When I got my first dog I bought a slicker brush because it looked like the thing brushes were supposed to look like — all those fine wire pins, seemed professional, came in a nice display at the pet shop. Used it on her for two years and thought I was doing a decent job. Then a friend with a Golden Retriever showed me what a proper deshedding session looked like on their dog and I understood immediately that I had been doing about half the job.
The slicker brush was doing what it was supposed to do — smoothing the outer coat, catching loose surface fur, detangling. What it was not doing was reaching the dense undercoat where the real shed accumulates on a double-coated dog. That requires a completely different tool with a completely different job.
Most of the confusion about these two tools comes from using one when you need the other, or using both without knowing what each is actually for. This guide clears that up. What a slicker brush does, what a deshedding tool does, which coats genuinely need which, how to use each correctly, and whether you actually need both or just one of them.
Quick Answer
A slicker brush works on the outer coat — it detangles, removes loose surface fur, and smooths the coat. It is the right primary tool for most coat types including long, medium, curly, and wavy coats. A deshedding tool works on the undercoat — it reaches through the outer coat to pull out the dense, loose undercoat that a slicker brush cannot penetrate. It is essential for double-coated breeds and nearly useless on single-coated or curly coats. Most double-coated dog owners genuinely need both: the slicker brush first to work through the outer coat, then the deshedding tool to address the undercoat underneath. Single-coated breeds with medium or long hair generally only need the slicker brush. Short-coated breeds need neither — a rubber curry brush is the right tool for them.
Table of Contents
- What a Slicker Brush Actually Does
- What a Deshedding Tool Actually Does
- The Core Difference — Outer Coat vs Undercoat
- Which Tool for Which Coat Type
- Double-Coated Breeds — Why You Need Both
- Single-Coated Breeds — When the Deshedding Tool Is Wrong
- How to Use a Slicker Brush Correctly
- How to Use a Deshedding Tool Correctly
- Common Mistakes With Both Tools
- Choosing the Right Tools — What to Look For
- Slicker Brush vs Deshedding Tool — Quick Reference
- FAQs
- Conclusion
- Related Posts
What a Slicker Brush Actually Does
A slicker brush has a flat or slightly curved rectangular head covered in short, fine wire pins set at a slight angle. The pins are closely spaced — close enough to catch individual hairs and work through tangles — and the cushioned base allows the head to flex slightly as it moves through the coat.
What it does well: it detangles the outer coat, removes loose fur from the surface layer, smooths and flattens the coat after it has been worked through, and distributes the skin's natural oils from the roots through the length of the hair. On most medium and long coats, a slicker brush used with correct line-brushing technique reaches all the way to the skin and does a thorough job on the entire coat length.
What it does not do: it does not penetrate a dense undercoat. On a double-coated breed, the guard hairs (the stiffer outer coat) form a barrier that the slicker brush's fine pins ride over rather than through. The brush smooths the surface and catches whatever loose fur is sitting in the topcoat — but the cotton-like undercoat beneath, where most of the shed accumulates, is largely untouched. You can brush a double-coated dog with a slicker brush for twenty minutes and get a fraction of the loose fur that a five-minute session with an undercoat rake or deshedding tool would remove.
On single-coated dogs — Poodles, Maltese, Setters, Spaniels, Doodles — the slicker brush is genuinely the right primary tool because there is no dense undercoat to work through. The slicker brush reaches skin level on these coats and does the whole job.
What a Deshedding Tool Actually Does
Deshedding tools come in a few different forms — the Furminator-style edge tool with a fine-toothed stainless steel comb, undercoat rakes with wider-spaced rotating or fixed teeth, and shedding blades — but they share the same purpose: reaching through the outer guard coat to pull out the loose, dead undercoat that accumulates between seasonal sheds.
The mechanism is different from a brush. Rather than gliding through the coat surface and catching loose hairs in its pins, a deshedding tool uses its teeth or edge to grip and pull the loose undercoat fibres from beneath the guard hairs. The teeth are spaced wide enough to pass through the stiffer guard hairs without pulling them while catching the softer, finer undercoat fibres underneath.
What it does well: it removes extraordinary amounts of loose undercoat from double-coated breeds — particularly during seasonal blowouts — in significantly less time than any other tool. A Furminator or undercoat rake session on a shedding Husky or Golden Retriever produces a pile of undercoat that looks genuinely alarming the first time you see it. This fur was going to end up on your furniture regardless — the deshedding tool gets it out before it gets there.
