Slicker brushes have a bed of fine, closely spaced wires  that usually are hooked or bent; they're good all-purpose brushes for  removing mats, loose hair and debris.

Start by washing your dog and adding a conditioner for the coat. I spoke to a groomer once and she taught me to groom my dog. She said 90% of the job is the blow dry.

So get a soft brush and blow dry you dog on LOW setting.

You don’t want to burn their eyes, or tender skin. If you don’t have a blow dryer, buy one for your dog.

After your dog looks like a big puff of cotton (long haired breeds only)

Start at the hind quarters and using a curved scissors with a blunt tip, start cutting the hair on each leg.

If your dogs are the kind who are shaved, then get out your clippers and using a number 1 guide or a # 7 for dog clippers, shave your togs body according to his standard look.

It’s very worthwhile to groom your dog.  Because while you are grooming, you will see if any changes have happened to the body of your pet. 

I have found fatty tumors (which are common in older dogs) and moles and all sorts of suspicious bumps, scabs etc. that I would never have found if I had not groomed my dog