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?

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Yeti does not shed either and he mats like crazy!

[Melissa]

Then he definitely has an undercoat :)   Most dogs do except the ones that have "hair-like" fur (Maltese for example).  I find a slicker brush is the best for getting the undercoat out of Chloe. I use this along with a metal comb. 

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Oh yes we have a slicker brush and a nice metal comb. He hates anything I put near him lol. I would love to find that Chris Christensen rake but it doesn't look like it's sold here in the us :(

[Melissa]

Did you try amazon.com?

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Yes :(

[C&L]

My parents Maltese does not shed and mats like crazy but defining single coated. I would say if your dog doesn't shed your doodle is likely single coated.

[C&L]

https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Christensen-T-Brush-27mm-Pins/dp/B007K...


This is my exact brush

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

I guess I was wondering what the difference between a rake and a t brush is

[C&L]

The rake is for demating on a doodle that is mostly poodle or for pulling out undercoat to reduce shedding on a double coated dog like a retriever. The T brush is a general purpose brush to maintain your dog's coat and prevent matting.  

A good analogy is to think of the rake as the concealer to cover up really bad problem areas such as acne, the pin brush is essential like the foundation and the slicker brush is the finishing powder. My favorite is the slicker because it gives your dog a very polished look. You can also use the slicker brush to pull out undercoat like what Melissa said but I find the rake to be much better at stripping without damaging the coat whereas the slicker is better at grabbing the hairs that have already detached from the root. 

So the question is why all these different brushes? I think you can get away with one brush but having the variety makes one's life a lot easier. because they were each designed for a certain purpose. 

[Melissa]

I had a Maltese for 13 years and yes he matted very easily as well....even with a single coat.  Most doodles have an undercoat. Because they don't shed the undercoat, you have to brush it out so it doesn't mat.  I pull out a lot of Chloe's undercoat each time I brush her.  

[C&L]

This is interesting to note.  I think some doodle have single coat like the poodle and others are double coated.  Out of my dog's litter, my dog is the only one that does not shed but he also lack that dense undercoat that his siblings have. My dog's coat is a lot thinner and limper.  

[Melissa]

I've read so many different things about doodle coats too. Most say they have an undercoat, but then you have a dog like yours that you can clearly tell they don't have one.  I guess it is by a case-by-case situation.   You are lucky that yours doesn't have the undercoat!!  It's a lot of work to keep from matting.