Brush recommendation for a new puppy

[Debbie and Bentley]

I was wondering what brush to get a new puppy (F1 with curls), until Les Pooches brushes are available again.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Les Poochs may not become available again. People have been buying the original brushes from Britain branded as ActiVet. You can do a DK search for comments on this. Sometimes les Poochs may be available on eBay.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

LP still insists they will be opening a factory here in the US " in the near future". I had an order placed with them up until a few months ago. I see many sites are still accepting orders...but none have been filled.
I recently got mine out of the UK and love it!

MGT ( Master Grooming Tool) is a really cheap knockoff of the LP.....it does work, but doesn't last very long. Mine was trashed in less than a year with the tines coming out.

[jenn D]

Ro, are the MGT very similar to the les pooch brushes as far as getting the job done? I have 2 MGT brushes (blue and purple) and I really don't like them at all. I keep going back to my Chris Christiansen brushes. I'd invest in the activet brush if they work a lot better than the MGTs but if they are pretty similar I don't want to spend that much for a brush that doesn't work.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Jenn: I had to work longer and harder with the MGT. And it appeared to be too harsh for Enzo's coat. JMO, but for us, the LP works much much better. I only wish I had gotten the larger brush.
I have no knowledge of the CC brushes, so I can't compare.
Months back, the Southern Ca Group held a Romp and everyone brought their combs and brushes, so we could compare grooming tools. Nancy( of Ned and Clancy fame) had a LP brush she has had for years and it was then that I was sold. It looked brand new compared to the MGT brush, that was just a few months old. And worked a hell of a lot better. But I am sure, the type of coat and brush plays a huge part.
Maybe you could meet up with someone who has a LP brush to compare.

[jenn D]

Thanks Ro. The MGT brushes also hurt my doodles. But they play so hard I have to brush daily or mats will form on and under their ears. I might try the activet brushes. Thanks so much for the insight. I like the CC brushes for daily brushing but if there is a mat, even a small one, they really don't help.

[Debbie and Bentley]

Thank you, F and Ro.  I am going to check out both of the sites in the UK.  If I go with them, what color brush would I start out with?  Jenn also mentioned the Chris Christiansen brush.  Would that be okay for a new puppy?  

[jenn D]

Debbie, I got the CC brushes before I became a member of DK. I've heard the les poochs brushes are the best but I haven't been able to find them. You don't really need a super duper brush for your pup for the first couple months you just want to get them use to being brushed. With all 3 of my doodles, I really didn't have mats with early puppy hair but during the coat change (which occurred anywhere between 10 months to a year and 3 months) we had massive mats constantly. As adults you really need to brush them out regularly. Have you check out the grooming forum on DK? They are awesome over there and helped me learn to groom all 3 of my boys.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Debb...until you know what kind of coat your little one is going to have, I would hold off. You don't want to get a brush that is too harsh for the coat. The green one is the one that was recommended to me. Enzo's coat is soft and wavey and it appears to be perfect for her coat.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I use the green on Luca but I sometimes use the double purple, a little firmer, on Calla. I think the green single is most versatile.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Debbie, I have the CC brush, but I do not recommend it for a puppy. When I first started brushing Yogi, and now Maci, I used a very soft brush so that it won't pull at all just so it would be a pleasant experience. Then I worked up to the stiffer brushes once they were used to it. Still using soft brush on Maci as she is now only 3 months old and her hair isn't all that thick. The CC would be too stiff. Hope this info helps.

[Debbie and Bentley]

Thanks, again, ladies!  I am browsing thru the grooming group.  I am the type of person, that the more I read, the more confused I get....lol!  I will be getting my new puppy this Sunday (or early next week).  I basically want to get him used to being brushed.  I do want a quality brush that is not going to be painful. I think the CC brush may be a good place to start.  Someone in the grooming group said she has the 27mm pin brush with the T handle that was her first brush, and used it through the coat change, and that her dog loves to be brushed.  

[Ginny Nightingale]

ALSO,  get a comb! The brushes just go over the surface of the hair and the comb needs to get to the skin to remove the dead hair and prevent mats--get a steel comb with wide teeth at one end and narrower teeth at the other end. Brushing alone does not do it!