What it does not do: it does not detangle the outer coat, smooth the coat surface, or work through mats and knots. It does nothing useful on coats that do not have a distinct undercoat layer — using a Furminator on a Poodle or Doodle pulls the curls and stresses the coat without removing anything useful. And used too aggressively or too frequently on a double coat, it can damage the guard hairs by pulling them rather than the undercoat.
The Core Difference — Outer Coat vs Undercoat
This is the simplest way to understand which tool you need: a slicker brush is an outer coat tool. A deshedding tool is an undercoat tool. The coat your dog has determines which of those problems you actually need to solve.
Dogs with a single coat — one layer of hair that grows continuously — only have an outer coat to manage. The slicker brush is the right tool. There is no undercoat to deshed.
Dogs with a double coat — a soft, dense undercoat underneath a layer of stiffer guard hairs — have both. The slicker brush handles the outer coat and the deshedding tool handles the undercoat. Neither tool does the other's job adequately.
The confusion that sends people in the wrong direction is that double-coated dogs shed visibly from the outer coat too — loose guard hairs come out on the slicker brush and make it look like the job is being done. But what causes the majority of shedding around the house — the soft, fluffy undercoat fibres that seem to be everywhere — is coming from a layer the slicker brush is not reaching. Until you address the undercoat, you are only managing part of the shed.
Which Tool for Which Coat Type
Double-Coated Breeds — Why You Need Both
If your dog is double-coated, owning only one of these tools means you are only doing half the job — and it will show. Here is the order and the reason for it.
Slicker brush first. The outer coat needs to be detangled and smoothed before the deshedding tool goes through it. A deshedding tool used on a tangled or matted outer coat catches in the knots rather than passing through the guard hairs cleanly to reach the undercoat underneath. The slicker brush clears the path. Work through the entire coat in sections — line brushing technique, from the skin out — until the slicker brush moves through the coat without catching. This is the surface preparation step.
Deshedding tool second. With the outer coat cleared, the deshedding tool can now pass through the guard hairs and engage the undercoat properly. Work in the same sectioned approach — short strokes following the direction of coat growth, letting the tool do the work without pressing hard. On a dog that is actively blowing their coat, the amount of undercoat that comes out can be dramatic. This is normal and expected.
Metal comb to finish. After both tools, a pass of a wide-tooth metal comb confirms the job is done — if it moves freely through the coat without catching, you have worked through both layers thoroughly. If it catches, there is more to do in that area.
The difference in shed volume around the house when you start properly addressing the undercoat in a double-coated dog is noticeable very quickly. Most owners see a significant reduction within two to three thorough sessions — because the loose undercoat that was accumulating is being removed at the source rather than being shed gradually throughout the week.
Single-Coated Breeds — When the Deshedding Tool Is Wrong
If your dog does not have a double coat, a deshedding tool is either unnecessary or actively harmful. This is worth being specific about because the Furminator is marketed broadly enough that many owners of single-coated dogs buy one and use it, sometimes causing problems they do not immediately attribute to the tool.
On a curly coat — Poodles and Doodles especially — a Furminator-style deshedding edge drags through the curls rather than passing through a guard hair layer. It pulls the curl pattern, stresses the hair shaft, and can cause breakage over time. These coats mat easily and the coat damage from an inappropriate deshedding tool makes matting worse. The slicker brush is what these coats need — worked through in small sections with a detangling spray.
On a fine, silky long coat — Yorkies, Maltese, Afghans — the teeth of a deshedding tool catch and pull the delicate hair shafts rather than gripping an undercoat layer. These coats are prone to breakage and the wrong tool accelerates it significantly. A pin brush is gentler for the initial detangling, with a slicker brush for finishing.
On short, smooth single coats — Boxers, Beagles, Greyhounds — there simply is no undercoat to remove and the rubber curry brush is the right tool. The deshedding tool does not have enough surface contact with a short smooth coat to grip loose hairs effectively.
How to tell if your dog has a double coat: Part the fur anywhere on the body with your fingers and look at the base. If you see two distinct layers — a softer, denser, often lighter-coloured layer of shorter hair underneath, and a coarser, longer layer on top — your dog has a double coat and will benefit from a deshedding tool. If you see one uniform layer of fur growing from the skin with no distinct underlayer, it is a single coat.
How to Use a Slicker Brush Correctly
The most common mistake with a slicker brush is using it like you would use a human hairbrush — long strokes over the surface of the coat from head to tail. This smooths the outer layer but does almost nothing for the coat underneath. The correct technique is line brushing.
