Hey there, fellow Pitbull lovers! Are you ready to dive into the wonderful world of grooming? As a veterinarian and proud rescue Pitbull parent, I know firsthand how essential proper grooming is for keeping our fur babies healthy and happy – especially since they’re prone to skin conditions. So, buckle up as I take you on a whirlwind tour of the top six grooming brushes I’ve reviewed to find the ultimate brush for Pitbulls. Because, let’s face it, a well-groomed Pitbull is a happy Pitbull, and we all want the best for our beloved pups!
My choice for the best brush for a Pitbull is the ConairPro Dog and Cat Pet-It Boar Bristle Brush. The natural bristles are flexible and move with the hair and skin. This eliminates tugging on the skin. The softer natural bristles are gentle and do not hurt Pitbulls with skin conditions.
Choosing the best brush for your Pitbull can be confusing as the market is flooded by manufacturers claiming their product is the best. I have reviewed some products to make a choice simpler for you.
Lets Dive in:
It is helpful to know which products are best for grooming your Pitbull. An independent review is advantageous when you feel overwhelmed by all the information.
Best Overall Brush For Pitbulls: The ConairPro Pet-It Boar Bristle Brush
The ConairPro Dog and Cat Pet-It Boar Bristle Brush is our best overall grooming tool for a Pitbull in my opinion.
A bristle brush is the best tool for dogs with short, thin coats. Pitbulls have short coats that are usually a single coat, making a bristle brush a natural choice as a top grooming tool.
The single layer of hair makes their skin sensitive and vulnerable to damage from harsh or hard tools. Boar bristles are a natural product that moves with the skin and reduce tugging on the hair.
The ConairPro has 50% boar bristles and 50% synthetic bristles that mimic boar bristles.
Pitbull owners report that their dogs enjoy the feel of the boar and synthetic bristles. When a Pitbull enjoys grooming, it makes the job easier. The positive experience and enjoyment allow the owner to bond with their dog during the grooming.
Boar bristles move easily through the hair, removing loose hair and dust. They leave the coat shiny and smooth.
The ConairPro Boar Bristle Brush is oval and has a plastic grip that fits into your palm. It allows you to use your hand in a natural petting action.
The ConairPro hand grip is especially useful for dogs that dislike grooming. Many develop a phobia about brushes and learn to recognize a brush with a handle. They dive off under the nearest cupboard and refuse all requests to come out.
The ConairPro Boar Bristle Brush fits into your palm and does not look like a traditional brush or grooming tool. The gentle action of the bristles creates a sense of relaxation in anxious Pitbulls, allowing them to have a positive grooming experience.
The ConairPro is well-priced, making it affordable for most Pitbull owners. Hair collected in the brush is easily cleaned with a comb.
for dogs loosen the hair, ready for shedding. They are an excellent means of removing dust and mud.
Our choice is the Furminator Curry Comb which has molded rubber nubs or teeth. The rubber teeth are soft enough to use on the delicate skin of a Pitbull. Pitbulls, with their short coats and tendency to skin conditions, need gentle curry combs that do not damage the skin.
The Furminator Curry Comb will easily remove hair, dust, mud, and debris from the Pitbull coat. There is another benefit to this grooming tool. The rubber teeth massage the skin releasing natural oils which improve the skin condition.
Massaging your Pitbull with a curry comb during grooming stimulates blood flow to the skin, which improves skin cell regeneration and enhances skin health.
The Furminator Curry Comb has a rubber hand strap, making it easy to hold the curry comb while grooming. There are rubber paw-shaped pads on the strap side of the comb which further increase your grip.
The Furminator Curry Comb is designed for short and medium coats, making it appropriate for use with Pitbulls.
Use short strokes in the direction of the fur growth when you first use the curry comb. Try using a circular motion but check if your dog enjoys this. Some dogs like the circular massaging motion, but others find it uncomfortable on their sensitive skin.
The manufacturers caution owners to check their pets for skin conditions, lesions or bruises before using the Furminator Curry Comb. Using a curry comb on broken or damaged skin may cause further discomfort for the dog.
Pitbulls shed throughout the year and have an increase in shedding in spring and sometimes fall. Their hair is short, making this an ideal tool for them.
Most Pitbulls have a single coat, but some may have double coats due to bloodline variations. Pitbull- Labrador Mixes will also have double coats. This Furminator de-shedding tool will work for both coat types.
