Best brush for a Samoyed
The short answer is two tools, not one: a slicker or pin brush for the topcoat, and a separate undercoat rake or comb for the dense woolly layer underneath. A Samoyed's coat is built to insulate in snow, which means it sheds enormously, and a single all-purpose brush skims the surface without ever reaching the undercoat that actually causes matting and the twice-yearly coat blow.
Why a Samoyed's coat needs two different tools
Samoyeds carry a true double coat: a soft, dense undercoat close to the skin and a longer, harsher outer layer of guard hairs that sheds dirt and water. The two layers behave completely differently under a brush. A slicker or pin brush glides through the outer coat and lifts loose guard hairs and surface debris, but its fine, closely spaced pins rarely get down to the undercoat without a lot of pressure, which is uncomfortable for the dog and does little for the wool underneath.
An undercoat rake, by contrast, has widely spaced teeth designed to reach through the topcoat and pull the loose, dead undercoat out without cutting the guard hairs. Twice a year, usually spring and autumn, a Samoyed 'blows' its coat and sheds a huge volume of undercoat over a few weeks. A rake used regularly through that period is the difference between managing it and being buried in fur.
What to look for beyond the basic type
Within slicker brushes, a self-cleaning design that retracts the pins to release trapped hair is worth the extra cost on a breed that produces this much loose coat — pulling matted fur off a fixed-pin brush by hand gets old fast. Look for a firm, comfortable handle too, since a full brush-out on an adult Samoyed is not a two-minute job.
For the undercoat rake or comb, rounded tooth tips matter more than they sound: sharp or square-edged teeth can catch and nick skin, especially around the thinner-coated areas behind the ears and on the belly. A double-sided comb with wider teeth on one side and finer teeth on the other covers both a first pass and a finishing pass without switching tools.
A routine that actually keeps on top of it
Outside of the seasonal blow, two to three sessions a week with the slicker brush is usually enough to stop mats forming, particularly behind the ears, under the front legs and around the tail — the areas where friction and moisture build up. During the coat blow itself, daily brushing with the rake makes a genuine difference to how much fur ends up on the floor rather than the dog.
Brush before a bath rather than after. A Samoyed's coat mats more easily once it's wet, and matted fur that gets wet and dries again sets harder and is much more work to remove. Working through any tangles dry, then bathing, then a final light brush once the coat is fully dry gives the best result with the least fighting.
What we stock for this breed
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Ancol Ergo Wooden Handle Slicker Brush
A stainless steel slicker brush on a wooden handle, for short, long, wiry and curly coats
From£6.99
Wahl Competition Series Clipper Blades
High-precision, chrome-plated clipper blades with a rust-resistant finish, available in 17 sizes for every coat type and clipping style.
From£37.99
Ancol Ergo Double Sided Comb
Ancol Ergo Double Sided Comb: a SGL grooming comb for combing the coat
£8.79
Ancol Ergo Grooming Glove
A rubber grooming glove for dogs, for removing loose hair on wet or dry coats
£9.79
Wahl Pet Grooming Scissors with Finger Rest
Stainless steel finishing scissors with ergonomic offset handles — perfect for tidying around eyes, ears, mouth, and paws.
£5.49
Ancol Ergo Universal Slicker
A universal slicker brush for dogs, for coats from smooth to curly
From£6.79
Large Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush for Mats and Tangles
A self-cleaning slicker brush with fine, bead-tipped wire pins that gently lift loose undercoat, mats and tangles from short or long-haired pets. A one-click button releases the collected fur for fuss-free cleaning. Cat-ear shaped design.
£18.99
Slicker Brush for Dogs — Detangling & De-shedding
An ergonomic slicker brush with anti-scratch pins that works through tangles and removes dead hair from top and undercoat.
From£9.99
Groom Professional Curved Soft Slicker Brush
A professional-grade curved slicker brush with soft pins, designed to groom delicate and soft-coated pets without discomfort.
From£8.99
Round-Tipped Deshedding Rake Comb
A double-sided undercoat rake with rounded stainless-steel blades that gently cut through mats and remove loose hair. The non-slip ergonomic handle makes deshedding dogs and cats quick and comfortable.
From£8.99
Self-Cleaning Deshedding Slicker Brush
A deshedding grooming tool for dogs and cats that lifts loose undercoat and eases out tangles, with a self-cleaning button that releases the trapped fur in one press.
£25.99
Common questions
- How often should I brush a Samoyed?
- Two to three times a week is a reasonable baseline for most of the year, rising to daily during the spring and autumn coat blow when the undercoat sheds heavily. Skipping more than a week or so tends to let mats start forming behind the ears and under the legs.
- Do Samoyeds need to be clipped?
- No, and it's generally not recommended. The double coat regulates body temperature in both hot and cold weather, and clipping it removes that insulation and can affect how the coat grows back. Regular brushing to manage shedding is the better long-term approach than clipping it short.
- What's the actual difference between a slicker brush and an undercoat rake?
- A slicker brush has fine, closely spaced pins that work on the surface layer and remove loose hair and debris from the topcoat. An undercoat rake has wider, longer teeth designed to reach through to the dense woolly undercoat underneath and pull out the loose, dead hair a slicker brush mostly misses.
- Can I use a human hairbrush on a Samoyed?
- It's not a good substitute. Human brushes aren't designed to work through two very different coat layers or cope with the volume of loose undercoat a Samoyed sheds, and the bristles can be too fine or too widely spaced to do either job properly. A proper slicker brush and undercoat rake are worth having specifically.
- Why does my Samoyed's coat keep matting even though I brush it?
- It's usually a sign the undercoat isn't being reached, not that brushing isn't happening. A slicker brush alone often only manages the topcoat, leaving the woolly undercoat underneath to tangle and felt against the skin. Adding a rake or wide-toothed comb specifically for that layer, especially around the ears and legs, usually solves it.
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Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.