Some brushing questions from an overwhelmed doodle owner

[thyda]

I have a 10 month old border collie x poodle, and I'm trying my best to adapt to her new adult coat. She tends towards a more wavy/shaggy thick coat rather than the 'typical' poodle curls. I brush once (or twice) a day, and do a full line brush (with metal comb) once a week.

I need to buy a new slicker brush and keep seeing the Chris Christensen recommended everywhere. I really don't understand the difference between the big G, big K and Mark slicker brushes or what size would be best to get. The Mark ones are my preference based purely on the wooden handle/curved back, but I'd appreciate your advice. My dog is 20kgs (44lbs). Her coat is very full/thick and the pins on my current slicker are just too shallow to reach her skin easily.

I'm struggling with her armpits (they are surprisingly deep?) and the hair between her toes. I haven't had matting yet but get "clumps" that would definitely turn to matts if I didn't catch them when I did. Should I buy a small slicker to reach these areas, or would the big g/k/mark whatever work well for those areas? Her skin is so thin there that I worry that the big brushes will scratch her - should I use one of those slickers with the little bobbles on the end of the pins? I live in Australia so I can't easily compare the brushes in person (and postage is prohibitive, I'd like to bundle my brushes if I can!). Also, if I get matting in those areas, is it better to snip it off rather than brush out, or would that encourage more tangling further down the track?

Pup loves to run through tall grass, and her coat is fantastic for every bindi/thorn/seed to attach to. She gets upset if I try to pick them out with my fingers, and I need a quick way to get them off her after each walk, before they get embedded in her coat. Is a slicker brush ok to work these out? I've tried using a comb but it gets stuck too easily and I worry that I'm tearing her hair (and hurting her in the process).

Is it possible that I'm over-brushing her if I brush twice a day? I usually start by running the comb through her but so much hair comes out that I switch to the slicker each time. If I just comb her, it goes through cleanly but I end up with tumbleweeds of hair all over my home.

Finally, can someone tell me what to do with keeping her beard clean? She walks around drooling like a soaking wet mop and it gets so gross . Is there anything I can do short of giving her a full shampoo in that area? I've heard of waterless shampoos but would they be appropriate for her chin (and the gross bits of her muzzle that curl over and try to live in her mouth).

Thanks in advance for any advice you guys can give . I'm trying my best here but found the clumps between her toes today and it got me really upset that I'd somehow missed those, when I've been trying my absolute best all this time.

 

[livelifeliving33]

@thyda The Big K will be your best option for overall brushing. It has longer pins as well as a denser grouping of pins compared to the other brushes. It's great for doodle coats.

For the toes and armpits, these are areas that are frequently shaved out because once matting forms it can be very painful to brush them out because the skin is so thin. The clean, shaved feet on a traditional poodle groom essentially eliminates the issue and is why it's actually a practical style rather than just a vanity style. I'd never recommend using scissors for those areas, though, it's very easy to cut skin. Use a #10 blade if you can to spot shave. For in between toes, you want to spread the webbing so you have a clear idea of what is hair and what is skin before shaving. You don't have to shave the whole foot, just scoop out in between.

Slickers can brush out seeds. It might be worth looking into one of those whole body suits to use on walks to keep them off of her if the process is too much.

I don't think you're overbrushing but you might want to pair your brush time with a spritz on conditioner. Brushing dry hair too much can damage it, but slightly damp hair won't be as easily.

The beard issue is, again, why poodles often get shaved faces. You could try to just get it trimmed very tight without shaving it but otherwise, you just have to clean it often. You can use dry shampoos or a conditioning spray to freshen it up but it will benefit most from a full wash, maybe even weekly.

 

[jp175]

@livelifeliving33 This is a perfect reply. The only thing I have to add — OP, you asked if cutting would make it more likely to tangle in the future. I wanted to let you know, while it should generally be done with clippers, cutting matts out provides a fresh start to the hair and allows it to regrow healthily. Trying to brush matts out actually makes it more likely to matt in the future, as brushing through it damages the hair down to the follicle and that broken hair that’s left is more likely to matt and requires more care.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@livelifeliving33 I just wanted to add to this pretty spot on comment.

Don't start with a comb. Combs are for checking your work only, never for deshedding on its own.

I find the kenchii slicker brushes to be awesome and usually sold in a set of 3 quite cheaply, if you wanted an alternative brush.

Also, I highly recommended nature's speciality: Quicker slicker for your brush-outs. I buy it in 3 litre bottles and use it on every long-haired and curly-haired breed I groom. It helps get the coat out, while conditioning and preventing brush burn.

Side note, I keep my cavoodle shaved to a #5 blade all over and #10 sanitary every 2 weeks, all year round. I would rather eat razor blades than go through that much extra brushing and I'm pretty sure she would to.

Edit: spelling.

