My boyfriend gave me a Cocker Spaniel puppy when I was a teenager. His family had owned cockers for years, and his mother kept them groomed. She had learned how from a breeder and passed her knowledge to me. She taught me how to lay my puppy down and brush him "from the skin out" all over. Little did I know these lessons were the seeds that started my long career in grooming.
I recently saw a post on social media where a groomer asked what line brushing was. I was taken back to my first lessons on mastering this skill, and I thought it might make a good blog post.
To master line brushing, you only need a few tools and good technique. The tools are:
- A slicker brush (a pin brush is often chosen for show dogs with long coats, but a slicker is practical and effective for pets.)
- A comb with medium teeth on one end and fine on the other.
- A good coat spray
The idea behind line brushing is to separate the coat into sections about the width of your finger, down to the skin, and brush that section of coat from the skin to the tip. Always lightly mist the area you are working on before brushing to help prevent damaging the coat as you work. The word "line" refers to the fact that when you do this correctly, you will expose a line of skin that is clearly visible as you brush the segment of the coat you have separated. Imagine the part of hair on a human's head that is what you are going for.
Once you have successfully brushed the segment of coat you have separated, follow with your comb. Use the medium-tooth section first, then the fine teeth to ensure you can quickly go from skin to tip without tangles or resistance. Then, section out another layer about the same width and brush and comb it. If the coat feels dry or you notice static, mist a little coat spray on before continuing.
I like to start line-brushing at the pet's foot, then work upward. The idea is to work in a set pattern to cover the entire body and not miss any fur section. You also want to work so that each layer is brushed and combed down over an already completed section. You can choose a pattern that makes sense to you; some people like to start on the belly coat and work up towards the spine, while others begin at the rump and work towards the head. The pattern does not matter if it makes sense to you, and you follow it routinely on each pet.
Line brushing is a highly effective method of brushing and combing a coat to remove loose hair and tangles and prevent matting.
