Basic Grooming Supplies

Slicker brush and metal comb are the must haves.
Shampoo is whatever pet brand you prefer.
Brands really depend on personal preference.
If you're getting your dog groomed every 4-6 week you likely don't need to bath in between unless he gets really dirty, but you can if you want to. My mini poodle gets bath every 4-10 weeks depending on when I feel like taking the effort to groom him (and no bathing in between or brushing except maybe his long topknot as he doesn't matt/tangle much), my show standard gets bathed once a week.
Important thing is to dry the dog after bathing or any tangles the dog has will tighten and get worse. For pet owners it's not a bad idea to brush/comb before the bath and then again after.
Youtube 'Line brushing'

Good for you in planning ahead! Grooming is definitely a bonding experience as well as saving money in the long run. It was also stressful for me to find a local groomer that could handle a spoo with my grooming requirements. I'm looking forward to taking on more of my spoo's grooming once his conformation showing is over.

The long pin sized slicker was recommended and works well for me, here is one of several brands available. (Unfortunately, this was the third slicker that I purchased and I use it the most.)

https://www.cherrybrook.com/transgroom-tuffer-than-tangles-slicker-brushes/

A hardware-style dremel (not a pet dremel) for nails. For applying shampoo I've used both a sponge and mixing bottles for the dilute mixture. Found some cheap bottles locally when there was no time for mail order, but my breeder reuses a water bottle (the kind with the quick close top). Here's an official version.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Top-Perf...34491&wl11=online&wl12=42872080&wl13=&veh=sem

I have a 36" portable grooming table with grooming arm. My boy is 27" and this works. If I were to purchase new, I would buy one with adjustable leg height and also a longer arm. The portable table folds easily for stowage or transport.

With a boy, you may be washing front legs-only at some point as they learn to "aim." This seemed daunting to me until I watched my breeder do this quickly at a conformation show. The force dryers really make a quick job of drying. I don't much like drying but wish that I had bathed more at home when my boy was very young as he doesn't like drying either!

Lastly, my groomer uses these and now I do as well.

Happy Hoodie For Dog Anxiety Relief

IMO, there are a lot of opinions about grooming gear and products, and it will be personal preference (and maybe trial and error) that will inform your choices. Large conformation shows offer opportunities to speak to company reps and see some of the equipment before purchase. You could also speak to local groomers for advice.

I have a slicker brush, pin brush, and a metal comb. My guy did not like the slicker brush when he was tiny so we have been using the pin brush. I think it was a bit painful for tender puppy skin? Anyways, good for you for thinking ahead!!

Sammy the spoo said:

I have a slicker brush, pin brush, and a metal comb. My guy did not like the slicker brush when he was tiny so we have been using the pin brush. I think it was a bit painful for tender puppy skin? Anyways, good for you for thinking ahead!!

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The kind of slicker makes a difference. I bought an Oscar Frank (?) to start with, and it was much too rough. Then I got a Chris Christensen round slicker and the dogs don't mind it nearly as much.

zooeysmom said:

The kind of slicker makes a difference. I bought an Oscar Frank (?) to start with, and it was much too rough. Then I got a Chris Christensen round slicker and the dogs don't mind it nearly as much.

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Ahhh the phantom Chris Christensen items!!! I looked up amazon.ca and they are crazy expensive compared to US amazon. They don't seem to carry them in Canada or I haven't looked enough. (If any of the Canadian friends can point me to the right direction that would be amazing!). I really want to try using CC products!

Sammy the spoo said:

Ahhh the phantom Chris Christensen items!!! I looked up amazon.ca and they are crazy expensive compared to US amazon. They don't seem to carry them in Canada or I haven't looked enough. (If any of the Canadian friends can point me to the right direction that would be amazing!). I really want to try using CC products!

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Can you order it directly from Christ Christensen's website? Everything will ship from Texas.

snow0160 said:

2. Get a brush with long pins or teeth. I have a 27mm slicker brush because it reaches further into his coat. I also have a long teeth comb. Not sure about the length but it is great getting to the root of the hair.
I got these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KAJTPZ2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F247IO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Does this matter as much if you are not going with a show grooming style verses a pet grooming style?

pudellvr said:

Does this matter as much if you are not going with a show grooming style verses a pet grooming style?

