[NewtoPoo]

Our pup is very much into chewing almost everything.

I am scared to brush and they will sometimes suddenly put their mouth around the pins. I have both pin brushes and slicker brushes.

They never growled, yelped or really been vocal about brushing. Just they want to put their mouth on everything....

Any worry from anyone in the group?

 

[Johanna]

I don't think this is a problem - puppies, like human toddlers, have to put everything in their mouths! Just put the brushes out of the puppy's reach when you have finished brushing, then reward the puppy with a treat or a toy.

 

[Porkchop]

Nah, no worries. I think all dogs bite the brush as puppies. My 1.5 year old still tries to bite the brush sometimes. when she was younger would do it near constantly. Never had any serious problem except the occasional uncomfortable poke to the mouth from a slicker brush or comb, which would stop the biting for a short while, haha.
During training I fed her lots of pieces of treats throughout short daily brush and comb sessions, when she wasn’t biting. I kept a firm, yet gentle grip when she was squirming. whining and wiggling doesn’t mean the brushing stops.
Do your brushes have little balls on the ends of the pins? Those are more gentle on the skin and good while you’re training a young dog to tolerate grooming, and while you learn proper brushing technique. A regular slicker brush may be scratching the skin.
Otherwise, dont be scared to brush (and make sure you follow up with a steel comb to make sure you got all the tangles out). It’s such an important thing poodles need to stay healthy. Mats can form under the top layer of the hair if you only brush. Glad you’re here and asking questions! How old is your dog and what’s their name?

 

[Basil_the_Spoo]

I wouldn't worry either; I came to post what Rohanna said. I think your puppy will soon be uninterested in the brush since it's not food or a toy.

Basil darted towards and bit a blackberry vine during her mouthing stage and let out a small yelp. She's was fine.

 

[Searcher]

When I first joined PF someone mentioned brushing the inside of your arm with the brush & if it hurts you, it will be painful for your pup. I actually found the Millers Forge slicker brush to be the best (& cheapest).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NLVFH2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[NewtoPoo]

Thank you everyone with your replies. That's very helpful and is not something that you can learn about from reading a book. I appreciate your collective advice and experience. I powered on through brushing today and it went well after a few minutes.

Now trying to get them sitting still! Also really doesn't like the spraying action of the detangler. I tried spraying some into a paper towel and wiping on the hair but that didn't really do a very good job. I was using the "Wahl" d'knot spray. It has quite a bit of a fragrance.

Any suggestions on how to spray the poodle without them being scared or upset? Or will they get use to it. Also, any recommendations of a detangler that is scent free or fragrance free?

Thanks again!

 

[PeggyTheParti]

You could definitely start a new thread on fragrance-free detanglers. I’m interested, too!

Even if the smell doesn’t bother you, I think it’s kind of cruel to our dogs and their exquisite sense of smell. To be honest, I don’t understand why fragrance is added to grooming products.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Here’s a thread from 2019: Fragrance free detangling spray?

 

[For Want of Poodle]

I don't use a detangling spray due to not finding a fragrance free one. I have used a tiny bit of my own fragrance free conditioner diluted in lots of water, or just plain water. The conditioner ended up being too heavy.

 

[Johanna]

I teach poodles the command "flat". That means "lie on your side" so I can easily brush out one side. It is much, much easier to brush if a poodle is lying on its side!

 

[Porkchop]

I’ve tried to find a fragrance free detangler. I scoured poodle forum and google searched. It seems they don’t make any truly fragrance free detanglers from what I could find. I also think it’s not cool to use fragrances with every brush due to dog’s sensitive noses.
Maybe I should try to search other long haired dog themed forums like for yorkies, maltese, Bichon, etc to see if I can’t find any suggestions there to try.

I have an insanely good sense of smell. fBased on what I’ve found recommended on poodle forum ive tried Chris Christensen ice on ice in the regular spray bottle (non aerosol) I’ve found to have no scent, but it’s too heavy and makes the hair greasy. Maybe I could try diluting it with water. Because as it is I have a very full bottle I dont want to use.
Otherwise the ice on ice ultra spray (in aerosol form) doesn’t seem to have added fragrance, although it does have a mild smell of something I can’t describe. It doesn’t make the hair greasy at all.
The downside is that its very expensive for about 8 ounces.

Ive seen the coat handler detangler mentioned, but I’ve never tried it. Many reviews on amazon say it has very little scent.

Just keep giving treats after spraying the detangler on. They will eventually get used to it! Your dog will probably be closer to a year old before they stop being so wiggly during brushing. It just takes training and maturity.

Edited to add: i couldn’t find the skouts honor fragrance free detangler last summer. Looks like they have it available again on the website.

 

[Eclipse]

When I first joined PF someone mentioned brushing the inside of your arm with the brush & if it hurts you, it will be painful for your pup. I actually found the Millers Forge slicker brush to be the best (& cheapest).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NLVFH2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The thing is you are not supposed to brush the dog's skin with a brush, any brush. That is what causes brush burn, so comparing what the brush feels like on your skin is not really applicable. If you are going to be brushing any coat length, of more than just a strip down, the brush you use will need to have some "bite" so to speak, to get out any tangles and undercoat. If you are brushing any length of coat you should know how to brush the hair in sections (line brushing) and brush down to the skin, but not the skin. If you don't get to the skin, you are top brushing and dogs can be matted from the skin up, but not matted on the top of the coat where an owner brushes if they do not line brush.

 

[Starvt]

For the spraying, what I find causes the least reaction is to kind of hold / put my fingers behind a section of hair, then spray it from pretty close. Depending on the spray bottle it can make the hair too wet, but I just spread it around a bit by brushing.
I don't need to do that anymore but when I first started using spray that helped make it less startling.