two things come to mind right off
1) the comb you are using is to fine, meaning the teeth are to close together, to get through your poodles thick coat. I cannot get the fine portion of my metal comb through my standard's coat, I have to use the medium.
Depending on what kind of comb you have too. If you're trying to use a plastic comb like what my husband uses for his hair thats not likely to do it through do hair. You need metal, with or without handle that is a personal thing. I perfer no handle myself.
2) Using the slicker brush you are not getting down to the skin of your poodle, this can happen even with short hair, and so you're just brushing through the top layer of coat leaving the hair next to the skin matted. I see this a lot and it's no wonder why, it's super easy to do.
Split the hair with your hands down to the skin and see if you can see matts. Sometimes curls hide matts or act like matts when using a comb. I can't comb through either of my girls when they are curly without first taking a pin brush or a slicker through them to pull the curls out, then I can comb.
Feel the coat too, does it feel "clumpy" ? Can you run your fingers though it?
As for the clipper it depends on what kind you have. I have a set of human clippers that I use frequently on my spoo girls. I have used them to clip their coats all over with no trouble. Clippers bought from walmart I doubt I would even attempt to use.
Do you know much if anything about your poodle's history? I ask because grooming is not as simple as it seems, even a shave down. It's not rocket science maybe but it can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing and are not using the correct tools. Clippers for instance that have the types of blades that adjust lengths via a little lever on the side of the clipper are dangerous. Being that your baby is new to you and you are new to grooming him I might suggest taking him at least once and having a pro do it. That way there are no surprises and the risk of injury is greatly reduced. Especialy if his coat is matted, the risk goes up. Once he is all sorted out you can continue to groom at home and keep up with his coat in whatever style you wish. You'lll also gain vital information on how he behaves for grooming. If he has a problem with something you won't be surprised. If he has any sort of trouble at all the pro can deal with it and not hurt him, thats part of what we're trained to do. If he has trouble with something to first time you groom him and you are not prepared for it serious injury could result.
The pro can also take a look at your brushes and combs and make sure you have what you need which is a much faster and more accurate way to get info than posting on a forum really
Whatever you decide to do, good luck and congrats on your new friend!!
