How to Brush Your Curly Coated Dog

[@MeganXanders]

Thank you so much for actually making a very informative video about how to take care of a doodle coat! I've been searching for a video that doesn't recommend putting silly stuff like cornstarch in the coat so I can help my clients better understand. Again, thank you for taking the time to do this ❤

[@koyaharvey-walker3794]

As someone with a human curly haircare line and a cockapoo I genuinely feel like slicker brushes are the main reason curly coated dogs hate being brushed. We use a metal grooming comb occasionally and two denman brushes d3 and d81 daily. It only takes 3-5 minutes as they glide through. We only use the metal comb once a week to make sure there are no knots. We live in a muddy area so autumn to spring she gets bathed every two weeks. One wash is a shampoo and conditioner wash and the other a diluted conditioner only wash. We detangle with conditioner and it gets rid of any tangles and have a professional blowdryer at home which takes around 15 minutes. She is tangle free and loves being brushed and washed.

[@suevelky5863]

Thank you for the brush recommendations. My goldendoodle’s hair is so curly and thick.

[@MikiDoodleMom]

I love the Chris Christiansen slicker. Flexit is great too. When I get 'cottonball' poodles i spray down with 'The Stuff'. The silicone in it really helps the hair to slip and come unmatted during brushing. Cuts down time and pulling on the dog.

[@acklysmlstrm1296]

Remember everyone! If you can’t brush out your dogs coat in 2 months, your groomer cannot do it in 2 hours! 🤗 Plus your home grooming determines how well your groomer can style your dogs hair.

[@sandralarsen8849]

This is the BEST tutorial on this site. I’m getting a curly pup soon and am so worried about how to get her used to this. I know it’s vital! Thanks.

[@MS-AllThingsWild]

I use Biolage human hair conditioner on my poodle when I bathe her. It allows brushed to slink right through her hair and eliminates alot of matting. Afterwards I use the metal brushes to remove the hair that has fallen out but not entirely removed from the water pressure during rinsing her. I've found this to be the quickest and keast painful way to keep her hair and skin in good shape.

[@billdungan3709]

Great instructions. I am making the commitment to brush our Molly every day.

[@vcelkaMaja12]

Thank you for exhibition. I was thinking about standard poodle as my future dog, with sport haircut, but I´m not able to brush him every week like this. So thank you. Anytime I asked anybody about brushing, they said, that it´s not a big deal when they are in short cut. But this really helped me to realise it.

[@zammyc6414]

Standard poodles are basically so well-behaved that if they flinch and whine like this one while brushing, you should know he is giving you a clear indication that you are being too rough and hurting him. I felt so sorry for this gorgeous dog. Next week I am getting my s-poodle and now I know what not to do. How would you like someone scraping your head with a wire brush for Pete's sake.

[@GanGGanG-ek5id]

Shes a pro i think she knows what shes doing

[@zammyc6414]

Oh please, like all people who do things for a living know everything and their practices should never be questioned...even when the contrary is on record and repudiates what they are doing? We need to think for ourselves, not make a decision because we are supposed to. That's dangerous on so many levels.

[@lesleysmith5169]

Yep I ageee. They might do the job but that dog isn’t happy. I hate hard metal slicker brushes. They’re paimful!!!!

[@heatherlyng491]

If you brush them every day it's less painful for the dog and less time-consuming for the human. It's like our hair if we don't comb it out everyday our gets matted and hard to comb out. Poo dog owners need to realize it's just an extra step in having a poo, but its worth it they are amazing. I have a BichPoo and I comb her every morning while I am drinking my coffee, it takes less than 2 min, I spray her with leave-in conditioner called vets best moisture mist so it's wet and then comb her hair out. Her coat is always healthy the vet is always amazed when she sees her.

[@felina3262]

If you have a really curly haired dog with long hair it can damage the fur if you brush it every day and don't apply products on it and can make it more painfull for the dog so we only brush our poodle every 3 days and we dont gett any knots at all only a lil behind the ears cause he likes rubbing his head on the couch but thats about it

[@RobynMichaels1]

Every day is a waste of time. Use a proper slicker brush, and if the dog isn't going through a coat change or constantly getting wet, once a week should be enough.

[@shelbyarthur133]

As a curly haired human I use a curl detangler on myself and my dog. Curl detangler is better than those wired dog brushes

[@mikegreer9041]

We have a f1b golden doodle and she hates brushes. We've come to the conclusion, like my wife seen somewhere, we have two dogs in one. A fluffy doodle and a shaved doodle. We tip the groomer well.

