Ideal Dog – the French manufacturer behind the ShowStar combs

Ideal Dog is a tool brand that you recognise mainly by one item: the coloured steel ShowStar comb that is found in many show bags. Here you can find out which company is behind Ideal Dog, what makes its combs and forceps stand out and where you can buy Ideal Dog in Germany.

Who is behind Ideal Dog

Ideal Dog belongs to Chadog Diffusion, a French wholesaler and manufacturer of pet supplies based in Aytré near La Rochelle. Chadog supplies dog grooming salons, breeders and specialist retailers. The range includes more than 7,000 items from over 200 international suppliers, plus its own warehouse of 65,000 square metres.

Alongside wholesale, Chadog has built up its own brands, each for one step of coat care: Phoenix for salon equipment such as tables, tubs and dryers, Ideal Cut for scissors, Oh My Dog and Idealplant for cosmetics. Ideal Dog is the brand for hand tools: brushes, combs, nail care and accessories. Our plush toys, incidentally, come from the same company; you can find them in the Chadog collection.

The ShowStar combs: two tooth layouts, one job

A steel comb is the most important tool for long coats. Only it shows you whether the coat is really free all the way down to the skin. A brush often only smooths the surface, while the knots stay put underneath. The ShowStar combs come in blue, pink, purple and black, and in two versions:

• ShowStar 50/50, 19 cm. Half of the comb has wide-spaced teeth, the other half narrow-spaced ones, 26 mm long. You comb through first with the wide side and check with the narrow one. It is the all-rounder for Coton de Tuléar, Maltese, Bichon Frise and Havanese.
• ShowStar 80/20, 20 cm. Four fifths wide-spaced teeth, one fifth narrow-spaced, with teeth 34 mm long. It is made for thick, long coats, where you cover more area and only comb finely at the end.

Here is how to comb properly: work strand by strand, with your hand holding the coat above the spot. First the tips, then bit by bit closer to the skin. If the comb catches, do not pull, but loosen the knot with your fingers and start again.

Tools for face, ears and nails

Precision is called for around the head. Ideal Dog has small, specialised items for this:

• Yorkshire face comb. 13 cm long, fine teeth of 17 mm. With it you loosen crusts and dirt at the corners of the eyes and comb out the beard.
• Metal ear forceps. 14 cm, with a locking mechanism so that the forceps hold the hair securely. They are used to grip excess hair at the entrance to the ear canal. Pluck only as much as is really necessary, and only in the visible area. If the ear smells, is red or your dog often shakes its head, have the vet look at it.
• Pro de luxe Small nail clippers. Stainless steel blade, non-slip rubber grip, 12.5 cm long and a light 65 g, suitable for small dogs. With light nails you cut only the clear part. With dark nails you cannot see the boundary, so it is better to work in small steps or have a breeder or vet show you the technique.

Microfibre towels for bath time

Anyone who bathes a long coat knows the problem: an ordinary towel is soaked after half a dog, and rubbing mats the coat. The Ideal Dog microfibre towels come in a set of two, measure 60 × 100 cm and absorb up to one litre of water. You lay the towel on, press the water out and switch to the second towel instead of rubbing. This way the dog goes to the dryer damper but not dripping wet, and the coat stays smooth. The towels are washable at 30 degrees and available in blue, pink and grey.

Who Ideal Dog suits

Ideal Dog is not a specialist tool for one particular breed but basic equipment. Owners of dogs with long or curly coats that need regular combing benefit most: Coton de Tuléar, Maltese, Bichon Frise, Havanese, Yorkshire Terrier and Poodle. For them, a ShowStar comb is the check after every brushing. The face comb and ear forceps come into play as soon as hair grows into the eye or ear. The towels suit any dog that gets bathed.

What we recommend

• The first comb: ShowStar 50/50. If you only buy one comb, make it this one.
• For thick, long coats: ShowStar 80/20 with the longer teeth.
• For the face: Yorkshire face comb, a few strokes around the eyes every day.
• For bath time: the microfibre set, two towels per bath.

Why we stock Ideal Dog

We are happy to recommend the ShowStar comb because it does what a comb should do: it shows every knot before it turns into a mat. cotonluv is an authorised dealer for Ideal Dog. If you are not sure which comb suits your dog, send us a photo of the coat via WhatsApp.

All Ideal Dog products at a glance →

Manufacturer and product safety

IDEAL DOG is a brand of Chadog Diffusion, France. You can find the address, the responsible person in the EU and all other product safety information on our Product safety page.