Michelle Widrick

Homework Assignment #4: Practice – Brushing

My practice pet for this assignment was my Saint Bernard Puppy. She is a rough coat Saint. The
brushes that I used for her were:
 Large slicker brush from grooming kit
 Greyhound comb from grooming kit
 Undercoat rake from grooming kit
 Pin Brush (for her tail) with one I had at home
 Anti-Stat Spray from grooming kit

I used the Anti-Stat spray to help with the static that I usually get when I brush my dogs. I then
chose the slicker brush to do an all over body brush. It sure did remove a lot of hair. I started
with her back feet and worked my way up her body. I made sure to get under her legs (armpits)
of all four legs. I did not find any mats of any kind due to the fact I have always brushed my
dogs on a weekly basis. After I finished brushing her, I used the undercoat rake that was
included in my grooming kit, to make sure there were no tangles or mats. Then I took my
greyhound comb and did a pass through to make sure the comb glided nicely through her coat
to make sure I did not miss any tangles.

My overall experience was great. I was used to brushing the dogs before but definitely feel
more confident in doing it now as I know better what to do and what to look for. The only
challenge with her is that sometimes she doesn’t like to stay still. She is still relatively a puppy
(1 year old) and loves her momma so there was a lot of kisses going on. I was surprised how
much easier it was to brush her with the proper tools I now have. My level of confidence in
completing this task now is very high. I feel that I did a lot better job now with the knowledge
and tools to complete the task.