7 secrets to brush your Doodle effectively and efficiently

[Wanda Klomp]

7 secrets to brush effectively and efficiently

You might say brushing isn’t difficult.

However it often happens that Labradoodles that are brushed regularly have nasty tangles and the owner doesn’t know what to do about them.

How can that happen? But more importantly, how can you brush your Labradoodle and guarantee that the fur remains tangle free?

Here is how:

1. Use the right brush:

In the Labradoodle world there is only one brand that counts: Les Poochs. This is the only brand of brush that has needles long enough to reach the skin (where many tangles reside) The number and curvature of the needles and designed to achieve the best possible grip on the fur. No other brush then Les Poochs is suitable for keeping the fur of your Labradoodle tangle free.

Do you have a medium or large Doodle? Always use a wide Les Poochs brush. The small version is fine if you have a puppy, but as soon as the puppy grows and the fur gets thicker you need a wide Les Poochs brush to get the right grip on the fur.

The thicker, woolly of curly the fur is, the tougher the brush bed needs to be. Choose a purple or red Les Poochs brush because with this type of fur a green or other colored Les Poochs brush doesn’t have enough grip on the fur which makes for superficial brushing and a fur that’s not tangle free.

2. When brushing, start at the back 

Not all Doodles consider being brushed as their favorite hobby. The brushing of the belly is often painful. Brushing the tail isn’t fine, brushing of the head indicates a restriction and the forepaws are completely off limits.

However if you start brushing at the back and from below (the paws) and work your way up (the back) while brushing in the direction of the hairs, you’ll help your Doodle get used to the feeling and thus having it feel less “exciting” for her when you reach the front.

Moreover it provides you with a system so you don’t miss a single spot.

3. Don’t put pressure on the brush

When you stroke the les Poochs brush over your own hand, you will feel just how sharp the needles are and how painful it can feel for your Doodle.

A lot of owners are brushing too fast resulting in a biting and rebelling Doodle. This behavior is not surprising when you realize that your Doodle is in pain and is trying to free itself. Therefore use the brush as an extension of your own hand and stroke the fur. The needles will do the work.

4. Always use a wide toothed comb without rotating teeth 

Have you brushed your Doodle from head to toe? Then you need to comb the fur from head to toe with a wide toothed comb. This way you won’t mis any tangles. Only when you get used to combing the fur with the wide toothed comb, you know you have brushed your Doodle effectively and efficiently.

5. Never brush more than once or twice a week

It may seem wise to brush your Doodle as often as possible, but it’s not! 
A skin that gets “beaten” that often will protect itself by producing more hairs, which makes the fur thicker, firmer and harder to keep tangle free.

6. Don’t forget hard to reach body parts

It looks like a piece of cake, but the ears and tail need to be brushed too. Be extra careful because the skin is very fragile. No brushing will give you several nasty tangles as the ears and tails are always moving.

In addition there are placed that are often overlooked and very tangle sensitive. Think of the paws, heels, butt, armpits, abdomen, groin, nose, beard, below the ears and neck. Especially the body parts that have a lot of movement, pressure or encounter friction are tangle sensitive and hurt the most when they are tangled of dirty.

7. Don’t let your Doodle take control!

Many Doodle owners stop brushing when their Doodle isn’t in the mood. Doodles are very inventive creatures and they know the ropes: some Doodles start squealing of whining, some get mobile and start “dancing” on tables. Others chew on the brush of your hand, and the most clever ones use licking, hanging or standing.

It may sound harsh, but if you allow this behavior the Doodle holds all the cards and it will be much more difficult to brush here in the future.

Each dog will try you. Especially in the beginning. When you give in tot his kind of resistance, you basically tolerate this behavior. But even worse that this works!

This way you only strengthen this behavior which will lead to biting and aggression with your Doodle.

So never stop brushing when your Doodle exhibits this behavior, but let them know it’s not okay. Gently brush the fur and reward your Doodle when she exhibits positive behavior (calm and acceptance). Practice this daily and your creating an ideal brush dog and also a dog that will listen better and have more fun with.

I hope these seven secrets will help you solve the brushing mystery and I wish you a lot of brushing pleasure!

Do you have any questions? Please don’t hesitate to ask them on my contact page or FaceBook page.

Want to know more about Doodle Basic Grooming or maybe even attend a workshop?

Please visit my site for more information

Until the next blog!

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Greetings, Wanda and Joy

[Wanda Klomp]

Leslie the puppy coat will be replaced by a thicker, shinier, somewhat courser coat. But during the change the loose puppy fluff can tangle and mat easily.

[linda giorgi]

Thanks for all this wonderful information. 

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Wanda, Yogi is just over 5 months now so I'm braced and ready for the coat change. I've always been curious, when I brush him and get hair off him that way, does that mean less puppy hair for the dreaded coat change?
Or does puppy hair grow back in its place, only to matt later when adult coat comes in.
Just trying to be optimistic every time I see hair coming out in the brush ;-)
He sheds nothing like a retriever would, but I see hairs around a bit.

[Wanda Klomp]

I can Sharon, when I train Doodle owners to become professional specialized Doodle groomers I teach them the grooming specifications per type of coat. The basics are the same, but Every coat structuren needs its own kind of grooming and coat care :-)

[Sharon & Mazie]

Will you give directions for each of the types of coats the doodles have? fleece vs wooly vs curly etc?

[Wanda Klomp]

OMG just saw YouTube Doodle grooming video's that gave me the shivers. I will be posting professional Doodle grooming tips in the following weeks to tackle the misinformation given by YouTube filmers, help you groom in a professional, natural looking way & avoid techniques that cause skin irritations and plainly look ugly, without having any benefit. Hope you will love that ;-)

[Wanda Klomp]

I know the les Pooch brushes are hard to get, but not for me :-)

I get them from my supplier here in the Netherlands and am allowed to sell them to Doodle owners worldwide as long as I don't sell to companies. Still waiting for my business bank account, but as soon as I have that I will open my DoodleComfort website and webshop.

[Sharon & Mazie]

Very hard to get a LesPooch brush. I was told they are out of stock and wont be in until March. Expensive but they seem to be the one brush for successful doodle brushing. I can't wait for mine!

[Wanda Klomp]

The problem with brushing more then one week is the over brushing effect. Because the skin wants to protect itself against the brushing it will make more hair. This is a fact! Therefor the coat becomes even thicker and morre difficult to kep tangle free. Better is brushing once, maby twice a week and using the waterblower every time your Doodle get's dirty or wet. This way you keep the coat healthy and tangle free :-)

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I too brush daily. If I left Riley's fine loose wavy coat for a week I would definitely be removing mats. I lost my Les Poochs brush for a week and was totally lost. I even bought a useless slicker brush and gave it to the Vet Clinic as it was so frustrating. I think advising on weekly brushing depends on the coat. Boris yes but Riley definitely no. Thanks for the post though we all need reminders regarding brushing!