on your original post is a pin brush on one side.

On the collars, see my last post. The 1st picture shows a collar where the stitching is smooth. They have turned the leather edges in and stitched the seam. The 2nd picture also has a round leather collar, but the edges are left out for the stitching process and has a ridge on one side.

Smoother is better when it comes to not breaking the fur. Both are better than a flat collar whether that collar is nylon webbing or leather. The 1st one is the best style choice. They are harder to make and may come at a premium price, but that style would be the best option.
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

Ok. So the pin brush I have can already be used for daily maintenance of the top coat, right? Additionally, will the slicker brush be used for daily maintenance of the under coat and top coat also?

And for tangle removal, should I use both slicker brush and comb?

As for the least-ridged round collar, would this work: http://www.amazon.com/Circle-Black-Roll ... B0002ARP38 ?
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by Rory's Dad »

Yes, the brushing combos you mentioned should work just fine for daily brushing.

And, I like the look of that collar. The price seems pretty reasonable too. Make sure to measure before ordering, and allow a bit of extra space so it isn't too tight. Generally, you should put two fingers under the collar. If you expect Walter to grow much more, go a bit bigger so you don't have to get another too soon. I have found that these types of collars typically only have a few holes at the end, so they aren't real adjustable 'out of the box', but in most cases you should be fine if you measure ahead of time.
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

Ok. What I just don't understand with the two finger method of measuring is why do you use two fingers to measure the extra space? I mean, you're measuring the width of a finger as an indication of much extra space you want between the collar and the dog. The width of one finger is the same as the width of two fingers as I'm under the assumption that you put the two fingers side by side instead of one on top of the other when doing this process. Am I missing something here?
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

I just bought a comb that is similar to the one pictured above and I'm having a hard time using it with Walter's tangles. I think he has tough tangles already because he isn't groomed very much. In his 9 months of life, he was just groomed once and I only use the pin brush that I have a few days a week. Since he began developing these tangles (I think they are called mats if they're already tough, right?), I was alarmed and which is why I'm starting to learn all these grooming tools already.

With mats, should I be buying and using a detangler already?
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by m_saade »

Hi kevin,

As i mentioned above the pin brush will get stuck in the hair even if it is looking perfect.

I suggest you try the slicker brush. The smaller pins will get through anything.



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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

@m_saade

Oh you mean the comb and not the pin brush, right? Yes, I'll buy a slicker brush tomorrow and hopefully that will remove all tangles.

Thanks.
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by m_saade »

Sorry yes i meant the comb.. the slicker brush will surely fix most of the tangles if not all.. since it will reach deep down into the undercoat.

You have to separate the hair with your hand and brush it bit by bit... it will take you around 30mins or 40mins...

If you still find tangles, i suggest bathing him before doing any drastic measures, since bathing will make his hair fluffier and remove alot of the dead hair.

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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by m_saade »

I forgot to mention that after bathing you should completely dry him with a strong blow dryer, if you leave him a bit wet to dry out in the sun, his tangles will get much much worse.

The blow dryer should have a slightly warm temperature..

And you should be prepared for a loooong process... :D
My 7 months old, 18kgs, takes about 2hours for me to JUST dry her hair out.

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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

Thanks. Yes, they're maintenance is really high alright! I hope he haven't developed any hotspots yet due to these tangles being there for a long time now (due to my not being aware of proper grooming).
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by Rory's Dad »

Kevin, he should be fine. The tangles/matts will not cause hot spots unless he pulls at them. Hot spots are generally an infection, with a bacteria on the skin. His saliva can cause an infection if pulling is extreme, but not too likely.

Take you time with the grooming. Yes, it can be a lot of work, but it doesn't have to be done all at once this time through. As Saade said, work any trouble spots with both the comb and your fingers. Comb it through and then use your fingers to separate the fur, then comb through again. Repeat, then repeat, then repeat.

Blow drying after bath definitely helps. We have a whole team to help out, but my dogs are very used to it. We have a grooming table to put the dogs on. One person runs the blow dryer, another combs or brushes, and sometimes another will dremel the paws. It all depends on how pushed for time we are. And the time line is not an exaggeration. When I send Rory out for a pro grooming prior to big shows, they have him for 5 hours. Even my Smooth Chow is about 2 hours to fully dry and brush out...after the actual bath.

back to the collar sizing, yes, you want to allow two fingers stacked on top of each other for extra room...if it makes more sense, then just add about 1 1/2 to 2 inches to the measurement. the finger method is old school, where the dog actually tried the collar on. you just wanted to be able to grab him by the collar. if it was too tight, you would miss.
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Re: What brushes to use in grooming hair of Chows

Post by kevindd992002 »

Ok. I was watching youtube videos and was told about those hotspots.

Yes, I would just need to invest some time to promote tangle prevention in the future.

I'm not sure if it's ok but I usually use a mini blower like this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003B ... UTF8&psc=1 to dry him. This is ok, right?

And regarding the collar, so effectively you'rea dding the height of two fingers stacked on top of each other (vertically) to measure the extra space needed between the dog and the collar, right? It's just that in all the video guides I've seen, they're doing it horizaontally which doesn't make sense to me. And by the way, do all collars have a way to put a name tag on them? Are name tags even appropriate for Chows even though they'll be covered with their fur anyway?
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