 

[magnolialee]

@thyda No hate but this is why doodle type coats never developed in any pure breeds. they do not practically function for everyday life. The only way to save your sanity is to get her clipped with a clean face and feet and keep body short enough to avoid tangles.

 

[samr1977]

@magnolialee Totally agree unless they want to spend their whole existence brushing their Doodle.

 

[2ndclass]

@magnolialee Yeahhh… I mean, I get why people like the doodle cut, but there’s a reason almost every poodle cut you see will include a clean face and feet. My pup is going 2 months without a cut bc of vaccination schedules vs grooming schedules and holy shit. I can barely handle his feet and muzzle at like 1/2 an inch of hair.

 

[cathya]

@thyda So this is probably not the answer you want to hear but I suggest keeping it short, like 5/8” at most. Some doodle coats are easy/medium maintenance, if they are wire haired for instance, and some are practically impossible to maintain even with an extreme amount of brushing.

If you’re struggling now, things will get even more difficult if you live in an area where you get rainy springs.

Between the difficulty keeping them mat-free, the extreme amount of dirt they sponge up and lock in, the long time they take to dry and the very unsanitary business that goes on with all that wet, soupy hair that gets sucked into their mouth, I think shaving is 100x more practical and hygienic.

 

[kjdenman77]

@cathya I was gonna say this too. It’s basically a full time job to keep them that long.

 

[xekuter]

@thyda Doodles have the deepest armpits in the world. Some of them it’s even hard to shave out in the usual way one would shave armpits. I agree with other commenters that the armpits really need to be shaved, they mat easily and really can’t safely be brushed. You won’t be able to see that they’re shaved 99% of the time.

Unfortunately there is no cure for gross doodle beard. Practically everyone asks for a short chin for this very reason, and let me tell you that doodle beard stink gets all over your hands and can really linger lol. You don’t need to do a full clean face, you can get like a 5 blade under the chin and keep more of the moustache.

 

[jenny777]

@thyda So as a groomer I always try and cut the pieces inside the mouth because I was told that they harbor bacteria from being wet with slobber all the time and can cause teeth problems and consequently breath problems. Lol. Don’t feel bad about the toes, they can be hard to see especially when you’re taking great care of ALL the other places on the dog. Of which there are a lot. People don’t realize how much goes into even just one dog when it’s a higher maintenance dog grooming wise.

 

[shofargod]

@jenny777 Yea if it’s just by the lips and the hair that seems to grow into the mouth is the issue, then I’ll shave that, but not anything on the face face. Looks and I’m sure it feels much better for them too

 

[chaz1268]

@thyda Do you bathe her yourself at home? If so, investing in a velocity dryer would do wonders for you. It’s going to do more for you than any brush or comb ever could.

Yo be honest, it sounds like you would be much happier if you got your dog cut down to a more manageable length. I know you probably love the long fluffy coat but it truly is not sustainable for the average person.

 

[littlemiracle7]

@thyda If you're getting hair out easily with a comb it's dead hair that will make your brushing a whole lot easier if you get it out. I'm struggling today understand exactly what coat type you've got so I'm not sure recently recommending an equigroomer is the right call, but a full bath with the strongest boowbdrier you can get your hands on (blowing against the direction of the fur) would help you a ton. I'd do this once a month if it was my dog but you can play it by ear. If you really don't want to buy anything or bath just get as much as you can work th the comb and see if it helps

 

[tatiana92]

@thyda My groomer recommends using corn starch for matts. You rub it into the Matt, then it’s easy to comb out. Not sure if it’s available by you, but Blueberry Facial shampoo is good to use on the face 1/week—use squirt bottle to rinse.

 

[tlwilnos]

@tatiana92 Does the cornstarch trick work for you?

 

[tatiana92]

@tlwilnos Yes! I use this truck on my shih tzus and a wheaten terrier. Try not to get matts in the first place, but it happens when they get wet outside and lay down to get dry. Works like a charm

 

[tlwilnos]

@tatiana92 Do you have to bathe them after the cornstarch or can it remain in the coat?

 

[tatiana92]

@tlwilnos No need to wash—mostly comes out when you brush/comb them

 

[tonycolors]

@thyda Big K slicker sounds like the best option. If you’re putting in a big Chris Christensen order I also recommend their butter comb and the mark x slicker. If you are keeping the coat long I also recommend the 27mm pin brush and the ice slip pin brush. I use these 4 tools on my bearded collie. He has a very thick double coat that gets matted easily during herding practice. I’ve found all five tools to be helpful depending on what I need. I really like the tiny mark x slicker for getting behind his ears. The big k brush will work too but it’s a little more cumbersome in tight spaces.

As others have mentioned I recommend getting your dog clipped down, if nothing else to start with a clean slate while you get practice managing the coat. I really should have done that with my beardie in hindsight.