# How often should you brush your puppy?



## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

We have been brushing Panda every day but went probably 3 days without brushing him recently and he had a small matt on the inside of his back leg. it brushed out but it got me thinking.

How often should we be brushing him? We use a comb on him and just go all over then he lies on his back for his tummy and inside of legs to be done. We have a slicker but to be honest I am not really sure what its for as it just seems to poof his coat up after being combed and I don't want to hurt him, its the soft slicker but doesn't have balls on the end of the wires.

He is nearly 12 weeks old if that makes a difference.


----------



## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

I would get in the habit (and stay there :biggrin of brushing/combing every day. You will need to be especially good about brushing when Panda goes though the coat change - his hair will matt up very quickly at that time. It's just a good practice to be in anyway. This way you will notice if there is anything physically wrong (soreness, coat/skin problems, etc...), he will get used to being handled all over, etc...


----------



## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

OK cool, we were brushing every day but for some reason forgot for a few days and that's why we got a matt (although I didn't expect one so quickly with a puppy coat..)

I know my friend brushes her poodle thoroughly every 2 weeks which is why I was surprised to find tangles even when brushing daily but then hers has quite a short coat I guess.

I started using the slicker today and having a go at line brushing (not that he really needs it yet but more so he will be used to it when he does) He is much better being brushed with a comb so I guess we will have to work on that. 

Is a slicker really much better than just combing though? It just seems to make him more fluffy or does it work better for detangling?


----------



## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

I don't use a slicker ever - I only use a pin brush and a comb. A lot of folks use slickers, but I just never have.


----------



## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

do you line brush with the pin brush or comb or do you just go all over?


----------



## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

I line brush with the pin brush and then go back over him with the comb to make sure I didn't miss anything.


----------



## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

I take the slicker over Vegas to fluff him up then I take the comb through him to make sure all the little mats are out (none anyway)


----------



## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

maybe we should use conditioner next time he gets a bath, I know that helps with our hair. His dad has an amazingly curly coat, mums isn't as great but he has such a straight puppy fluff I wasn't expecting any matt's, I suppose even after being brushed out his legs go curly again in an hour or two and that's where the matt was. 

It was matted at the top though not at the skin.....


----------



## poodlelover (Oct 19, 2008)

The more you brush the better. My partis coat is so thick and soft and he mats up very fast. If I don't brush him at least every three days he will mat up. I find that the parti coat is very hard to keep up with. 
The black poodles don't mat up as much. Creams mat alot to. So keep brushing. I use a soft slicker and a universal slicker and then a metal comb. If the comb goes through the coat than you know you did a good job.


----------



## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

I have been having a go with a soft slicker, he have him on his side then on his back for in between his legs and on his tummy. Its harder to line brush his back and sides than his legs I find as he rolls about a bit and messes up the line and I cant get all the way up to his neck with the line yet, I guess practice will make perfect though.

If I remember, next time I am at the groomer with him ill ask her how to brush him properly as she professionally grooms show poodles and she breeds them.


----------



## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

i have a 5 month old black spoo who has a thick curly coat (compared to my sister's white puppy who has really fine straight coat) & i brush every 2-3 days & then pull the comb through. i use conditioner on her coat when i bathe and also use the stuff as a detangler. i'm a novice spoo mama, though. i plan on getting her cut down short into a more sporting clip or bikini about 7 months to help bypass the coat change.


----------



## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

I will try using conditioner, a friend gave me a sample of conditioner so I will use that when he next gets dirty or stinky and needs a bath (damn those tripe filled rawhide bones that make him so smelly!!)

I find his lower legs a little awkward to brush due to the shape but am better at line brushing there. I have only brushed half of him so should probably brush the other half of him before we leave for puppy class or he will just look plain weird 0_o


----------



## macker905 (Mar 21, 2010)

AgilityIG said:


> I would get in the habit (and stay there :biggrin of brushing/combing every day. You will need to be especially good about brushing when Panda goes though the coat change -...


Hi Agility, this may be a dumb question but I am a poodle novice, when is the coat change, when should we expect this on our boy?


----------



## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

Vinnie's coat change took place from about 10 months and he is still finishing up at 15 months - still one area of puppy fluff on his back. It's when their coat changes from puppy fluff to adult coat and matts very easily.


----------



## Nola (May 10, 2010)

Has your pup always been so good about brushing? I try brushing mine and she swears it is a toy and i can barely get it across her once.. Any tips???


----------



## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

He has been pretty good, but he got a great start from his breeder. I got him at 11 weeks old and he had been groomed three times already by her. I put him up on a table and start at the back and work my way forward. I think a routine (the order you brush things) is nice - then he knows what's coming. I always start with Vinnie's rear legs, tail, body, front legs, shoulders, chest and then head. I just had the attitude from the start that if I was going to have a dog with hair, I was going to take care of it. If your pup is moving around too much, either have someone help you until she gets used to the routine or put her on a grooming table and use a grooming arm/noose to keep her in place.


----------

