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Use your fingers to remove any loose burrs or awns from the surface of your dog's coat. Be very gentle, remembering that the dog may not like you pulling at its fur. Try to remove the burrs by detangling the fur around it with your fingers. You may need to wear gloves to avoid getting pricked, particularly with the harder, spike-like burrs. Use a wide-toothed metal dog comb or hair pick. Work the comb under any visible burrs and gently pull them out. This works best on loosely adhering or single burrs or awns. If the burr or awn in severely tangled, you can start at the edge of the tangle and work your way in. You can use a pliers to crush the burr head, to break it up into smaller pieces. This should make it easier to remove. Be careful with your fingers and your dog's skin when attempting this. You don't want to pinch either. Sometimes, especially in long-haired dogs with undercoats that are deeply tangled, the burrs will need to be shaved or cut off. This should be done very carefully, as the skin can be burned by hot clipper heads or cut by sharp scissors. A good way of doing this is to work a comb under the tangle and then clip or cut above the comb. This can help protect the skin from injury. If you are hesitant to cut the burrs out of your dog's coat, take it to get done by a groomer. They should be skilled at this safely cutting your dog's fur.
Remove visible burrs. Comb the dog. Break tough burs into pieces. Cut out stubborn burrs.