This grooming rake is excellent for removing dead undercoat from dogs. It's basically a series of curved metal "fingers" with blades on the inside. The fingers gather the hair as you pull the rake through the dog's fur. The blades allow it to cut through matted hair and they're rounded to keep the dog from being cut. This model has 18 fingers or teeth, making it especially good for larger breeds.

My wife discovered it at a local grooming shop. They used the brush on our dog for six months before we finally decided to purchase one. We have a 110 lb Golden Retriever and our floors are usually covered in a generous layer of dog hair. We've tried other grooming brushes, but this rake easily removed 10 times as much hair.

Bonus: it's fun to use and the dog seems to enjoy it, although he's not picky about which brush we use.

-- Eric Weary

Oster Grooming Rake
$24
Available from Amazon

Manufactured by Oster Professional Products

[There are cheaper grooming rakes and "slicker brushes" that work well from what I've read, but they're often made of plastic. I spoke with the groomer at a pet shop near me, and she said this metal rake is the way to go if longevity is a priority. -- sl]