brushes for grooming

[ginny]

Can someone tell me the difference between the Chris Christensen 16 mm t-brush and the long pin slicker brush for $64.00?  I have a 9 week old ALD puppy with a loose fleece coat and i want to get a brush to start with to get her used to being brushed.  There are so many different Chris Christensen brushes that I'm not sure what to start with at my puppy's age.

[Barbara, Zoey and Zeke]

This discussion in the Grooming Group shows pictures of the brushes I use.  Zoey has a wavy fleece coat.  http://https://doodlekisses.com/group/doodlegrooming/forum/topics/g...

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

At first, it really doesn't matter what type of brush you use.  Their coats don't mat (yet) and you don't need to be thorough.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Wow, I can't believe I wrote that without emphasizing AT FIRST and TO GET THEM USED TO A BRUSH.  Later on it matters very much, but it is sort of coat specific as to what might work best.

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Hi! I actually have both of those brushes- the 16mm t brush and the large Coral slicker.

The pins of the t brush are larger around and very soft on the end. They are also further apart. So, it works well for "fluffing up" the hair, particularly for dogs with sensitive skin. It is one of the first brushes that I bought when Winnie was a puppy. It works great on loose puppy coat, and helps them get used to being brushed. I still use it periodically on both Bob and Winnie when I want to just quickly fluff them up. It doesn't work very well on my Indie- he's a Standard Poodle with a very thick and curly coat.

The Coral slicker (long pin) is a GREAT slicker and does a fantastic job of both preventing matts and brushing matts out. The pins are closer together than the T brush, and somewhat more rigid. When your puppy gets older, you will want to start "line brushing" to prevent matts, particularly when it goes through a coat change. The slicker is good for line brushing; the T brush is not.

My recommendation? Get both! :-) Use the T brush while your pup is young, and gradually get her used to the slicker as well. 

[Stacy]

I have the Chris Christensen Big K which is the black one that's like the coral, only the coral has 40% more pins than the black one does. I really keep the girls pretty long, so I really like the long pins on it. I think it was worth the cost. I also have the green Les Pooches slicker in single wide, and I like that one for tighter areas, like under the ears. I'm still a terrible groomer, so my opinion might be a little suspect!