If you've ever lived with a dog that sheds a lot, you probably know the routine.
You brush your dog.
You clean up the loose fur.
You vacuum the floor.
You wash the blankets.
And somehow, a few hours later...
There is more dog hair.
I have a Golden Retriever, so I know this feeling all too well.
At first, I thought the solution was simple:
Just brush the dog more often.
But after looking into how different coats actually work, I realized something important.
Brushing does not stop a dog from shedding.
It simply helps remove loose and dead hair before it ends up on your couch, clothes, bedding, and floors.
For healthy dogs that naturally shed a lot, regular brushing can help remove loose fur while also giving you a chance to check the skin and coat for changes.
But then another question comes up:
What kind of dog brush should you actually use?
Because here's the problem.
Not every brush works equally well for every dog.
A short-haired Pug, a long-haired Yorkie, a double-coated Golden Retriever, and a curly-coated Poodle all have very different grooming needs.
So instead of asking:
- "What's the best dog shedding brush?"
A better question is:
"What's the best brush for my dog's coat?"
That's where things get interesting.
1. Short-Haired Dogs: Don't Reach for the Most Aggressive Deshedding Tool
Common examples include:
Pugs
Beagles
French Bulldogs
Dobermans
Labradors
One of the biggest misconceptions about short-haired dogs is:
"Their hair is short, so they don't need brushing."
Actually, they do.
Short-haired dogs shed too. The difference is that their short hairs can be surprisingly difficult to remove once they stick to furniture, clothing, carpets, and car seats.
And because their coats sit relatively close to the skin, you don't necessarily need a tool with long, aggressive teeth.
Recommended grooming tools
First choice: Rubber grooming brush, bath brush, or grooming mitt
These tools have a relatively large contact area and can help loosen and collect dead hair while providing gentle stimulation to the skin.
They are especially convenient for routine grooming.
Second choice: Soft-bristle brush
A soft brush can work well for regular maintenance, especially for dogs with sensitive skin.
You don't need to remove a giant pile of hair every time.
The goal is simply to remove loose fur gently and consistently.
How should you brush a short-haired dog?
You can start by gently brushing against the direction of hair growth to loosen and lift dead hair.
Then brush back in the direction of hair growth.
This helps collect loose fur while distributing the skin's natural oils through the coat.
What should you avoid?
I wouldn't immediately reach for an extremely aggressive deshedding blade or sharp tool.
Short-haired dogs don't have a thick layer of coat protecting the skin, so excessive pressure or repeated scraping may cause irritation.
And honestly:
You don't need to win a competition for who can remove the most dog hair.
You just need to remove loose hair safely.
2. Long-Haired Dogs: The Biggest Problem May Not Be Shedding—It's Mats
Common examples include:
Yorkshire Terriers
Papillons
Shetland Sheepdogs
Rough Collies
Long-haired dogs have a different problem.
You don't just want to remove loose hair.
You also need to prevent tangles and mats.
A small tangle may not seem like a big deal.
But leave it alone for several days, and it can become a much larger mat.
Eventually, brushing through it may pull on the skin and become uncomfortable for the dog.
That's why long-haired dogs generally need more frequent grooming.
Recommended tool #1: Slicker Brush
A pin brush has longer pins that can reach through longer coats.
For long-haired dogs, a pin brush with rounded metal pins can be especially useful for working through the coat without unnecessarily pulling healthy hair.
Recommended tool #2: Stainless Steel Comb
This is one of those tools that many owners underestimate.
A dog's coat can look perfectly smooth on the surface while still hiding small tangles underneath.
That's why I like using a stainless steel comb after brushing.
If the comb can move smoothly from the roots to the ends:
Good.
If it suddenly gets stuck:
You've probably found a hidden tangle.
Pay particular attention to:
Behind the ears
Under the armpits
Around the belly
Inner legs
Around the tail
These areas are especially prone to matting.
What about a deshedding brush?
You can use one when appropriate.
But for long-haired dogs, removing as much hair as possible shouldn't be the only goal.
The priority should be:
Keep the coat detangled first.
Then deal with loose hair.
That's a much better grooming strategy.
3. Double-Coated Dogs: The Undercoat Is Where Much of the Loose Fur Comes From
Now we get to the dogs that can make you question how a house can possibly contain this much fur.
Common examples include:
Golden Retrievers
Labrador Retrievers
Corgis
Siberian Huskies
Samoyeds
Border Collies
Pomeranians
Akitas
German Shepherds
These dogs have something in common:
You just cleaned the floor.
Then you look again.
More fur.
Why?
Because many of these dogs have a double coat.
The outer coat is made up of coarser guard hairs that help protect the skin from the environment.
Underneath is a softer, denser undercoat that helps provide insulation.
And during seasonal shedding, a lot of the loose hair comes from that undercoat.
So if you have a double-coated dog, the real target isn't simply the hair you can see.
It's the loose undercoat underneath.
A Three-Step Grooming Routine for Double-Coated Dogs
Instead of relying on one brush to do everything, I prefer a combination approach.
Step 1: Slicker Brush
Start with a slicker brush.
It can help remove loose hair from the surface and work through small tangles.
It's particularly useful for medium- to long-haired and double-coated dogs.
Step 2: Undercoat Rake
If your dog is going through a heavy seasonal shed, an undercoat rake can help remove loose undercoat that is trapped beneath the outer coat.
This is especially useful for dogs such as:
Golden Retrievers, Corgis, Huskies, Samoyeds, and German Shepherds.
But remember:
The goal is to remove loose, dead undercoat.
Not to aggressively pull out healthy hair.
Step 3: Stainless Steel Comb
Finish with a metal comb.
This gives you a simple way to check whether you missed any tangles.
If the comb passes smoothly through the coat, you're probably in good shape.
4. Curly-Coated Dogs: The Goal Isn't Maximum Hair Removal—It's Preventing Mats
Common examples include:
Poodles
Bichon Frises
Portuguese Water Dogs
Curly-coated dogs are interesting because their loose hair may not immediately fall onto your floor.
Instead, it can become trapped within the surrounding curls.
So you might think:
"My dog barely sheds!"
Not necessarily.
Some loose hairs may simply remain caught in the coat.
And then you get:
Loose hair + existing coat → tangles → mats.
That's why curly-coated dogs usually need a different grooming strategy.
Recommended tools:
Slicker brush + stainless steel comb
The goal is to work through the entire coat rather than simply remove as much hair as possible.
After brushing, use a stainless steel comb from the roots toward the ends.
If the comb gets stuck:
There is probably a tangle underneath.
This is also why curly-coated dogs often need more frequent brushing than short-haired dogs.
5. Wire-Haired Terriers: Don't Treat a Wiry Coat Like Ordinary Long Hair
Examples include:
West Highland White Terriers
Schnauzers
Wirehaired Dachshunds
Many of these dogs have a wire or wiry coat, which behaves differently from soft long hair.
So here's an important question:
If you use a regular deshedding tool to shave or strip away all that hair, is that really a good idea?
Not necessarily.
Some wire-haired breeds are traditionally groomed using a technique called hand stripping.
The goal isn't to randomly pull out healthy hair.
Instead, hand stripping removes mature, ready-to-shed outer hairs and can help preserve the characteristic texture of the breed's wiry coat.
Simply clipping or shaving a wire coat may change the texture of regrowth in some dogs.
For routine home maintenance, you can use:
Pin brush + stainless steel comb + appropriate stripping/grooming tool
to keep the coat clean, neat, and relatively tangle-free.
For breed-specific hand stripping, however, I'd recommend working with an experienced professional groomer.