# Grooming Tips Wanted



## Thracian (May 11, 2009)

When I had one dog, I only brushed/combed him out 1-2 a week. Now that I have two, and one is a full poodle, I've gone to grooming 5-6 times a week. It's working nicely with Clayton. Cupid's hair is a bit more coarse/thick (he's a mix), so I can't groom it as easily. I have been using a slicker brush on the body and using a comb on the legs for both boys.

Any suggestions or tips?


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

Was there a specific issue you were asking about or was it just general grooming tips?

So long as you aren't finding that you have matts in the coat I would say what you are doing is fine. I might run the comb all over the body and depending on what you are doing with the coat (like if you're trying to get it to grow longer) I might use a spray conditioner on them... but maybe not. I doubt it's really needed.

Do you clip them yourself as well?


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## Thracian (May 11, 2009)

Thanks for replying. My routine seems to be working well with the toy poodle, but Cupid's hair is thicker/denser/harder to get a comb through. I don't clip them myself--I watched a clipping video to see if it was something I would be willing to try, and I decided NO, LOL! 

The last time I took both boys to the groomers, she said Cupid had mats on his legs. That's another reason I started brushing/combing more. I guess my concern is that I do the best I can, and his hair isn't that long, but the brush and comb still don't go easily through his hair. So I'm wondering if there is another kind of brush that people would recommend.

Thanks again.


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

What I would do is keep using the comb but instead of just trying to comb straigh down the leg I would seperate the hair and work in little sections. That way you can part the hair down to the skin and know you're getting it combed out entirely. Shouldn't be tooo much work on a smaller poodle. 
Another thing I've noticed is that with the denser hair I have to use a comb with teeth spaced wider apart. I have a metal comb that has one end that is fine and the other is medium. The medium comb might work better for you. If the hair is to thick the fine comb has a hard time getting through even if there are no matts.


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## Thracian (May 11, 2009)

I can’t thank you enough for your advice of getting a new comb. I went shopping yesterday and found a comb with pins that were a little wider. They also rotated and were nearly twice as long. I tried it out on Cupid last night and was AMAZED by the difference. The comb went through smoothly in most sections, and working through the problem areas was much easier. Even better, I no longer felt like I was hurting him during the process. (I tried not to, but the other comb I had just wasn’t good.) I think I might even get him to enjoy being brushed a bit more.

Thanks again!


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## WonderPup (Oct 26, 2008)

Awsome, glad that worked out for you


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## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

Thracian said:


> Thanks for replying. My routine seems to be working well with the toy poodle, but Cupid's hair is thicker/denser/harder to get a comb through. I don't clip them myself--I watched a clipping video to see if it was something I would be willing to try, and I decided NO, LOL!
> 
> The last time I took both boys to the groomers, she said Cupid had mats on his legs. That's another reason I started brushing/combing more. I guess my concern is that I do the best I can, and his hair isn't that long, but the brush and comb still don't go easily through his hair. So I'm wondering if there is another kind of brush that people would recommend.
> 
> Thanks again.


I simply love a very soft slicker that works wonders for me with thick haired dogs and long coats. my clients that are always matted now are in good shape after they bought this brush. the pins are long and angled, and you can bend it right back and they dont stab you! Technique is very important. divide dog into sections, lift hair up from bottom of leg, keep brush parallel to leg, and as you brush pull hair down from under your hand(holding the hair up) this way you will see to the skin, make sure you treat one leg as a whole unit, doing the inside, and paying close attention to the joints and skinny hocks where matts hide and friction causes tangles. 
repeat on other legs, body and head, make sure you find end ear leather and lift up hair on ears and get thoroughly, but have light touch on inside ears.
One of th etips i give my pet owners for a cheap effective dematting tool is to use a small white letter opener, it costs about $3 for 3 of them. it keeps the sharp blade away from anything provided you only use on flat body areas, not ear flaps or tails...use common sense. very good for breaking up those thick tangles, they will then brush right out. use in direction of coat growth to avoid lines. you are cutting coat so use sparingly. Not for extremely matted dogs. 
here is link to buy.
Ryan's Pet Supplies


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## Savannah (Jan 15, 2010)

I absolutely LOVE my Chris Christensen T-brush!! I try not to use a slicker unless it's absolutely necessary--they cause a lot more damage than a pin brush. A light conditioner (preferably with some silicone) helps a great deal. I use Ice on Ice, diluted with 60% water. Misting the coat makes brushing loads easier and helps prevent coat damage. 

Check YouTube for videos on "line brushing." I would post a link, but I'm not at my computer right now, sorry.

You really don't want to be dematting a lot, because it causes a great deal of damage to the hair which in turn makes it more likely to mat up again. Its much better to prevent tangles from forming in the first place. The only way to do that is brush more often or cut the hair shorter.


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