Using a de-shedding tool designed for dogs with short coats. Pitbulls have short coats and sensitive skin. De-shedding brushes for medium or long-haired dogs will have long or harsh tines, which could hurt a Pitbull’s skin.
This Furminator De-shedding has a curved edge skin guard to prevent the brush from inadvertently penetrating the short coat and damaging the skin. The curved edge makes it easy to follow the body contours.
There is a hair ejector button which, when pushed, releases the hair caught in the tool. This feature saves a lot of time during grooming. Ejecting the hair keeps the tool in good condition and makes washing it easy.
Pitbulls should be brushed with the Furminator De-shedder once a week. At peak shedding times, the Furminator De-shedder can be used two or three times a week. Your Pitbull will shed less during winter, so drop the number of times you use the de-shedder.
The Hertzko Slicker Brush has a self-cleaning feature. It does this by having a button which, when depressed, retracts the tines.
The hair is easily removed, and the tines return to their normal position once the button is released. In my opinion, this is an essential feature of a slicker brush.
The handle has a soft rubber grip, making grooming easier for the owner.
A slicker brush has thin metal tines attached to a rubber or foam mat. The tines are arranged so that they form a dense hairbrush. The rubber mat allows the tines to have some flexion, preventing them from hurting the animal.
A slicker brush has several purposes. One of these is to detangle mats, but they are unlikely to occur in the short coat of Pitbulls. The second is to pull out loose hair, which is useful for Pitbulls as they constantly shed.
The third function of slicker brushes is removing dead skin cells and gently stimulating the skin. Once the dead skin cells are removed, the new skin can flourish.
A slicker brush would be a good tool for Pitbulls with Ichthyosis – a skin condition where large flakes resembling scales form.
Slicker brushes must be used gently as they can hurt the dog if too much pressure is applied. This is especially true in a Pitbull with a single short coat.
Some Pitbulls may be uncomfortable with a slicker brush. Be aware of your Pitbull’s responses. Do not insist on continuing if the dog is unhappy with being groomed using a slicker brush.
I chose the Hertzko Bristle Brush for Dogs and Cats as a good option for grooming a Pitbull. It has synthetic nylon bristles that imitate boar bristles. They are flexible and move with the skin, slipping through the hair without tugging.
The brush looks like a traditional brush with a handle and a rounded head. The handle has a soft, easy-grip rubber covering, preventing the brush from slipping out the owner’s hand when grooming.
The bristles are densely packed and soft, making grooming a pleasurable experience for a Pitbull. The brush removes loose hair, dust, and dead skin cells, leaving the coat shiny and clean.
Best Brush For Pitbull Puppies
Pitbull puppies have soft skin that needs a gentle brush. It is also essential that puppies have positive associations with grooming so that they learn to enjoy it. My choice of ‘brush’ for puppies is the Kong Zoom Groom.
This small rubber brush fits easily in the palm of our hand, making it easy to use. It comes in two bright colors, so you will not easily lose it.
The Kong Zoom Groom can be used on dry hair to remove loose hair, dirt, and mud. The rubber makes it an excellent tool for stimulating the skin, releasing natural oils that enhance the coat quality.
The Kong Zoom Groom is the best grooming tool for bathing your Pitbull puppy or adult. Lathering the shampoo with the Kong Zoom Groom provides a deep clean and loosens all the hair ready to shed.
Professional groomers often choose the Kong Zoom Groom in their grooming parlors. They use it mostly to shampoo the dogs and remove all the loose hair.
The Kong Zoom Groom has very positive reviews, with most people finding the tool useful for dry brushing and bathing their Pitbull puppy.
It is ideal for puppies because it is so gentle on the skin. Kong products are made from durable rubber, which means the Zoom Groom will not suffer much damage if your Pitbull puppy accidentally gets hold of it for a chew – although we do not recommend it as a chew toy!
The lack of sharp bristles, hard times, and blades makes the Kong Zoom Groom safe to use with your Pitbull puppy.
A Buying Guide For Grooming Tools
Choosing a grooming tool or brush is not as simple as it might originally seem. If you have ever struggled through a grooming session with an unhappy dog, you will know how vital it is to have the right tools.
Determine The Type Of Coat Your Dog Has
The first aspect of choosing grooming equipment is deciding what coat your dog has. Coats vary in length and are usually divided into short, medium, and long. The dog’s coat may also be single-layered or double.
