 We used to put the hose on, and then there's a hose end attachment that you can use to comb your dog. But it also has water going through, so as you comb the hair out, it cools the dog down. And even if your dog is not a water dog, you'll be surprised at how much they do like to cool down in the water. Young dogs and old dogs are more at risk than dogs that are in the prime of their life.