RE-VISITING BRUSHES

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I have had LesPoochs/Activet brushes for years and years and swear that they really do the job most efficiently.  I also use a steel comb and another one called the Untangler. 

However.....

As time goes by we get the boys groomed more often and home brush less often.  Ned has always hated being brushed, but Charlie and Clancy have become unhappy with brush time also.  I feel the LesPoochs brushes probably scratch their skin rather than massage it.

                                                                          Clancy

has very little matting, as is common for a shedding dog. He used to love being brushed but now he 'endures it.'  However I still need to get all the way to the skin and both brush and comb him. Even though he sheds, his coat grows quickly. and he gets groomed as often as the other two.

                                                                           Ned

has a poodle-like coat that is thick and mats easily. He appears to shed into his coat because in brushing him, I do get a couple handfuls of hair. He feels cottony. I use Cowboy Magic on the mats and spray him with Horse Mane 'N Tail to help his coat release mats. Because brushing Ned is such a trial, nowadays we let him go a couple of weeks between brushings - therefore we seldom get him totally mat-free any more.

                                                                           Charlie

has such a thick, straight coat that you pretty much can't find his skin. It's like a huge very soft blanket. He doesn't shed and I get very little hair when I brush him.  His coat 'clumps' together but most 'clumps' can be brushed out before they develop into real mats that needs de-matting products or slicing/cutting. I have a Pin brush and Charlie seems to like it but it isn't that effective in getting through his coat.                                         

I would really like to try another type brush, but want a quality one. The pin brush  I have is made by All Systems and cost about $20,  but I am always tucking the rubber back into the wood and pulling the pins back up. It hasn't totally broken but obviously isn't right for any of the coats I try it on. It doesn't get all the way to the skin.

What brushes do you use?

What pin brushes do you use and how long have you had them?  Are the pins long or short?

What about the wooden brushes?  Do the pins break on dogs that have really thick coats?

[C&L]

I use Chris Christensen Big K Slicker and CC T-pin brush.  I also have a pretty inexpensive long teeth comb.  I find the comb is useful in teasing the head and the T pin brush is great for going over it the first time and then I use the slicker brush to finish the coat to give that poofy look. The T shape helps a lot with the wrist because there is a lot of hair.  So it looks a lot like a rake.  I have not had any pins fall off.  I think it was $28 on amazon.  My favorite is actually the CC slicker brush because it gives them that finished show dog look. The CC slicker was well worth the money but it was more expensive than any of my human brushes  at $60 lol 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks, C&L.  The CC T-pin brush is definitely one I should try right away.  There seem to be 3 of them.  Two are 5" and one is 4".  The two 5" ones are  16mm and 27mm. the 27mm one looks like the pins are longer.  Which length is yours?

I also see that there are choices for the CC slicker. It looks like the "long pin coral" might be good but would I choose dense pins or sparse pins for a cottony doodle coat? I finally found the Big K slicker.

[C&L]

I am not sure about the width but mine has 27mm pins. The longer the better if you keep the dog's coat long. For the slicker brush, I definitely should have gotten the denser pins because it is the same price as the Big K. I didn't know about the coral one until I got the Big K. The slicker brush is best after using the initial pin brush because of the finer pins. I got to speak to a CC rep at Akc nationals in Orlando and they recommended their comb which was not that different from the other brushes with long tooth. I didn't go with their combs because the quality of steel they use on thinner pins matter more whereas it is hard to break long tooth a comb. I have cheap slicker brushed that pretty much die after a few uses but the CC ones last. I hope this helps.

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

I have the Chris Christensen 27mm T Brush and it works great on both of my doodles. Doesn't come apart like other pin brushes that I have bought!

Bob has a coat similar to Clancy's, and Winnie's is more like Charlie's. I used to use the Activet brush all the time on Winnie. But now that I keep her shorter, she rarely matts and doesn't require a lot of brushing. The T Brush is really easy on her skin, and fluffs her up nicely. With Bob, who sheds, I use the T Brush against the growth of the hair and the loose fur flies right out. 

[C&L]

I agree. I think my dog actually likes being brushed with the T brush because it feels good. Although only if I am not tugging on a mat. He only gets them on his feet and I typically use a rake or dematter. Since getting my doodle I've collected a lot of grooming supply. I have yet known any animal that requires more grooming. It is a huge challenge.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks!  I looked at the T brushes on Amazon today.

[C&L]

Here are photos of my brushes and some cheaper ones with a side by side comparisons.  I purchased a lot of stuff during the coat change phase to make things easier.  I even experimented with a human detangling brush, which I found super helpful for minor mats because it pulls a lot less. It is also pretty cheap.  I found one under $5.  

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You have every tool you could possibly need! :-}

[C&L]

Except the clipper skills. I clip my dog's hair short because of the coat changes and also the poodle cut is very easy to take care of. This is probably is not common with doodle people. He is happier with shorter hair as well and I don't have to use the force dryer after each bath. I cannot shave him at all. I've spent 2 days shaving him and he looks like disaster. He has half a beard and usually requires my groomer to rescue the situation. I take him to the groomers for a pseudo Miami poodle clip.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

:-}

[Melissa]

I love the idea of putting your grooming supplies in a tool box like this!! Very cleaver.  I have an old coffee can that I have my tools stuffed in and I'm running out of room.  I think I will adopt this idea!! Thank you!

[C&L]

Hahaha I got this as a makeup traincase for myself years ago and didn't have a lot of use so I thought since my dog has more brushes than me it would serve him better ;-)