7 Best Brushes for Bernese Mountain Dogs in 2023 – Reviews & Top Picks

Bernese Mountain Dogs look elegant and refined with their tri-colored fur, but their double coats aren’t the easiest to look after. You need a brush that will reach into their dense undercoat without damaging the waterproof guard layer. The best brush will do both, along with untangling mats, collecting loose fur and dirt, and spreading the natural oils throughout your dog’s coat to keep it waterproof, shiny, and in good health.

Choosing between deshedders, pin, and slicker brushes can be difficult for new dog owners, so we compiled these reviews to help you get started. We hope that this list will give you a head start in finding the perfect brush for your Bernese Mountain Dog.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023

	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Mighty Paw Dog Grooming Rake	Ergonomic handle Two-in-one dematter and deshedder Made with stainless steel for extra durability	Check Price
Best Value		Hartz Groomer's Best Combo Dog Brush	Ergonomic handle Two-in-one design Pin brush detangles fur	Check Price
Premium Choice		Hartz Groomer's Fur Fetcher Dog Brush	No blades Ergonomic handle Designed to reduce shedding	Check Price
Best for Puppies		Mr. Peanut's Hand Gloves	Made with soft rubber pins Suitable for all coat types Can be used on wet or dry fur	Check Price
		Hertzko Self-Cleaning Brush	Self-cleaning feature Detangles fur Anti-slip rubber handle	Check Price

The 7 Best Brushes for Bernese Mountain Dogs

The Mighty Paw Grooming Rake is designed with stainless-steel blades and has two sides so you can untangle mats and remove dead fur to thin out your dog’s coat. Constructed with metal, it’s durable and rust resistant without causing your dog pain when you use it. The ergonomic handle also ensures your comfort during lengthy grooming sessions.

Although the comb is designed to be used on all dogs, it’s most suited for long fur and double coats, which makes it the best overall brush for Bernese Mountain Dogs. You can choose between an orange or green color scheme.

Unlike some other dog rakes, the Mighty Paw isn’t sharp enough to cut away matted fur. While it glides through looser tangles, it may have trouble with harder knots.

When it comes to dog supplies, brushes are relatively inexpensive, but a few of the fancy options can get pricey. Fortunately, many options are budget friendly, like the Hartz Groomer’s Best Combo Dog Brush. As the best brush for Bernese Mountain Dogs for the money, it uses a double-sided design to combine a nylon bristle brush with a stainless-steel pin brush.

While the pin brush enables you to untangle knotted fur deep in your dog’s coat, the soft bristle brush tends to the health of their outer coat by redistributing the natural oils. Like many other dog brush designs, it has an ergonomic handle.

As a brush on the cheaper side, it isn’t as sturdy as some other options available.

Although it’s a bit expensive, the Hartz Groomer’s Best Fur Fetcher uses a micro comb design without blades to remove shed hair from your dog’s coat. The comb is designed with two rows to ensure that as much loose fur is gathered as possible, and the lack of blades means it’s less likely to hurt your dog. Both rows can reach deep into thick double coats to reduce shedding, and the brush handle is ergonomically designed to ensure that it’s comfortable for you to hold.

Mostly made from plastic, this deshedder doesn’t contain metal and isn’t at risk of rusting. However, the material is also less durable than most metal brushes that you can buy.

Brushes can be difficult to hold and maneuver through your Bernese Mountain Dog’s coat, which is where Mr. Peanut’s Hand Gloves excel. They enable you to pet your dog as normal while removing loose fur and dirt from their coat. Made with silicone pins, the gloves work with wet and dry fur while being easier to clean than bristle, pin, or slicker brushes. The design is suitable for all types of dogs and cats, whether they have single or double coats, so you can use them on all your pets.

Despite having an adjustable strap so one size fits all, dog owners with smaller hands might find the gloves difficult to wear and use.

One of the worst things about grooming dogs is cleaning the brush afterward. Slicker brushes are renowned for being difficult to clean, which is why Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush is ideal. Unlike other slicker brushes, this one has a self-cleaning button that retracts the bristles so you can easily remove the fur and lint collected on the brush.

Designed for both dogs and cats, the metal bristles glide through fur and untangle mats. The anti-slip handle is easy to hold during long grooming sessions, to alleviate strain on your hand and wrist.

Metal bristles can be too sharp for some dogs with skin sensitivities or short fur, and some pet owners find the self-cleaning button difficult to use.

Slicker brushes are one of the best ways to detangle knots as you groom your dog. The Bass Brushes De-matting Slicker comes in three sizes and can be bought on its own or in a two-pack if you have more than one dog at home.

It has a stylish bamboo handle that makes it more eco-friendly than the plastic brushes available, and it has a rubber grip for comfort.

The metal pins are made from a premium alloy and are designed to ease through your dog’s coat without hassle, whether they have long or short fur. However, dogs with sensitive skin might find the bristles too rough or sharp. Some dog owners have also found that this slicker brush falls apart easily.

The FURminator Hair Collection Brush is designed with a four-sided comb structure to get hard-to-reach places on your dog, clothing, and furniture. Made from plastic and durable silicone, it collects fur by generating an electrostatic charge to grab lint and hair as you brush your dog’s fur.