Line brushing technique: Hold the fur above the section you are working on with your free hand and brush the section below it, working from the skin outward in short strokes. Move your holding hand upward through the section in small increments, always brushing the newly exposed section from the skin out. Work through the entire coat this way — back to front, in sections. This ensures every part of the coat is being brushed from the skin surface rather than just the outer layer.
Wrist action matters: The brush should flick slightly at the end of each stroke rather than dragging through. Think of it as a lifting motion rather than a combing motion — you are lifting and releasing the coat rather than dragging through it.
Pin pressure: The pins should make contact with the skin at the bottom of each stroke but without pressing hard. If the dog reacts, you are pressing too firmly. The pins are fine enough that they do not need pressure to work — let the weight of the brush do the work.
Always finish with a metal comb. The comb reveals what the brush missed. If it catches anywhere, brush that area again before moving on.
How to Use a Deshedding Tool Correctly
Deshedding tools are more powerful than they look and overuse or incorrect use causes coat damage. A few rules that make a significant difference.
Always use after slicker brushing, not instead of it. The outer coat needs to be clear before the deshedding tool goes through. Tangles in the outer coat turn deshedding sessions into painful pulling sessions.
Light pressure, short strokes, in the direction of coat growth. The tool does not need to be dragged through the coat with force — it works by the teeth gripping and releasing loose undercoat fibres as it passes through. Pressing hard causes the teeth to catch guard hairs and pull them rather than passing through cleanly to the undercoat. Short strokes of five to ten centimetres, lifting the tool at the end of each stroke.
Do not go over the same area repeatedly in one session. Three to four passes over a section is enough for a normal maintenance session. More than that in a single session on the same area starts pulling guard hairs and can cause coat damage called post-grooming alopecia — temporary hair thinning from overworking an area. During a seasonal blowout the coat sheds willingly and a few extra passes are fine, but outside of a blowout, stop when the tool is coming out noticeably cleaner.
Avoid using over any area with mats, skin irritation, or broken skin. Deshedding tools are not mat removers and they cause significant pain if dragged through or near a mat. Any mat must be worked out with a detangling spray and comb before the deshedding tool goes anywhere near that area.
Clean the tool frequently during use. The teeth fill up with undercoat quickly and a full tool stops working efficiently. Use the eject button on Furminator-style tools or clear the teeth with your fingers between passes.
Common Mistakes With Both Tools
Using a deshedding tool on a curly or single-coated dog. This is the most common mistake and the one most likely to cause actual coat damage. If your dog does not have a double coat, put the deshedding tool down.
Using only a slicker brush on a double-coated dog. Looks like you are doing the job, is not doing the job. The undercoat is still accumulating and will continue shedding around the house regardless of how thorough your slicker brush sessions are.
Using the deshedding tool without slicker brushing first. The deshedding tool should never be the first tool used. Detangle the outer coat with the slicker brush before the deshedding tool goes through.
Overusing the deshedding tool. Daily deshedding tool sessions — which some people do during heavy blowouts — cause more coat damage than the shed they are trying to manage. Two to three thorough sessions per week during a blowout is the maximum. In normal periods, once a week or less.
Using rigid-pin slicker brushes. Cheap slicker brushes with rigid, non-flexible pins catch and pull tangles rather than gliding through them. This makes brushing uncomfortable and less effective. The pins should flex slightly when they meet resistance rather than simply dragging through. Flexible-pin slicker brushes are more expensive but the difference in how they feel to the dog and how they work through the coat is immediately apparent.
Brushing bone-dry coats. A bone-dry coat creates static, causes breakage in longer coats, and makes brushing less comfortable for the dog. A light mist of diluted conditioner spray or plain water before brushing reduces friction significantly — particularly helpful on dry coats in winter.
Choosing the Right Tools — What to Look For
For the slicker brush, the two things that matter most are pin flexibility and head size. Flexible pins — where each pin has a small degree of give at the base — glide through tangles rather than catching and pulling. Rigid pins are cheaper but harsher and less effective. Head size: a wider head covers more coat per stroke and makes longer sessions less tiring. For large dogs, a larger brush head is a worthwhile investment.
Top Pick — Slicker Brush
Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brush
Flexible pins, wide head, ergonomic handle — the brush that groomers use professionally. The difference between this and a drugstore slicker brush is immediately obvious in how it moves through the coat and how the dog responds. Built to last years, covers large dogs efficiently, and works across every coat type that benefits from a slicker brush. The one brush worth investing in.