[@nancymesek]

I do in home boarding and always groom dogs in my care. I just spent almost 3 hours on a doodle and didn’t even get to the legs yet. I think I’ll send this video to the owner. Maybe it’ll be easier to do maintenance on his next visit.

[@MimooWithStandards]

I'm getting a standard poodle puppy soon. What brush are you using currently in this video and what brush are you recommending? And what comb should I use?

[@mooyah5839]

She's using a slicker brush

[@tlcdoggrooming]

We are using the Chris Christenson Coral slicker brush. This is an amazing brush, however a little on the pricey side. If you are looking for something a little more on the affordable side you can try the Miracle coat slicker brush in Medium. This brush is available on amazon and at Ren's Pets Depot.

[@jilllundquist7433]

I have my first standard poodle. He is almost 11 months now, and his coat has changed quite a bit from when he was a little puppy. I hope you are as happy with your dog as I am with mine!

[@UknownWorlds]

Hi there I have a bichon/min poodle mix and I want to keep his hair curly haired curly but I want it maintained. I want long curly hair out but I am wondering do I comb it through after bathing or should I use a detangling conditioner? What are your suggestions?

[@felina3262]

I dont know for sure but i think you can use a mix of coconut oil and something else forgot what it was something like curl definition cream for poodles or in general curly haired dogs

[@tlcdoggrooming]

Thanks for the great comment! You can actually do both. We often recommend using some sort of detangling spray before combing especially in dogs that have long hair and it will help a lot. You can shop at most local pet stores and in the aisle where all the shampoo is they will have lots of conditioning sprays that you leave on after the bath. Another little trick is once you have fully de-tangled and de-matted (if there are any), and while the dog is drying or if he is dry you can just mist him a little with a spray bottle with only water or mix a bit of leave-in conditioner in and just spritz him enough that it barely makes the coat wet and his coat will get really curly and 'messy' looking.

[@marvinbugarin1870]

O my goodness my dog is half the size and im already tired thinking how much work it will take...hahah good tutorial

[@Paulas_Dog_Grooming]

Thank you.

[@serenatorres9625]

I have a Cockapoo with really tight curls. What are the best brushes (brand) and combs to buy? Also would you recommend a detangling spray, and shampoo/conditioner? We like to keep his coat similar length to the dog in the video. Any recommendations is much appreciated! :) 👍🏼

[@joshchelvolski1033]

You can ask your veterinarian for the best answer. For my dog i use a standard wire brush for dogs to brush her fur and for shampoo i use baby shampoo which is very gentle on my dogs skin and coat.

[@roxpar1816]

Is there any leave-in product that slows down how quickly it mats?

[@slasini]

Hi and thank you for an informative video. We have a BichPoo/PooChon. She is 11 months old and she is extremely difficult to brush because she does not like it and won't stay still. I have even tried on the kitchen counter. It helps a bit, but still a struggle. Is it possible to give her Benadryl and it would relax her enough to maybe get through it? I just need a bit of advice. Thank you.

[@shannonbriggs100]

I’m really late on this but I thought I’d give my advice in case anyone else is struggling with this. I have a Cockapoo and she absolutely hates getting her hair brushed and it was a big struggle to keep her hair tidy. I ended up using treats like chicken, that I would hold in my hand and allow her to nibble at as I brushed her very gently. I’ve been doing this everyday for 2 weeks, gradually brushing her for longer until she barely cares/notices I’m grooming her. Can even do her nails now without issue. My way of thinking is that it would get her to associate the brush with chicken (something she doesn’t get unless the brush is being used) and as such have positive feelings when seeing it rather than getting scared and hiding like before. It’s working well although she is still doesn’t like me having to brush out her knots, so I’m having to be patient and just take small steps everyday. TL;DR - Find a treat that your dog absolutely loves and only give them it when brushing them.

[@jessicawaugh7506]

Is it better wet with conditioner? Just found a tiny curly matted dog on the highway. She's a mess and I have to clean her... I am new at the dog thing. Help asap! Thanks!

[@tlcdoggrooming]

Absolutely, however, you have to be careful because if she is already matted, bathing her, scrubbing and all the things can make the matting worse. So it might be worth checking in with a local vet to have her shaved and start over. FAR more comfortable for the dog in that case.

