Are rake brushes bad?

[Daisy’sMom]

I use several types of brushes on my three year old Blenheim. The one that seems to get the shedding hair out the best is my rake brush. However, I noticed that her hair looks a little fuzzy. My wife tells me it is due to me grooming her, and it is the undercoat that is showing through that looks fuzzy. I’m wondering if it is due to the brush, or if she is just shedding for the fall and winter. Or is it really because I clip her coat (just a little) in the summer, and it is the undercoat growing. Any advice?

 

[Karlin]

A rake is a pretty typical grooming tool and are widely used by show people so can't imagine a rake per se would cause coat issues (though many feel Mars Coat Kings or other bladed tools cut the coat and cause it to go fluffy). A fuzzier coat could be due to many things. They are sometimes called 'spay coats' as spayed females sometimes get a more cottony (fluffy and drier looking coat). However I've had intact males and intact unspayed rescue females that had so-called spay coats! So it can also be genetics. It can also be due to cutting a coat, so perhaps that clipping is causing the fuzziness. Show breeders would never, ever clip coats for dogs that are being shown precisely because of the concern than it can (supposedly) cause them to go fluffier and dry. But also keep in mind that shiny flat coats are generally due to using coat care products like conditioners and coat shine and blowing dry the coat so it sits flat or drying the dog in a drying coat which holds it flat (so can be a bit artificial...).

So those are the likeliest possibilities that come to mind, or a combination? Some others may have ideas too!