Pitbulls usually have short coats. They generally have single-layered coats that lie close to their bodies. The coats are thin and provide minimal protection from the elements. American Bullies, Bull Terriers, Daschunds, and American Staffordshire Terriers have the same coat type as Pitbulls.
Contrast a Pitbull’s coat with a Labrador that has a short double coat. The Labrador has a thick pelt that is very different from the short sleek coat of the Pitbull. Some Pitbulls may have double coats, but they are in the minority.
Other dogs with short double coats are Rottweilers, Bloodhounds, Bassets, Beagles, and Pugs.
Medium-length coats are seen on German Shepherds, Border Collies and Akitas. Dogs with medium coats usually have double coats.
Dogs with long coats are Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Newfoundlands, St Bernards, Afghan Hounds, Rough Collies, and Pomeranians. Most long-haired dogs have double coats, but some, like Afghans, have long single-layered coats.
Coats may also be smooth like a Smooth Coated Fox Terrier. They can be wiry such as in Wirehaired Pointers, or curly, as seen in Poodles. Some Pocket American Bullies have wire-haired coats inherited from their Patterdale parents.
Pitbulls are being crossed with many different dog breeds, including some with longer coats, such as Border Collies, or wire-haired coats, such as Airedales.
These Pitbull hybrids can have different coats from the typical Pitbull coat. Before selecting grooming tools, determine what type of coat your Pitbull Hybrid has.
Once you have identified your dog’s coat type, you can look at the brushes needed.
Short, single coats such as Pitbulls are probably one of the easiest to maintain. They shed throughout the year, but they need minimal grooming equipment.
Choose The Best Bristles For Your Pitbull
When choosing a brush, it helps to think of your reaction to different hair brushes. If your hair is thin, it is uncomfortable to have sharp, long tines or hard bristles. If you have thick hair, you want the long tines and hard bristles that can get through the dense hair.
When evaluating dog brushes, look at the length and hardness of the bristles. The softest bristles are usually natural ones, such as boar bristles. These bristles are flexible and do not stab or poke the skin under the hair.
Most boar bristle brushes comply with non-cruelty practices, but you can investigate each manufacturer’s policy before purchasing a boar bristle brush. Some synthetic bristles mimic boar bristles. These brushes may be cheaper, and they definitely do not compromise boars.
The dog is not the only consideration in the grooming process. You may prefer certain grooming tools based on your hand size, mobility, and grooming technique. Some people prefer long-handled brushes and some brushes that fit in your hand.
There is a third option which is a grooming glove. These rubber gloves have rubber bristles that you use to stroke the dog and collect all the loose hair. Most of these gloves do not have long bristles and may not be effective on longer-haired dogs.
Some rubber bristles seem to tug and snag hair which can be uncomfortable for the dog. Check how smoothly the bristles glide over hair by running it through your hair. It will give you some indication if it snags the hair.
If your dog has a double or a long coat, you will need more tools to remove mats and tangles from the undercoat. This requires de-matting tools, de-shedding tools, rakes, slicker brushes, and more.
Fortunately, the pure American Pitbull has a single coat, and you can manage grooming with a good bristle brush.
Conclusion
In my experience, if you need to choose only one grooming product for a Pitbull, it should be a good bristle brush. The ConairPro Boar Bristle Brush is my best choice because of the softness and flexibility of the bristles.
The fact that it is used in my hand instead of having a long handle makes it easy to use while grooming. I like the fact that it looks different from most other brushes, as this helps dogs that have had bad grooming experiences.
The ConairPro is reasonably priced and easily accessible. It can be used on Pitbull puppies and adults. You can buy one brush when your Pitbull is a puppy and keep using the same brush as he grows.
Hi everyone, I’m Emily Andrews and I can’t wait to explain why Bullypaw.org means so much to me.
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a veterinarian. I loved every dog, horse, bird, and squirrel. But from an early age, I noticed that bully dogs like Pitbulls and Staffordshire Terriers were given a different treatment than their friends.
Everyone said they were prone to aggression, but I didn’t believe it. They seemed just as friendly as my family Labrador. Turns out I was right. These dogs are loyal and were once considered the perfect nanny dogs.
My love for animals wasn’t just a childhood fantasy. In 2002 I graduated from my veterinary school in New Zealand with a BVSc. I wanted to travel the world and help rejected animals as I went, but to do that I needed to pass the American Exams. It didn’t take long for me to earn a DVM, and soon I was heading to Florida.
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