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14 best dog grooming products that keep your pup clean and healthy

Tackle your canines' skin irritations or mucky fur with these essential tools  

Kate Hilpern
Friday 14 August 2020 10:45 BST
Choose from shampoos, clippers, towels, de-shedding tools and mists
Choose from shampoos, clippers, towels, de-shedding tools and mists (The Independent/ iStock)

Just as we humans like to keep clean, our four-legged friends also benefit from being kept in ship shape condition.

There are, of course, professional dog groomers you can turn to.

But with lockdown forcing all dog owners to go DIY – some for the first time ever – many have realised that for some breeds, the basics aren’t so hard after all.

And in any case, even dogs that regularly frequent the groomers need spruce up at home. Aside from keeping your pet's coat shiny and tangle free, grooming also helps to prevent skin irritations and pesky lodgers in your dog's fur.

We have worked our way through dozens of grooming essentials across dogs of all shapes and sizes to find you the best of them.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Furminator dog de-shedding tool

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Rare is the professional dog groomer that doesn’t have one of these in their box of tricks. The stainless steel comb-like edge runs through the coat smoothly and effortlessly, removing the undercoat and loose hairs while protecting the skin. As the fur collection builds up, you press the button to eject it, making it easy to dispense of. There are other sizes too.

  1. £21 from Amazon
Prices may vary
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Beaphar toothpaste and toothbrush kit

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Your vet will almost certainly have advised you to clean your dog’s teeth regularly. But you must never use human toothpaste because most contain fluoride which is poisonous to dogs. In any case, your pet will thank you for this meaty flavour over boring old mint any day. This one comes with a toothbrush, although we also rate the brand’s finger brush, sold separately (in which case, just buy the toothpaste without the brush).

  1. £4 from Amazon
Prices may vary
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Ancol Ergo safety scissors

ergo-saftey-scissors.jpg

Although it's tempting to use your own household scissors to snip hair away from your dog’s eyes, feet and around the bottom, this is never a good idea. Not only for sanitary reasons, but because the risk of an accident with a fidgety dog is all the greater. These safety scissors have a blunt end and are such good quality that they can double up for a more general trim too.

  1. £7 from Amazon
Prices may vary
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Healthy Cubs grooming glove

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For short-haired dogs, grooming gloves are a godsend. The raised dots have a magnetic quality that causes friction between the glove and the dog’s coat to help stimulate the skin, remove loose hair and leave your dog with a shinier, healthy looking coat. And your pooch won’t mind – it’s like an enjoyable massage for them. This one comes in a range of colours and is great value.

  1. £2 from Amazon
Prices may vary
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The verdict: Dog grooming products

Tired of spending a seemingly infinite amount of time drying down your dog? Paws & Presto’s extra large high-performance microfibre dog towel is a life changing bit of kit for those who want it done in a jiffy. We also rate the Furmimator dog de-shedding tool – it's a professional standard tool that's incredibly effective.

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