My best friend has a giant, white, fluffy Samoyed named Zuzu. Zuzu is the epitome of a white, fluffy cloud with a smiling mouth and adorable puppy dog eyes. Truth be told, Zuzu was the dog that made me realize that I, too, was a dog person. You can’t hate Zuzu.

As great as he is, there’s one thing that makes me seriously marvel at my friend’s pet handling skills: her ability to keep his fur super soft. Most Samoyeds I’ve pet have a certain coarseness to their hair. They also shed like it’s going out of style. But, Zuzu? His fur is incredibly soft to the touch and barely sheds at all.

I eventually figured out what made Zuzu’s fur so uniquely fluffy and soft. My friend brushes his hair daily, using a specialty brush. Zuzu, being a furry little ham, adores every second of it. That’s how I learned that having the right brush for your pet makes a huge difference.

Did you ever want to get a brush for your pet, but weren’t sure what would work best?

Pet hair can differ greatly from creature to creature. You need to keep your pet’s hair quality and quantity in mind when you choose a brush for them. Here’s my two cents on the pet brush selection process, having spoken to multiple people about it.

A bald pet, like a Sphynx cat, probably won’t really need a long-bristled brush. They may require a super gentle silicone brush that just massages their skin and just removes what little fuzz they could shed.

Pets that have short hair might not need detangling, but they will need deshedding action from their brush. So, they’ll probably need a grippy brush that has bristles ready to pick up hair that would otherwise end up on the family couch. Most short-haired pets will also need some grooming ability from their brush.

If you have a pet with long or extra fluffy hair, you definitely will need detangling abilities from your pet brush—not to mention the typical grooming and deshedding action of a typical short hair pet brush.

The more multifunctional the tool, the easier it’ll be to use.

I’ve spoken to a lot of dog groomers and pet groomers in my day, and they offered a huge swath of different pet brushes that apparently work pretty well.  The problem with the items they offered up were meant for professionals.

Professional tools require professional methods of use. The methods groomers use are a bit too complex for pet owners who have a need for a simple, easy solution. It makes sense, considering that they’re professional-grade tools.

I finally asked my friend what she uses on her dog…

Eventually, I asked my buddy what brush she used for her dog. My friend uses the Michel Mercier Brush for pets, which grooms, detangles, and also desheds. It’s a tool that works for both professionals and casual users, which is why she loves it.

The brush itself is the reason why her sofa stays fur-free, and why her vacuum cleaner hasn’t been choked with white fur. I have to admit, it’s an impressive brush. I picked up a brush for my cat and have found similarly awesome results.  It’s also great that it’s from the makers of Kampalook human brushes.