Check Price on Amazon →For the deshedding tool, choose based on your dog's size and coat length — most deshedding tools come in size variants for small, medium, and large dogs, and in short-coat or long-coat versions that differ in tooth spacing. The long-coat version has wider-spaced teeth that pass through longer guard hairs more cleanly. The short-coat version has finer spacing for shorter guard hairs. Using the wrong size produces noticeably worse results.
Top Pick — Deshedding Tool
Furminator Undercoat Deshedding Tool
The deshedding tool that set the standard. The stainless steel edge reaches through the topcoat to remove loose undercoat without cutting the guard hairs when used correctly. The eject button clears collected undercoat easily mid-session. Choose the right size for your dog's weight and the right coat length version — the difference between short and long coat versions matters. Used correctly on a double-coated dog during a seasonal blowout, the amount of fur it removes is genuinely astonishing.
Check Price on Amazon →Slicker Brush vs Deshedding Tool — Quick Reference
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need both a slicker brush and a deshedding tool?
If your dog has a double coat — Huskies, Golden Retrievers, Labradors, German Shepherds, Corgis, Border Collies, and similar breeds — yes, you genuinely need both. The slicker brush handles the outer coat and the deshedding tool handles the undercoat. Neither does the other's job adequately. If your dog has a single coat — Poodles, Doodles, Spaniels, Maltese, Yorkies, and similar — you only need the slicker brush. A deshedding tool on a single-coated dog is either ineffective or damaging depending on the coat type.
Is a Furminator the same as a deshedding tool?
The Furminator is the most widely known brand of deshedding tool — a stainless steel fine-toothed edge on a handle that removes loose undercoat from double-coated dogs. Other deshedding tools work on the same principle with slight design variations. Undercoat rakes are a related category — they have wider-spaced, longer teeth and are particularly good for very dense undercoats like those on Huskies or Malamutes. For most double-coated dogs a Furminator-style tool is the practical standard, and the Furminator itself remains one of the better options in its category.
Can I use a deshedding tool on a Doodle?
No — and this is one of the most common mistakes. Doodles have curly or wavy single coats that do not have the distinct undercoat layer a deshedding tool is designed to reach. Using a Furminator on a Doodle pulls and stresses the curls, can cause hair breakage, and removes nothing useful because there is no undercoat to remove. Doodles need a slicker brush used in small sections with a detangling spray, followed by a metal comb finish. They are one of the highest-maintenance coat types to brush correctly — but the right tool is the slicker brush, not the deshedding tool.
How often should I use a deshedding tool?
Once to twice a week during normal periods for double-coated dogs. Up to three times a week during a seasonal blowout when the undercoat is actively releasing. Daily deshedding tool sessions cause coat damage over time — the tool begins to pull guard hairs rather than just undercoat when used too frequently on the same coat. Outside of blowout periods, the tool should be coming out noticeably cleaner after two to three passes over a section — that is the signal that the undercoat for that session has been addressed and more passes are not productive.
Conclusion
The slicker brush and the deshedding tool solve different problems in different layers of the coat, and knowing which problem your dog actually has is most of the answer. Single-coated dog — slicker brush, full stop. Double-coated dog — slicker brush first for the outer coat, deshedding tool second for the undercoat, metal comb to confirm the whole job is done.
The thing that changed my own grooming routine most dramatically was understanding that the slicker brush I had been using for two years was doing a real job — just not the undercoat job I also needed to do. Both tools together take only a little more time than one tool alone, and the reduction in shed fur around the house after a few thorough double-tool sessions on a double-coated dog is the kind of thing that makes you wish someone had explained this at the beginning.
What coat type does your dog have, and did you start out using the right tool or the wrong one? I spent two years slicker-brushing a dog who needed an undercoat rake as well — I would like to know I am not the only one. Drop it in the comments.
Related Posts
- How to Brush a Dog Properly: A Real Pet Parent's Guide — The full technique guide — line brushing, order of steps, and how to handle the tricky spots.
- Signs Your Dog Needs Grooming: 12 Things Your Dog Is Trying to Tell You — A coat that is shedding more than normal is one of the 12 signals. Here is the full list.
- When to Worry About Dog Shedding: The Signs That Mean Something More — When shedding stops being a tool problem and starts being a health problem.
- Beginner Dog Grooming Routine: Everything You Need to Start at Home — Where both tools fit into a full home grooming routine, step by step.
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