How to Brush a Dog: A Coat-by-Coat Technique Guide

There are two kinds of brushed dogs – the ones whose backs gleam and the ones whose belly, armpits and behind the ears haven’t seen a comb since last spring. Knowing how to brush a dog properly is less about the brush you buy and more about the order you use it in – the brush-out we teach owners on day one, by coat type.

Brush in the direction the coat grows, starting at the back legs and working up in small sections, with the brush matched to your dog’s coat type. Most dogs need it once a week. Curly and double coats need more. Always brush before the bath, never the other way around.

Why brushing order matters more than the brush you buy

A complete dog grooming kit in the wrong order does nothing. We’ve watched owners spend $80 on a slicker, then run it nose-to-tail across the back and call it done. The mats forming behind the ears, under the collar and between the hind legs are still there a week later, just shorter.

The skin checks you’d otherwise pick up – heat lumps, ticks, hot spots starting in QLD humidity, a tender patch on a 9-year-old labrador – are easier to find when you’re brushing skin-to-tip in sections, not skimming the top coat. The brush is a finishing tool. The order is the work.

Match the brush to the coat

Australian dogs sit in six broad coat groups. Get this part right and the technique that follows is mostly the same.

Curly and wavy coats (cavoodle, poodle, labradoodle, bichon). Slicker brush plus a metal comb. The slicker lifts; the comb confirms there are no hidden mats. Cavoodle grooming in particular lives or dies on the comb pass. Daily, or every second day.

Double coats (golden retriever, husky, samoyed, kelpie, border collie). Undercoat rake for the dense underlayer, plus a slicker for the top coat. Add a de-shedding tool like a Furminator during spring and autumn blow. Never shave them – the topcoat insulates against heat too.

Long silky single coats (afghan, yorkie, maltese). Pin brush first, then a wide-toothed comb. Slow and patient. A spray of leave-in conditioner helps the comb glide.

Wire coats (schnauzer, jack russell, fox terrier). Slicker for the body, stripping knife if you keep the breed look. Otherwise a fine-toothed comb on the legs and beard.

Short single coats (staffy, labrador, beagle, kelpie crosses). Rubber curry brush or grooming glove – nothing aggressive on short coats in a QLD summer, the skin is thinner than owners think.

Hairless or low-coat (chinese crested, mexican hairless). Soft body brush only, plus sunscreen on the exposed skin.

How to brush a dog: the section-by-section method

Allow 5 to 10 minutes for a short coat, 20 to 40 for a long double coat. Work on a non-slip mat or on grass outside – tile floors and frightened dogs don’t mix.

1. Start at the back legs. Lift a section the width of three fingers, brush against the skin first to lift, then with the direction of growth. Move up the back legs to the rump.
2. Move along one side. Continue the same section-by-section pattern up the flank, across the ribs, to the shoulder. Don’t lean on the brush – the skin under a labrador’s flank is more sensitive than the back.
3. Do the chest and front legs. Most owners skip the chest. The armpits get matted fast on cavoodles, frenchies and any harness-wearing dog.
4. Belly last for short coats, first for long coats. Long coats: belly first, while the dog is still patient and lying down. Short coats: belly last, a quick once-over with a curry brush.
5. Behind the ears, under the collar, around the tail base. The four mat zones. Comb through each gently. If the comb catches, work the mat with your fingers and a spray of detangler – never yank.
6. Finish with a comb pass head-to-tail. If the comb glides, you’re done. If it catches, the brush hasn’t reached the skin yet in that section.

Brushing frequency – by coat and by season

Most dogs settle into a weekly rhythm – a few never quite do. Frequency tracks the coat type, not the length alone.

Short coats: once a week, more in summer if the dog swims at the dog park – a labrador full of sand brushes out best when dry.

Double coats: twice a week most of the year, daily for 6 to 8 weeks during the spring blow. In southern AU that shedding season runs roughly mid-September through November; in QLD and NT it’s less predictable and often longer.

Curly and long single coats: every second day, or daily if the dog wears a harness or coat. The friction creates mats faster than the comb can keep up.

Wire coats: weekly, with a hand-stripping or salon visit every 8 to 12 weeks.

And one note on summer: when the footpath hits 36°C on a Brisbane afternoon, the over-brushed short-coat dog can develop hot spots overnight. Brush less, not more, on a hot, irritated coat.

Common mistakes we see on the table every week

The same five turn up across thousands of grooming appointments.

• Brushing over the top of a mat instead of into it. The mat tightens against the skin and the dog flinches on the next stroke. Work the mat with fingers and a comb from underneath, or clip it out.
• Wet brushing. Water tightens existing knots, so the brush should come out before the shampoo, never after.
• A Furminator on a single-coated dog will thin the topcoat – we’ve done it ourselves on a wire-coat schnauzer that took 6 months to grow back evenly. Furminators belong on double coats only, no more than 10 strokes a spot.
• The shave-for-summer mistake. The topcoat reflects heat; the undercoat regrows uneven and patchy. Brush a double-coated dog out instead of clipping it down.
• Only brushing the back. The legs, belly and area behind the ears are where mats form and where ticks hide.

Australian climate, brands and the never-shave rule

In southern AU the spring blow runs roughly mid-September through November on double coats. QLD and NT are less predictable – humidity drives heavier shedding through summer, often into autumn. We see more cavoodle ear mats in February in Brisbane than any other month, mostly from the wet-then-dry cycle of pool swims and damp humid air.

Brand-wise, AU shelves carry Wahl, Andis, Oster, Furminator and the Aristopet range across Petbarn, PETstock and Pet Circle. Furminator is the de-shedder most owners reach for; it works on double coats only.

And the never-shave rule on double coats holds regardless of how hot it gets. Shaving removes the topcoat that reflects heat and protects the skin and coat – the result is more heat absorption, not less, and slower regrowth that often comes back patchy.

When brushing turns into a vet visit

Most home brushing is fine. A few signs mean it’s no longer a grooming job.

Mats that have tightened to the skin and feel like a hard ridge – these can pull blood supply and need clipping out by a groomer or a vet under sedation. A red, weeping patch under the coat, especially in humid weather, is usually a hot spot and needs vet attention before it doubles in size overnight. Sudden flinching when you brush a familiar area suggests pain – a tick, a thorn, a soft-tissue injury. Persistent scratching after grooming, or coat coming out in clumps outside the spring blow, points to allergy, parasites or thyroid issues worth investigating.

If DIY dog grooming has crossed into matted-to-the-skin territory and the dog won’t sit for a clip-out, a mobile dog grooming visit is often less stressful than a salon trip. A reputable groomer will hold groomer accreditation through the Pet Industry Association of Australia, which is a fair shortcut when you’re choosing one.

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