can anyone tell me if a mars comb is suitable to use on a scottish terrier, I will not be showing him.
And what size to use.
Shell

I do dog grooming, but inherited most of my kit off mother years ago and havent got a clue what they are as all wooden handles dog chewed over the years. Val is the one to answer this for you I think.
VAL WHERE ARE YOU!

Here I am! Here I am!! ;)
The Mars is a stripping knife and being a knife, it has a blade. If you use it like a comb and "stroke" it through the coat, it will remove dead hair and undercoat. If you grip the coat between your thumb and the blade, it will cut through some of the top coat. But if you're not going to show it really doesn't matter if some of the coat is cut; it's certainly better than clippers! The coarse blade is probably the easiest to learn with and as you progress, then maybe you could try the fine one to get a better finish.
Good luck.

Shelly,

You can also use your fingers to remove outer coat. Just pick up a small amount of coat in the same area, look for the longest hairs, grip the ends of the longest hairs with your thumb and next finger, and give a slight tug. You can also use the stripping comb (blade) in exactly the same way.

Stacey