Best kind of brush? And help with grooming aggression?

[Puppy Madness]

Wendell is now 4 months and I guess losing his puppy coat because he is shedding a bit. I read somewhere that it needs to be brushed out? Which is the best kind of brush to use for this?

Also, I have been brushing him almost daily since we brought him home at 7 Weeks and he still freaks and bites the tar out of my arms. Suggestions?

[Bonnie and Kona]

Good for you brushing him every day! At this age you should not only brush him but comb him too. The method that works the best is called line-brushing. You can look it up in the Grooming Group or on You-Tube. You brush a small section of hair in the opposite direction of growth, then brush it back down taking only a bit at a time. When you finish brushing that section you comb it to be sure there are no mats. This is really the only way to get all the way to the skin. When my dog was a pup, I brushed him every day and when he went to the groomer the first time she shaved him because he was matted. I was dumbfounded. That's when I learned about line brushing. It makes all the difference in the world. 

I'm sorry you are suffering with the shark attack during brushing. Your puppy is at the worst age for puppy biting because he is probably teething. Have you tried giving him a chew toy or any toy while you brush him? Have you tried treating him as you brush him? I had success with giving a favorite toy while I brushed to distract my nippy one (the other one never nipped). I haven't tried treating while I brush but there are a lot of people who do that in the Grooming Group. 

The Grooming Group is a great place to get answers to many grooming questions and there are lots of questions with doodles. ;o)

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Kate ~ what kind of brush are you using on Wendell?.  Have you tried using that brush on your own hair?  If it is a pin brush, it may be that you are using to great of pressure, maybe your brush is pulling on his hair and hurts just like when you comb or brush your own hair and hit a tangle.  Ouch! .  I use Les Pooches brushes and a steel comb.  You might consider joining the grooming group as I think there is a video there on how to line brush.  When my two doodles were very young, I would wait until they laid down for a nap and then I was gently brush them for 10 minutes or so.  Mine both love being brushed and getting massages.  It is great therapy and helps with bonding.  That being said, Charlie has extreme sensitivity when I brush his feet and he always lets me know with a low growl when it hurts and I know to go more gently.  Good luck.  BTW - Wendell is a doll! 

[Stephanie and Ragley]

I agree with checking the brush/brushing pressure. Ragley hated the first slicker brush I had and would nip and wiggle away. I got a new brush and started to really pay attention to the pressure I was using and she will now willingly come to me when I pick up the brush. I have a soft slicker made by furminator (not the de-shedding tool) and I love it, especially for the price. I got it for about $8 on chewy.com. I eventually want a les pooches, but since Ragley is just now starting her coat change, I want to wait for her adult coat to come in so I can see the new texture before shelling out the big bucks for the fancy brush

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Stephanie, if Ragley is matting some and going through the coat change NOW, NOW is when you want the superior brush. NOW is when you need the 'big guns.'

[denise rumbaugh]

I too would love to hear suggestions on this.  Jace is now 11 months old and it is a fight to brush him!  I get nipped at, growled at and he tries to bolt any given chance. I've been brushing him with various brushes but he doesn't like them. Esp on his legs, hates it!

[Julie Kudron]

You have a lot of good advise here. All I can add is: have you tried giving him something like a bully stick, to chew on while you brush him?

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I guess it all depends on their coats....but I found I'm using a comb, even more so than a brush.  I found the brush, while I thought I was doing a good job, I started feeling knots underneath.  The brush just skipped over them.  With a comb, I get right next to the skin, without hurting her.  Knock on wood, we are, so far, mat free...but I do brush and comb every single day....sometimes, twice.

  I have a knock-off of the Les Pooch brush...MGT....which does a great job. Keeping an eye out for when the LP brushes come back on the market.  And yes....pressure, or lack of, is best.

[Jennifer & Truffle]

Same here.  Truffle has more of a straight fleecy coat and our groomer advised us to regularly use the comb and only use the brush if we feel any knots.  We've been fortunate so far in that Truffle's coat has remained easy to maintain with frequent brushing.  I usually give Truffle a special longer-lasting treat (like a dental chew or a Sam's Yam's) to chew on when I comb him, which allows me to get to more sensitive areas without too much mouthiness on his part!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Leslie and Yogi just bought a LesPoochs from a site in the UK.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

I think brushing her when she is totally calm and sleepy works well at the start. Watch your pressure too.
We started with purposeful handling when we got our puppy. We would hold him firmly till he settled, then do our brushing, massaging, etc, you can hear when they relax and let you take over. They always let a sigh and relax.

[Julie and Max]

I agree on the brush pressure, I started with a kitten brush (lol) and worked up to a good dog brush with Max, I still start with the kitten brush to get out any knots. Also I found at first it was best to brush him after a very long walk when he was tired and sleepy. In the beginning I treated him a lot while I was brushing him, and praised him. Now he loves to be brushed, and will sit for long periods of time just letting me brush and comb him, and it seems to relax him now.