brush help!

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

I am looking to get mr yeti doodle some really nice brushes, however i am kind of overwhelmed. I have heard amazing things about les pouches but am wondering which one works well for you all? I know it depends on coat. Yeti's coat is medium length and we plan to keep it that way. It looks almost like we crimped it. 
I noticed on les pouches website that the brushes come in firm soft or medium. Im not sure which would be best for his coat. We are also planning on getting him a greyhound comb to maintain his beard.  We haven't had any major matting issues (that i am aware of) thankfully and im hoping to keep it that way, however the brush we have now is just a slicker brush and probably doesn't get all the way down to the skin like it should.

Any suggestions/stories are sooo appreciated!!!

[Bonnie and Kona]

I got my first Les Pooches brush through DK member Kemp's Doodle Country Store. He advised me on what Kona would need. It has made all the difference in brushing my 2 F1 Goldendoodles. I don't know what people do without one. I'm glad to see you know you need a comb too, because even with line brushing you need to be able to comb through the coat to ensure there are no mats. They hide close to the skin and can be pretty undetectable.

[Sarah Grace Gates]

Hi, your doodle looks very similar to mine. I love these brushes and tools.

https://www.amazon.com/ActiVet-TuffZapper-Coater-DUO-Grooming/dp/B0...  They make the double and single head, I have both. The single is great for legs and neck area. 

https://www.amazon.com/Safari-W6116-De-matting-Comb/dp/B0002ARR2W/r...

http://www.chrissystems.com/grooming-tools/brushes-/pet-grooming-sh... on this site I have the Fusion Series 20mm Oval Fusion Pin Brush and it's great for when you are blowing them out. 

I also have a grey hound or poodle metal comb that is also a fab tool to have. 

[Bonnie and Kona]

Yeti is so cute! Thanks for posting his photos.

He may not have gone through the dreaded coat change yet, which would be why you are having no mats yet. Does he shed at all? One of ours sheds a little and didn't have a major coat change. The other doesn't shed at all and matted like crazy for a few months while the new coat was tangling up with the puppy coat that was falling out. 

I think Les Pooches and ActiVet are the same brushes but I'm not positive. 

[C&L]

Okay.  I have a lot of brushes but the best brush by far is Chris Christensen Big K Slicker Brush in Large. Yes it is $65 but it is totally the best brush I own.  I didn't know what all the fuss was all about but now I realized this was the best investment I've ever made. I have a lot of brushes because I used to have a dog that shedded like crazy but the doodle coat is really hard to maintain. 

The brush breakdown:

1. Chris Christensen T-Brush, 27mm Pins: Great rake type brush for when your wrist is tired
2. Chris Christensen Big K Slicker, Large, Black: My favorite brush because it has 27mm pins that grabs mats and gives that very poofy poodle look after brushing
3. Flying One High Velocity 4.0 Hp Motor Dog Pet Grooming Force Dryer w/ Heater: Exchanged original force dryer for one with variable speed. I ordered a simpler one off amazon and the heat function didn't work. I contacted Flying Pig and they said this model have 1 year warranty whereas the other one only half year. This is very quiet on low but loud on high. I wonder if the CC force dryer is quieter when on high. 
4. Pixikko Triangle Soft Slicker Brush: Great for the face or small dogs. I was gonna get the CC triangle brush but decided that I've spent too much money. 
5. Pink Thinning Shears: I got this at Ulta for people but it is not great quality. This is very light and works well for delicate areas such as the face. 
6. Equinox Professional Razor Edge Series Stainless Steel Shears: So much better for natural lines and great quality for less cost than the pink pair. You can use this anywhere but it is less delicate than the pink ones. This one is also made for people rather than a dog grooming tool. 
7. Conair PRO Dog Round-Tip Shears, Dog Home Grooming, 7-Inch: This is great for just about anything. I love the safety tips. 
8. Furminator: I loved this thing to pieces for the past 8 years. It is great for people who have dogs that shed a lot. It is also really amazing for difficult mats on cats because their skin is so soft. 
9. Long Bamboo Pin Brush for dogs: This brush is very pretty but also quite useful for casual brushing. 
10. Green Nail Clipper: I got this a long time ago and use this prior to using the dremel.
11. Stainless Steel Comb from Pet Supermarket: Not sure who makes this but I've had it for a long time. It is useful for every situation
12. K9 Ear Solutions by Liquid Health: Strongly recommended by Lucky's hydrotherapist. It contains boric acid which is an anhydrate and will dry and clean ears. 

[Stacy]

Yeti is such a cutie! I don't envy you the snow though! 

I am not a master groomer, so take my opinion for what it's worth. I have the small green les pooches brush. I also have a pin brush and a comb. And far and away I use the comb more than anything. Katie has a very thick, nonshedding, semi curly coat, and I keep her on the longish side. I also probably always go a couple weeks longer than we should between grooming appointments. But I try really hard to keep her from getting mats. Maybe I bought the wrong les pooches brush, but I still don't feel like it works as well as the comb. I think the real trick is to comb her often. I also try to keep our brushing/combing sessions reasonably short. I don't always do her whole body every day. One day I may do head and tail, then one day all of her legs, one day her belly and her armpits. I think legs are harder than anything. Legs get wet and dirty and then they get tangly. And I worry about hurting her. But if I'm patient and gentle she has no problems letting me do it.

Ava's hair is still growing from her shave when I got her, but her hair is completely different. More like a Golden it seems. Not as thick or curly and maybe just a little shedding. The brushes work better on her, but I still feel like we get more mileage out of the comb. 

There is definitely a learning curve! After 2 years I feel like we're just starting to get the hang of all of it. I think finding a really good groomer who will help you is so important. My groomer would tell me, "she looked really good, but she did have a mat behind her right ear." So I would know that  I missed a spot and where I needed to pay more attention to. But she was always nice about it and not judgy. I love the way they look, but these guys do not have low maintenance coats!

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Do you know what comb you use? I have heard great things about the CC buttercomb, however there are A LOT of options haha. Yeti seems to have a coat like Katie. He is thick, doesnt shed much at all and he is semi curly (like we crimped is hair :-p).

[C&L]

My doodle also does not shed and has a super think coat. CC big K slicker brush is used by a lot of poodle owners. This brush gets out mat and gives your dog that poofy show dog coat look.  I swear I can give my doodle the continental clip with this brush if I wanted. This brush is amazing.  The CC pin brush is good but not this impressive. 

[Sheree Small]

What a cute boy. My doodle is a bit curlier than yours, very Polly doodle. I bought the Activet lime green single brush. I think it is the soft one. It is amazing how I can control her coat with that. I think the les pooches are very similar. Great brush!

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Hello all! I emailed Kemp and he was able to help pick out what i hope will be a great brush for Yeti! I am very excited for it to arrive in the mail :) Thanks for the all the advice :)