The Husky is a fine breed of dog and I found them to be a very likable and intelligent breed. However, their long hair presents special problems that require special solutions. In this article, we will attempt to find the best brush for husky dogs.
Quick Picks: The 5 Top-Rated Husky Brushes
Last update on 2024-04-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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5 Best Husky Dog Brush Reviews
With all the pet brushes on the market, it would not be possible to review them all. However, I have done as much research as possible in an attempt to find you the best brush for husky dogs.
FURminator Undercoat Deshedding Tool
This is a very popular tool in spite of being one of the more expensive brushes on our list. This brush has one set of teeth in a straight line, which has both its advantages and disadvantages, as addressed above.
This brush has a fur ejector, which is just a simple bar that is depressed along the edge of the teeth to push the collected hair away. The rubberized handle is another thing I like about this brush. It feels very good in the hand and does a great job of gripping your skin. I find it easier to maintain good control with a handle like this one.
Pros:
- Simple and sleek
- Fur ejector mechanism
- Grabs hair very effectively
- Well-suited for large dogs like huskies
- Very good reviews
Cons:
- Single-tooth design may not suit you
- Slightly expensive for a brush
- Can hurt a dog by pulling out live hair if used too rapidly
Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush
This is a cluster-tooth brush that advertises itself on a self-cleaning mechanism. This is a very efficient mechanism indeed. You just press the large button on top and a small platform pushes the hair off the teeth and into a big ball that you can easily remove.
This model also has a comfortable and ergonomic rubberized grip, this time with ridges around the sides. I don’t like the ridges, but you may feel differently. Overall, this product seems to be of a robust construction so that it can stand up to the job at hand.
Pros:
- Comfortable grip
- Excellent self-cleaning feature
- Durable construction
- Large pad can remove a lot of hair at once
- Teeth are very fine for added safety
Cons:
- Doesn’t grab as well as a straight-tooth brush
- bristles are slightly sharp
- Useless if the self-cleaning mechanism breaks
Glendan Dog Brush
This is the cheapest brush on our list, which gives it a small advantage right out of the gate. It is a multi-tooth cluster design and reminds me of brushes that are commonly used by humans. The teeth are embedded in a flexible surface, which is a good safety feature. Anytime the teeth contact the skin, there will be a flexible surface that can flex and take the impact.
This is also one of the few brushes that comes with a warranty, even if it’s only a 90-day warranty. This is a very wide brush with a lot of teeth, and those teeth are extremely fine. This is another good safety feature, even if it calls the durability of the tool into question.
Pros:
- Well-cushioned
- Very wide pad to grab a lot of hair at once
- Very inexpensive
- 90-day warranty
Cons:
- Handle should be slightly longer
- Doesn’t seem as durable as some others
- Teeth might be too fine
Pet Portal Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush
This brush is almost identical in function to the Hertzko brush. One significant difference is that this model seems to be made of thicker plastic, and looks tougher overall. Appearances can be deceiving, but I feel more confident about the strength of this model.
The self-cleaning mechanism is the same, the grip is more or less the same, and the teeth are almost the same size. Seeing this, we would have to call it a draw between these two, though this model gets a slight edge for durability and a much better warranty.
Pros:
- Self-cleaning mechanism
- Very thick plastic seems very durable
- Comfortable grip
- Lifetime warranty
- Reinforced connection point between the head and the handle
Cons:
- Slightly expensive
- Requires a speedy style for maximum effectiveness
Pet Neat Grooming Brush
This is another straight-tooth brush, and it is similar to the FURminator in its basic function. It has a reinforced connection point between the head and the handle, which is always a plus, but it lacks a self-cleaning mechanism of any kind. Since all of our other models have one, this is a serious downside. However, this type of brush is easier to clean than a cluster-toothed brush so you won’t have too much trouble.
This product seems to be made of rubber all the way through. I like the fact that it can bend rather than break, as this gives it a better ability to stand up to repeated impact if necessary. I would bet good money that you could throw this thing against the concrete without breaking it.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Comfortable grip
- Grabs the hair very well
- Easy to clean with a comb
Cons:
- Handle is too thin towards the base
- No self-cleaning mechanism
What To Look For In A Brush for A Siberian Husky
For one thing, the brush needs to be very tough, because a husky should be brushed every day. Realistically, most dog owners will not brush their dog every day, but that is the ideal thing. In practice, you could get away with doing it three times a week without too much trouble. However, the point is that this tool will be used very often.
