[Napathedoodle]

So after many posts of Napa's coat and people asking about his coat, and how I cared for it.... I'm here asking HOW DO I TAKE CARE OF HIS COAT!!! I think he's finally starting to either blow his coat/ change of season, or getting his adult coat in..... BUT HE'S MATTING!!!!

He's only going to be fully coated for probably two or three more weeks, but when I do get him cut back I don't want him to have to be cut all the way down because of matts. So, what do people use to brush coats. Napa has a VERY wooly coat. His underside is almost fleecey, but the top is very curly. I've bought a furimator for my parents dog (when I go back to RI) and I've used it on Napa, but it feels like I'm ripping out his hair since his hair is so curly!!!! I'm only using it because we're in the process of moving, and we've misplaced our two brushes. We do have a wire brush, and just a regular almost human brush.... Also are there any products you use to make your life easier when you brush? I feel like a terrible Mom because I've let him mat, but I'm just not sure what exactly to buy. Also, I'm willing to pay for whatever I need as long as its going to work...

Oh, and for those who groom themselves, is there a place where you guys get scissors? We tried to trim Napa's face, and our scissors were horrible. I'm not looking for clippers because I don't intend on doing his whole body, at least not yet. Just scissors so that I can trim his face and feet in between cuts!

Thanks!
Kristen

 

[annabelles mom]

we bought round tipped scissors to trim around AB's eyes at petsmart

 

[Libby&Jofi]

I use a Les Pooches brush - it's very good on Jofi's coat and less hard on the wrists. I have the feeling a lot of people with doodles use these but they are expensive. I also use a slicker brush to help remove unworkable matts.

http://www.lespoochs.com/BRUSHES.asp

 

[Maddjaxx]

I never tried the Pooches brush...kind of pricey. After similar, minor matting issues we found a great assortment of different brushes, combs and rakes for Marley at petedge.com Wide variety, very reasonabley priced. I bought 2 flexible slicker brushes(TP224), a comb and an undercoat rake and use them religiously now and we have had no mating problems. He cooperates real well now too, now that we do it regularly. And he looks great too. Good Luck!!

 

[Napathedoodle]

Greg, how do you brush the coat? Just strokes or is there a particular method you use? I'm at a loss, I just don't want to miss any matts if there are any....

 

[Maddjaxx]

Tough question. When our groomer said he had matts I was totally surprised. They were virtually invisible. Marley is an F1b, and she explained it to me that the shorter lab hair was geting "blocked" by the thick poodle hair and matting close to the skin under that poodle hair. With the flexible slicker brushes, the groomer was nice enough to show me how to do it. The key is just doing a small section at a time. Sort of pull up a clump of hair, fold it back to see the skin and the kind of tease the hair brushing the opposite way you are pulling the clump back. It is odd at first but you get the hang of it. There are two sides to these slicker brushes. I always use the side that has the bent tines. Just keep doing it. I try to do it every other day, focusing on a particular area each time. I bought a double for his body and a single for his head and face area. Your Dood might be different, but I was amazed at how much hair I get each time I do it. It gets easier as you go along, and if you are consistent matts rarely have the opportunity to form, and it goes quickly because there are none there. Marley was not crazy about the idea at first but he got used to it. Still resists tad on his legs and feet but otherwise he stays perfect still for the most part. Occassional treat and constant reassurance he is doing a good job and he is to the point he does not mind it. I tend to do frequent "quickies". Like this morning I just did it for about 10 minutes before I left for work. Lots of quickies and then maybe once a week thourough job and that removes the chance of matts ever forming again. And the rewards of bonding and having a smart, handsome looking Dood are all the incentive I need.

 

[MaxandMe]

kristen....Peanut WHO never sheds and never matts
OMG it was horrible recently. She started matting so much I brought her to the groomer asap and had her cut down to 1/2in

as a groomer which brush to use on Napa or i am sure someone here will help you out

 

[amyg]

How much fur are should I expect to see in the brush when I'm done brushing Wrigley. So far he really has not shed at all, but he still has his puppy coat, which is a wavy fleecy coat. He's an F1b Goldendoodle, so I don't expect him to shed much at all even when his adult coat comes in. I haven't seen any undercoat on him, & when I brush him I only get a tiny bit of fur in it - I usually brush him a few times a week. It does seem like lately his coat has been getting thicker.

 

[L's Mom]

I have a cheap slicker, a metal comb that is finner on one half of it, and a pin brush...all bought at PetSmart... but I am considering investing in a very nice brush...like Les Pooches ... Libby which one do you use?

They doodles, really tolerate the slicker the least... so I thy to use it the least...

I start with the Pin brush, and brush a section at a time, the way Maddjaxx describes... then I go over that same section with both sides of the brush...

I brush sections of the dogs body nearly everyday... so can usually get to mats before they are bad... well, so far anyway...

For the tricky mats... I work with the comb... pulling small sections apart, if it's too thinck then I will cut into it with scissors, and then brush out...

 

[my Boo]

Question about the Les Pooches brushes: Are the grooming pins/tines gentler on skin than regular slicker brushes? I don't use our slicker very much because the pins are rough on the skin- very scratchy, even when used lightly. Are the Les Pooches brushes better?

 

[Napathedoodle]

Update:

I just finished brushing Napa..... OMG!!!! He had mats under his ears, on his ears, under his belly.... I plan on really going at it again tomorrow. I bought a matt brush, but not the cutting one. I also got a slicker brush, and a smoother brush when I get everything under control.

I'd be interested in the difference between a slicker brush and the les pouches....

Thanks for the advise!

 

[my Boo]

I've been searching the archives and Linda (Bella's mom) has posted a bunch of tips for grooming wooly coats. Maybe something like this would work for Napa?

http://labradoodle-dogs.net/forums/view ... ight=eqyss

(I'm thinking about trying this on Boo. He's not as curly as Napa, but still plenty curly! :roll: )

 

[emilee]

we use three tools when we brush kumo: a regular slicker brush like you can get at petsmart, a mat-breaker, and a metal comb. i have kumo lay on his side at first, and start on a small section with the slicker brush. when i feel like that section is completely brushed, i go at it with the comb to make sure there aren't any mats. our groomer recommended this technique, because the bristles of the slicker brush sometimes aren't long enough to get all the way to the skin, especially if the coat is very thick. so it is possible to miss some pre-mats as they're forming next to the skin -- and it is WAY easier to get them out before they become full-blown mats.

if i find a mat, i use the mat-breaker on it. it's one of those tools that essentially has curved razor blades, and you use it like a comb pulling through the mat in the direction that the hair grows (being very careful not to cut yourself). it basically breaks up the mat and makes it easier to comb out without cutting the longer hairs.

the places kumo normally mats are behind his ears, in his leg pits, and around the base of the tail. sometimes his tail mats too, because we keep that long. in the summer we don't brush often, because we keep the dogs trimmed to 1/2-3/4 inch, but in the winter we thoroughly brush once a week. i brush a small section at a time -- kumo is VERY patient about it, although when he was younger it was hard for him to sit still for that long. i basically keep brushing until i can pick any point on his body, part the fur, and see down to the skin. i've never tried any of the expensive brushes, they may make this process easier somewhat, especially if they are more ergonomically designed. but i feel like there probably isn't any miracle cure for preventing or dealing with matting.

-em