Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush

The reason most slicker brushes end up at the back of a drawer is not the brushing, it is what comes afterwards: picking a dense wad of fur out from between the pins a pinch at a time while the dog wanders off. Pressing the button on this one retracts the pins, the whole pad of collected hair lifts clear in a second, and you carry on before your pet has decided the session is over.

The pins are fine and angled rather than straight, which matters more than it sounds. Angled pins enter the coat at a shallower angle and travel along the hair shaft instead of digging towards the skin, so they lift loose undercoat while staying kinder to a sensitive back or a thin-coated belly. The head sits on a soft non-slip handle, which is worth having on a long session, because a slicker is worked with the wrist and a handle that slips is a handle you grip too hard.

• One-click button retracts the pins to release collected hair
• Fine angled pins lift loose fur and undercoat
• Skin-friendly design for regular grooming
• Suitable for dogs, cats and rabbits
• Soft non-slip handle
• Two colours, blue and pink

Use it lightly. The slicker is the tool most often used too hard. Let the weight of the head do the work in short strokes with the coat rather than against it, and stop when the brush stops filling. Pushing on over the same patch is what causes the pink, irritated skin that owners tend to blame on the brush itself. On a matted coat, work at the edge of the mat instead of driving straight through the middle of it.

Who it's for: Owners of double-coated or long-haired dogs, cats and rabbits who groom often enough that emptying the brush has become the annoying part.