A more robust tool also allows you to work faster because you aren’t worried about breaking the brush. Considering that you will need to do this at least three times a week, you want it to be a quick task. Grooming a husky is hard enough already.
The most important parts of the brush are the teeth. Since these are the things that do the work, they will be taking the majority of the abuse. You need to make sure that they are well-anchored and made of tough material. Most brushes have teeth that are made of stainless steel, and this is probably the best choice.
Some brushes have teeth that form a single straight line, almost like a weird cross between a razor and a squeegee. These are easier to use, but they require a slightly more gentle hand to avoid pulling out too much hair. Brushes with a cluster of teeth don’t tend to grab the hair quite as much, and so you can use a faster stroke. At the same time, the clustered-tooth brushes don’t do as good a job of grabbing the hair. As such, they will require more strokes to obtain the same result. This is a trade-off that must be considered.
Some brushes have a self-cleaning feature that pushes the hair away from the teeth so that it can easily be removed. Although this isn’t a requirement for a good husky brush, it certainly is helpful. The obvious upside is that it will save you some time. Instead of picking the hair out of the teeth with your hands or a comb, you just press a button and knock the hair into the trash can. The downside is that the brush has a moving part that can potentially break. As a general rule, simpler designs are more durable.
Lastly, consider the grip of the handle. A good dog brush should feel good in your hands so that you aren’t distracted from the job at hand. Once again, this is a tool that you will use very regularly, so don’t get something that is a pain in the hand to use.
The Special Hair Problems of Huskies
Groomers will often complain about the difficulty of managing husky hair. Since this dog is meant to live in the frozen north, their hair is very thick. It is also very dense, allowing them to hold the heat more efficiently. While we are on this subject, it is worth mentioning that you shouldn’t own a husky if you live in a particularly hot climate.
Part of the problem with husky hair comes from the fact that they are so large. This means that brushing a husky will be a bigger job. It also means that they will shed in large amounts if they are not regularly brushed. As this is a heavy-duty brushing job, you will need a heavy-duty brush to get the job done.
Perfecting Dog Brushing Technique
The more skillful you become at brushing your dog, the less time it will take out of your day. If you have never owned a long-haired dog before, you should take your time at first. If you rush the job without knowing what you are doing, you risk pulling out perfectly good hair along with the dead ends and sheddings. Remember; your purpose is to remove only the hair that wants to come loose.
When dogs shed hair, it happens because the hair has died. Before the dog can grow new hair to replace it, the old must fall out. Over time, the dead hair begins to lose its grip, and this is why it can be removed with almost no effort.
One of the benefits of shedding is that it allows the dog to rid itself of parasite eggs that can be present in dead hair. A long-haired dog that hasn’t been brushed in a while can shed handfuls of fur from minimal brushing.
The trick here is to find a speed that works for you and to buy a brush that suits your style. Line-toothed brushes are perfect for those who favor a “slow but steady” style of brushing. You can get the job done in fewer strokes so that you don’t have to rush.
On the other hand, brushes with clusters of small teeth are best for those who prefer a “fast and loose” approach to brush a dog. You can use a very quick and flicky hand motion, which can get the job done very fast once you get the motion down. However, this method can be harmful to the dog if you don’t know what you’re doing. The trick is to make sure that the teeth never contact the dog’s skin.
Final Thoughts
Although your price range will have to be taken into consideration, there is one of these brushes that seems to top the others. The Pet Portal Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush is the only brush on our list that doesn’t seem to have any significant problems at all. Everything about it is robust and durable, and the self-cleaning mechanism works very well. The product generally gets great reviews, but the lifetime warranty is what really pushed this product over the top and gave it the win.
Most people do not even expect to get a warranty with a product of this type. The fact that the company chose to provide one shows that they are confident in the durability of their product. If they did not have confidence in the long-term durability of this brush, it would not be financially viable for them to offer such a generous guarantee. Even without the warranty, this brush still seems to be the best husky grooming tool.