Panda

I need some advice, I can barely get a comb through pandas coat! He doesn't have a good poodle coat, it's more crimped than curly but it's very thick in places, mainly his neck and back are the thickest. I can't get a comb through without hurting him. I have to try hold the bottom of his hair while combing do I don't pull his skin. Loads of hair comes out when u brush him. I don't know if he is still going through the coat change (he is 2 in a few weeks) or I'm just pulling his hair out by brushing him wrong. Any tips? It must be even harder with those whose coats are actually curly but I don't think I'm brushing him right....?

Aidan

Thicker teeth on the comb will help..in fact in many online stores they are actually called poodle combs!

He could just be matted under where you can't see, that could be part of the reason you can't get the comb through.

Also, it's not uncommon for some hair to come up when combing, even sometimes a lot of it. Poodles don't shed their hair like some other double coated breeds do. Shepherds, Collies, etc... shed the dead stuff all over the place..for poodles, it has to be combed or brushed out.

When I first start combing and brushing a dog I start at the bottom and work my way up on all parts of the dog.

For instance: I'll take the first foot with my brush and start brushing from the bottom of that foot up to the shoulder, the same for all 4 feet. Then I will brush the body starting with the tip of the tail..brushing up until I get all the way to the back of the dogs neck, then brush the ears from the tip and up and last the topknot. This is pretty much how I was taught and it works well for me. It's easier to make sure I get everything going from bottom to top.

After I've brushed the dog I will then take a comb to make sure the dog is fully combed out in the same pattern I used while brushing.

Sometimes adding a cond. spray can help! Also, I only brush dirty dogs if I have to. I prefer to get the dog clean and THEN brush. It's difficult to brush out a dirty dog.

Panda

Yes he is a little matted at the moment, we have just moved house so things have been up in the air and I didn't brush him this week, naughty me! His cost is only about 2 inches long but maybe I will trim him a but shorter. Do you use a slicker to brush then as I find a slicker only gets the top of the coat and I need a comb to get the other hair out.

I find that of I gently pull his hair then bits of loose hair come out even after iv combed. Maybe the comb doesn't get all the hair that's got caught out. Iv got some les poochs slickers on order so they should hopefully arrive soon. Maybe they will work better, I'll try working from the foot up like you say. I just wonder why so much hair comes out when I brush him. I do think I'm pulling to hard and perhaps pulling hair out :(

katbrat

I start with Lexi's feet first. She will fall asleep when I do her ears, back feet and tail, but will try and hide her front feet from me. I hardley ever brush her. I start with the wide end of the comb and then go over everything with the fine tooth end. Is this a bad thing to not start with a brush? I do use the brush to fluff ears and tail after I have combed her out. There is fur that comes out some in the comb and it looks like it has perfect little rings in it.

Fluffyspoos

I take a slicker over my dogs first, make sure the hair is good and parted before I take a comb through.

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Panda

I'm getting a handful of hair out when I brush at the moment. And I only did his neck, part of his back and part of 1 leg last night. I need to brush him more tonight and I found his slicker today (we are still unpacking everything, iv not found his ice on ice spray yet.) I'll try get these matts out but he does seem
To get a lot of hair come out when I brush. I'll try find the link to the comb I have when I get home later, I think it's meant for poodles but not sure.

Fluffyspoos

I always get a lot of hair out when I brush my dogs, though I'm not brushing to save hair (you pretty much have to pretend you're brushing silk) since my dogs aren't show dogs.

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Aidan

Mars coat kings are wonderful on matted and difficult coated dogs. They get coat out..would not be ideal for a show coat, but for a pet coat i go to town with them. I love my coat king. It's an expensive tool..but well worth it!

Panda

That's good to know that it's normal to get that much hair out, my freind said I would make him bald if I kept at it! I need to keep tackling these matts, I love his length but might shave him very short soon, maybe 1/2 an inch so its easier to manage. Do most people brush daily then? Maybe I should start conditioning him again, he needs a bath soon so he is clean for when my mum comes out of hospital and he has got pee on his legs and tummy as usual! I wish he had better aim!

oceanrose

Dilute some cream rinse in a spray bottle with water (just a teaspoon or so of conditioner, the rest water).

Mist the coat gently and then select an area to start. Part the coat to the skin and run your comb through from top to bottom. When the loose hair is out and it's smooth, section another area (I normally go right above), mist and comb that. Repeat all over. If he's got coat coming out, this will remove it in a semblance of order. If you just try randomly combing a section you're not going to get to the skin and he will just continue to mat. Once the mats are out I'd switch to using a slicker and pin brush and running the coat through to make sure there are no mats in there too.