Thanks for replying. My routine seems to be working well with the toy poodle, but Cupid's hair is thicker/denser/harder to get a comb through. I don't clip them myself--I watched a clipping video to see if it was something I would be willing to try, and I decided NO, LOL!
The last time I took both boys to the groomers, she said Cupid had mats on his legs. That's another reason I started brushing/combing more. I guess my concern is that I do the best I can, and his hair isn't that long, but the brush and comb still don't go easily through his hair. So I'm wondering if there is another kind of brush that people would recommend.
Thanks again.
I simply love a very soft slicker that works wonders for me with thick haired dogs and long coats. my clients that are always matted now are in good shape after they bought this brush. the pins are long and angled, and you can bend it right back and they dont stab you! Technique is very important. divide dog into sections, lift hair up from bottom of leg, keep brush parallel to leg, and as you brush pull hair down from under your hand(holding the hair up) this way you will see to the skin, make sure you treat one leg as a whole unit, doing the inside, and paying close attention to the joints and skinny hocks where matts hide and friction causes tangles.
repeat on other legs, body and head, make sure you find end ear leather and lift up hair on ears and get thoroughly, but have light touch on inside ears.
One of th etips i give my pet owners for a cheap effective dematting tool is to use a small white letter opener, it costs about $3 for 3 of them. it keeps the sharp blade away from anything provided you only use on flat body areas, not ear flaps or tails...use common sense. very good for breaking up those thick tangles, they will then brush right out. use in direction of coat growth to avoid lines. you are cutting coat so use sparingly. Not for extremely matted dogs.
here is link to buy.
Ryan's Pet Supplies