Doodle brushing! Help!

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Yeti hates to be brushed. I feel so bad because he is getting matted a lot but every time we bring the brush out he tries to hide. We bought a grooming arm because it takes at least 2 if not 3 people
to brush him (1 to brush him and 2 to hold him down). We are finishing up a table for the arm and was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks for distracting him from being brushed. I'm thinking a frozen kong held by my boyfriend while I brush but I was hoping for other ideas! I wish I could afford to send him to the groomer every month so she could take care of his mats but it's expensive!

[Melissa Wells]

I have to keep my Doodles hair short in order to keep down on mats. I clip her to 1/2 inch or 3/8 inch on her body, and really she rarely needs brushing and is so much easier since she loves to find dirt to play in and we have to hose her down. At first I thought I would be sad to see her fluff go but she is so soft and its totally worth not having to dig through mats daily.

[Joan Bollaert]

me too

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

I dont think his hair is too terribly long however it mats so easily. Im considering shaving him completely down and hoping that i can get him used to the brush while he is growing back. I love the fluff too :(. I would say he is medium fluff haha! Thank you so much :)

[Kayla]

I am having the same problem with my Aussiedoodle Lady. She has this beautiful coat but hates to be brushed (and blow dried and clippered). I have been trying to brush her at least 2 times a day in short bursts, maybe like 5-8 minutes at a time. I have her "sit" and give her a small treat. I have been showing her the brush and saying "brush brush" for a couple strokes and then give her another small treat. She has worked up to 20-30 seconds of brushes before getting a treat. We recently took her to the groomer and had her trimmed way down. It seems to be helping but I am a new dog owner so if anyone else has advice let me know! Good luck!

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Oh i dont know what Yeti hates more, the brush or the blow dryer. Ive often considered getting an industrial strength dryer that is quieter. I think he hates the noise of my hair dryer. I am also a new dog owner and this aspect of it has been sort of a struggle. I am terrified of hurting him. I say your making great progress though before you know it you might be up to a couple minutes between treats!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Just as a FYI.  I keep Enzo's coat at around 3 inches.  I like the "scruffier, muppet" look.  I found brushing alone, does not take care of omitting the mats.  In fact, I find I rarely use a brush these days.  I use a rotating teeth comb.  It gets down through the coat and doesn't just brush over the top layer of hair, like a brush will sometimes do.

Make  the whole process enjoyable for him.  Enzo enjoys lots of cuddles and snuggles in between the strokes of the comb.  It's a bonding time for us as well.

[Diane D]

Will try the rotating teeth comb. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

We bought a nice expensive les pooches brush and i dont think it works well on his coat at all. We bought a cheapo comb at a pet store here and that seems to work much better for us. I need to order a nicer comb for him though. That is a fantastic idea. We will be sure to cuddle him lots and lots

[Kamela & Beckett]

Our doodle is VERY curly and mats like crazy. He's ok with limited brushing, but not with what it would take to keep him completely mat free nor do we really have the time. While I LOVE the look of a poofy doodle, we keep him clipped short for practicality sake.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Thank you for the suggestion!

[Beth & Cheddar]

I also keep Cheddar shorter. But when he gets longer right before a groom and it takes longer to brush him out, I will have him lay on his elevated bed chewing on a beef trachea while I brush him. It helps him have a positive association with being brushed and keeps him busy. Plus he knows if he gets off the bed he loses his treat.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Such a great idea, unfortunately though, Yeti has guarding issues over trachea/bully sticks so we try really hard not to give them to him. Im hoing a kong stuffed with PB does the trick.