# I want soft, curly puppy hair-what shampoo?



## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

sarahebeth said:


> My little boy is just 9 weeks. I have only had him since Sunday. when I picked him up, the breeder had just bathed him and blown him dry. He looked precious, but I want to see how he looks with curly puppy hair. How do I do that? He's my first poodle, so this is all new to me. What shampoo do I want to "encourage" soft curls? And conditioner? and would it be better to just towel dry (pat) him and let it dry naturally? Any chance I can get a decent shampoo at Petco or Petsmart?


Soft and curly sort of contradict each other. Puppy hair is soft and wavy. Adult coat is coarse and curly.  In order to bring out as much curl as possible, you'd want to use a crisping shampoo. But with a baby puppy, you're not going to get a whole lot of curl. Just some soft waves.  <3


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## sarahebeth (Feb 16, 2016)

CharismaticMillie said:


> Soft and curly sort of contradict each other. Puppy hair is soft and wavy. Adult coat is coarse and curly.  In order to bring out as much curl as possible, you'd want to use a crisping shampoo. But with a baby puppy, you're not going to get a whole lot of curl. Just some soft waves.  <3


Gotcha. I had no idea. I thought, maybe, it was like people hair...was curly when wet and straight when dried. So, does it not really matter what shampoo I use (as long as it's for puppies)? Do I need conditioner? You can see from my siggy that it is wavy now...maybe that's how it is naturally. I guess I'll see after his first bath this weekend.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Air drying will make whatever curl he may have more apparent. Being a toy well some have lovely curls, some do not. My Pia's hair is a little wavy very thick and still very puppy soft like and she's 16 months old, Beatrice has a curly coarser thick coat she's 22 months old both are toys.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

sarahebeth said:


> Gotcha. I had no idea. I thought, maybe, it was like people hair...was curly when wet and straight when dried. So, does it not really matter what shampoo I use (as long as it's for puppies)? Do I need conditioner? You can see from my siggy that it is wavy now...maybe that's how it is naturally. I guess I'll see after his first bath this weekend.


Well, yes, just like people hair, if you blow dry it straight it will be straight. And if you let it air dry, it will bring out whatever wave is present. Be careful about letting coat air dry, though, especially if its on the long side. Unless its kept very short, its more difficult to keep tangles and matting at bay. Conditioner will minimize curl, also.


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## sophie anne (Feb 17, 2015)

My favorite shampoo for Ari when she was a puppy was Earthbath brand. It comes in different scents and you can get conditioner, but I just used the hypoallergenic version and no conditioner. It made Ari fluffy, shiny, and soft as a cloud. I dried her with a towel and then used a tiny TINY amount of spray conditioner (I used the same Biosilk spray I use on my hair) on a slicker brush to make sure there were no tangles. You won't get too much curl till the adult coat starts coming in, but the puppy puff coat is wonderful in its own way!

Here is Ari after a bath with that shampoo as a pup:


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## sarahebeth (Feb 16, 2016)

sophie anne said:


> My favorite shampoo for Ari when she was a puppy was Earthbath brand. It comes in different scents and you can get conditioner, but I just used the hypoallergenic version and no conditioner. It made Ari fluffy, shiny, and soft as a cloud. I dried her with a towel and then used a tiny TINY amount of spray conditioner (I used the same Biosilk spray I use on my hair) on a slicker brush to make sure there were no tangles. You won't get too much curl till the adult coat starts coming in, but the puppy puff coat is wonderful in its own way!
> 
> Here is Ari after a bath with that shampoo as a pup:


Oh my goodness, look at your beautiful boy. Thanks for the info. I'll look for that shampoo and the Biosilk. 

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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

Everyone else has given great advice. I did use Johnson's baby shampoo, for human babies, for Iris, right up until the dreaded coat change. She was shiny and fluffy and tangle free. Earthbath is one brand mentined that I did really like to recommend when I worked in a pet store.

My groomer uses Natures Specialties brand of shampoos and conditioners on dogs in her shop. Almond Crisp is what is used on poodles. I order it on Amazon and have used it all Iris' adult life. It adds body and is very mild. You dilute it 1 part shampoo to 32 parts water and it goes a long long way.

Whatever you use, your boy is absolutely adorable.......congratulations.

VQ


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

If you are going to bathe at home, just be absolutely sure to get every tangle/matt out BEFORE the bath, especially if you are going to let the pup air dry. Then make sure you again brush well after and then use a comb to make sure there are no matts.


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## PoodleDreaming (Jun 10, 2015)

N2Mischief said:


> If you are going to bathe at home, just be absolutely sure to get every tangle/matt out BEFORE the bath, especially if you are going to let the pup air dry. Then make sure you again brush well after and then use a comb to make sure there are no matts.


I'm going to second this because it is vitally important to understand this. If you bathe at home and let it air dry/don't brush and completely comb it out.. you will end up with a totally pelted coat. It might even look ok but be really matted at the skin. I can't tell you how many people bring me puppies at 6-7 months old and they're completely matted from home bathing. 

He sure is precious. You're going to have so much fun with him.


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## sarahebeth (Feb 16, 2016)

PoodleDreaming said:


> I'm going to second this because it is vitally important to understand this. If you bathe at home and let it air dry/don't brush and completely comb it out.. you will end up with a totally pelted coat. It might even look ok but be really matted at the skin. I can't tell you how many people bring me puppies at 6-7 months old and they're completely matted from home bathing.
> 
> He sure is precious. You're going to have so much fun with him.


Gotcha. I will be super careful. I plan to use the groomer at my Vet's office soon, too. 

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## peccan (Aug 26, 2014)

So the thing to do is... Detangle, bathe and blow-dry... Brush it out while blowdrying to ensure zero tangles.

And THEN you mist with water (not too wet) and let air-dry!

But sometimes the puppy coat just won't curl so much. It varies a lot from dog to dog.


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## vegas (Jul 5, 2014)

This thread is very helpful. I bring home my new tpoo puppy next month, and because she will be coming from a humid climate (Tennessee) to a hot dry climate (the Mohave desert), I want to use a shampoo that will prevent her skin from getting too dry. The Earthbath shampoo with oatmeal and aloe sounds like it will do the trick.

And Sophie Ann, as always your photography is amazing!


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## sarahebeth (Feb 16, 2016)

I followed all of your directions and he looks fabulous. I did end up brushing and drying him. I dried him for a bit and let him run around for a bit and quickly saw why he needed to be dried the rest of the way and thoroughly brushed out. Thanks for the tips!


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## sidewinder (Feb 3, 2016)

When I had my grooming business, I used Pure Pet "Pure Pearl" shampoo on everybody. I regularly groomed several dogs that were known to have bad reactions to some shampoos and other products, but none ever did with this shampoo. Rinses out really well, dilutes 20/1, and has coconut oil in it. No perfumes, just a little coconut smell after.


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