Unlike metal brushes, the rubber bristles won’t hurt your dog and are easy to wash off with warm, soapy water. It’s also suitable for wet or dry fur, so you can even groom your dog straight after a bath.

Some users have found it easier to use it to remove shed hair from upholstery and carpets than to groom their dogs. For dogs that shed excessively, like the Bernese Mountain Dog, it can be a useful addition to your grooming kit to keep your furniture clean. However, the rubber bristles aren’t the best at untangling matted fur.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Find the Right Brush for Your Bernese Mountain Dog

What Kind of Brush Do You Use on a Bernese Mountain Dog?

The type of brush that you use on your Bernese Mountain Dog can make or break your grooming session. Different brushes are designed for different fur types and lengths. Here’s an introduction to the most common types of dog grooming brushes so you can figure out what you need in your kit.

Bristle Brush

When you think of brushes, you probably think of ones with thick nylon bristles. Bristle brushes look a little like shoe brushes. While they’re not ideal for reaching your Bernese Mountain Dog’s thick undercoat, bristle brushes are the best way to redistribute the natural oils protecting your dog’s outer layer of fur. They keep your dog’s coat shiny and are good at dislodging dirt and other debris caught in the guard layer.

Deshedding Rake

With their thick metal blades, deshedding rakes look a little scary for first-time dog groomers. They’re designed to reach deep into thick double coats. Although many options are sharp to cut through tangled mats — and you should be careful while using them — they’re specially designed to avoid injuring your dog when used properly.

Due to their ability to reach deep into a dog’s coat, deshedders are also one of the best choices if you want to remove loose fur from your dog’s fur.

Pin Brush

A relatively small brush with metal bristles, a pin brush often has rounded pins, which makes it gentler than slicker brushes. They’re also often paired with bristle brushes as two-in-one options to save space in grooming kits. Although the bristles are farther apart than those on slicker brushes, pin brushes are still helpful for removing dead fur.

Slicker Brush

Similar to a pin brush but with a broader brush head, a slicker brush is a flat brush with metal pins. The pins are more densely packed than a pin brush, so it covers a larger area. Like a pin brush, it helps detangle matted fur and is a good way to collect loose hair from your dog’s coat. They’re often better suited for dogs with longer coats, like Bernese Mountain Dogs.

How Do You Choose the Right Brush?

Now that you understand the different types of brushes, it’s time to decide which brush you need for your Bernese Mountain Dog. For the best results, use a bristle brush and a comb — like a deshedder — that will reach deep into your dog’s coat. But there are a few other things to keep in mind before making your final decision.

Price

Brushes tend to be one of the most affordable supplies when it comes to owning a dog. However, they can get pricey. While it can be tempting to get a fancy, stylish brush with a sleek wooden handle and a personalized engraving, if it doesn’t effectively detangle your dog’s fur, it’ll be mostly useless.

Choose a brush that you can afford and that will work to keep your Bernese Mountain Dog’s fur clean.

Sensitive Skin

Your dog might not suffer from sensitive skin, but it’s worth bearing in mind when you’re considering a brush. Slicker brushes, for example, can be sharp and uncomfortable. It might be effective for removing as much loose fur as possible, but your dog might not like the feel of it against their skin. A pin brush with rounded tips might be a gentler option.

If you’re new to dog ownership and a brush that you bought online is too rough for your dog, try visiting a physical pet store instead. You’ll be able to examine the brushes available and better judge how rough or soft the bristles are.

Size

A Bernese Mountain Dog is a large breed, so you’ll want a brush that makes grooming them as easy as possible. While a small brush will work best when they’re a puppy, once they’re fully grown, that tiny brush might not be as effective at covering their entire coat.

You also need to pay attention to the length of the bristles. If they’re too short, you won’t be able to reach deep enough into your dog’s double coat to keep their undercoat clear of loose fur and debris.

How Often Should You Brush a Bernese Mountain Dog?

First bred to drive cattle and protect livestock and to be drafting dogs, the Bernese Mountain Dog is one of many working dog breeds. Due to this, they developed a thick, double coat to keep them warm when working in the field. Double coats have a dense, fluffy undercoat for insulation and longer, finer fur that serves as a waterproof guard layer.

Their coat can make Bernese Mountain Dogs difficult to groom without proper tools, and it takes a great deal of work, especially during the spring and fall months when they shed their winter and summer coats.

Brushing your Bernese Mountain Dog at least once a week is a good way to make sure their coat doesn’t get matted and to reduce shedding. You might have to groom them more often during the shedding seasons.

Final Thoughts

Buying a dog brush that’s best for your Bernese Mountain Dog’s thick coat can be a challenge. Hopefully, these reviews introduced you to ideal choices, like our overall best, the Mighty Paw Grooming Rake. Designed to reach deep into your dog’s undercoat, it’ll help remove loose fur and debris that shorter bristles can’t reach.

If you don’t have much space in your grooming kit, the Hartz Groomer’s Combo Brush is a two-in-one bristle and pin brush. For removing matted fur and loose hair from the dense undercoat, the Hartz Groomer’s Deshedding Brush is our third best choice.

Featured Image Credit: DenisProduction.com, Shutterstock