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I actually have a poodle mix and can't show him. It probably isn't necessary but it makes life easier. I've have a lot of pets and nothing harder to groom than a poodle imho. Hehe. It is either hard to groom or lots of vacuuming... tradeoff


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snow0160 said:

Can you order it directly from Christ Christensen's website? Everything will ship from Texas.

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Ok, I just looked up their Canadian distributer. It looks like I can buy it from them at a much more reasonable rate . I must put it on my wishlist now

My girl Phoebe was very low maintenance in a Miami/Clown. She didn't even shed until the last few months of her life. She was pure spoo though

pudellvr said:

My girl Phoebe was very low maintenance in a Miami/Clown. She didn't even shed until the last few months of her life. She was pure spoo though

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A sporting or Miami is really the way to go for pet spoos if you don't want a lot of maintenance. I am counting the days until I clip Frosty down LOL

zooeysmom said:

A sporting or Miami is really the way to go for pet spoos if you don't want a lot of maintenance. I am counting the days until I clip Frosty down LOL

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Thank you all for the great advice. I looked up the photos of the Miami and sporting clips on Google. What makes certain clips easier than others? Sorry, like I said, I know basically zero about grooming.

I love my Doggyman slicker for my *adult* pet coats. As somebody else said, you don't need a slicker for soft puppy fluff. A pin brush is useful for that or adult hair you'd like to hang onto (e.g., topknot). I use CC pin brushes for my show coats, but I think there are other good quality pin brushes out there for less money.

For puppies, I like the Tropiclean puppy shampoo--it is super mild. Otherwise, I like clarifying shampoos (CC makes one called Clean Start) or a mild oatmeal shampoo if I am bathing more often (CC Day to Day).

At some point, if you are tempted to try your hand at clipping face and feet between grooms, I love the Wahl Bravura clipper.

If you are going to bathe an adult poodle, you'll really want some sort of doggie dryer. You can spend anywhere from $100-700 on that.

Verve said:

I love my Doggyman slicker for my *adult* pet coats. As somebody else said, you don't need a slicker for soft puppy fluff. A pin brush is useful for that or adult hair you'd like to hang onto (e.g., topknot). I use CC pin brushes for my show coats, but I think there are other good quality pin brushes out there for less money.

For puppies, I like the Tropiclean puppy shampoo--it is super mild. Otherwise, I like clarifying shampoos (CC makes one called Clean Start) or a mild oatmeal shampoo if I am bathing more often (CC Day to Day).

At some point, if you are tempted to try your hand at clipping face and feet between grooms, I love the Wahl Bravura clipper.

If you are going to bathe an adult poodle, you'll really want some sort of doggie dryer. You can spend anywhere from $100-700 on that.

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Would you say that it's very difficult to do face and feet trimming between regular grooming? From the research that I have done, it seems that poodles have to be fully groomed every 4-6 weeks. Do little trims extend that time?

How often do all of you get your poodles fully groomed? What do you do in between regular grooming?

Great thread as I am wondering the same thing!
My goal is to learn to groom the *fingerscrossed* spoo myself.
How important is a grooming table?

Sammy the spoo said:

Ok, I just looked up their Canadian distributer. It looks like I can buy it from them at a much more reasonable rate . I must put it on my wishlist now

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I've seen them at shows for a few bucks cheaper than online. You might want to see if there are any shows close to you and it might save you a little money.

Just as an fyi this is the slicker brush I use for my show dog and my grooming clients and it lasts for years
Madan Slicker Brush - Medium

and for the ears and tail on my client dogs I use this brush (it's very stiff pins for an amateur so you would want to be careful)
hudsonpetsupplies - Millers Forge Grey Universal Slicker

I don't spend a ton of money on brushes. These ones last me forever and do the job I need.
I'd like to try the long pin brushes like the CC ones, but for 90 bucks, nope haha. These work just fine.

lexiz said:

Thank you all for the great advice. I looked up the photos of the Miami and sporting clips on Google. What makes certain clips easier than others? Sorry, like I said, I know basically zero about grooming.

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Short means less matting/tangles so less need to brush. Means you can go longer between haircuts before the dog gets too long.