[@2Mytab]

Hi there. Do you use a water blaster after a (wet) walk to avoid hair clumps (instead of a towel for example)? what's your experience using a blaster? thanks, Jeroen

[@tlcdoggrooming]

Yes, we sure do! The Air force dryer, or blower as we call it. This dryer is the most used item in the shop. Depending on how dirty the dog gets on their walk you can most definitely use the blower to get excess water off. However, depending on the length of the dog's hair you can make "whip" matts so you have to be careful in that regard. But it does work wonderfully.

[@calderart]

I noticed that you are grooming on a table. Did you purchase a grooming table or is there some way of adopting an existing table? Trying to groom on the floor of the ground hurts my body.

[@gaiainanna9069]

Is it OK to brush again the way the hair grows as you’re doing on the leg? I have a six month old Labre doodle who is extremely curly, and I mostly use the comb on her and brush her every day. I don’t know if I really need a big brush like the other one you have… If the comb works and I do it daily, I guess it’s enough?

[@tlcdoggrooming]

I brush both ways. With the grain and against. The most important part is running your metal comb-over with the grain to ensure you have gotten all the tangle out.

[@jillw2607]

Very helpful, but as a person with curly hair please do not brush this hard or this fast you can see the dog flinching because that hurts maybe get the hair wet before you do that I don't know that Just looked painful

[@tlcdoggrooming]

This is why we do these videos so that brushing and combing can be done properly and SAFELY at home. Unless you have owned a doodle and are experienced with their coat type, it is impossible to tell from a video how thick her/their hair really is. Also, human hair and dog hair are two completely separate things. There is no pain being had by Reese in this video.

[@ladykarolyn1]

Dog trainer in training here (commenting on a 2 year old video but whatever): this dog is giving clear indication of discomfort with lip licking, yawning, whining, and head turning, as well as just trying to pull her paw away from the brush. Her coat does look better at the end, but she's very unhappy while she's getting there. I don't know if your technique is more comfortable for her when you're not doing it from around the other side because of camera angles. But if the dogs are doing these behaviors, they're experiencing discomfort and fear. A positive reinforcement dog trainer could help you learn how to make the needful (and very healthy!) practice of brushing into a more stress-free experience for all parties. Happy, comfortable dogs cooperate better!

[@ladykarolyn1]

And, just to be clear, I'm not judging you or saying you're a bad person. My mom raised me with the belief that combing your hair hurts if you're doing it right. But then I wouldn't brush or comb it myself (because it always hurt) and my hair was a rat's nest. I had to learn a new skill (how to comb it without pain) so I could have healthy hair habits I'd actually keep up with. Sometimes we just need new skills because the ones we already had weren't giving us as much success as we could have!

[@bugbean5500]

​@@ladykarolyn1Thank you for your comment! I grew up with my parents using a lot of force and pinning down our poor poodle mix for brushing and grooming because she didn't like it. She was totally fine with us kids brushing her with lots of treats and breaks tough. I myself did some courses on medical dog training and I was in tears about it all being possible with consent and cooperation because the screams of pain from my beloved childhood puppy still haunt me in my dreams sometimes.

[@valeriekugler7932]

So if you own a doodle try brushing your dog !Of course it's going to be uncomfortable for the dog getting mats out ! The groomer can always shave the dog no pain than!

[@shaneedwards6640]

Should they be brushed everyday? A few times a week? Do you recommend product afterwards? If so, what kind of product?

[@geminfly]

Everyday.

[@tonimartine7985]

So much easier to comb out everyday for ages minutes than deal with matted hair.

[@juliefry6627]

What brush are you using on this video please? It looks a nice length pin. I have a double doodle, and it is like brushing a sheep. Also how long would you work on a dog that has matts in one session. I think i am too gentle when i brush as i have long hair and know what some knots are like, are dogs tougher than humans? Signed a first time dog owner.

[@Fruitlessfire24]

Do not do what she’s doing oh my god, the resistance in those pulls that’s gotta hurt! Pull back a section of fur and brush the fur angled up, then pull back the brushed fur and so on and so forth.

[@MikiDoodleMom]

Unless you're holding the brush, you can't say what the resistance level is.

[@xMysticJulia]

For a miniature poodle, should you have a soft or hard slicker brush?

[@xMysticJulia]

@@Jess_Official Thank you!

[@jobird354]

Where would we be without our beautiful slicker brushes?

[@GettingSticky]

What kind of golden doodle is this?

[@Parify]

f2b i think

[@jacckkiieesayi2626]

Thank you 😊

[@dorothypowell3792]

How often should I bathed My golden doodle? How old should she be to get her first haircut?

[@Haven633]

I usually save bathing for the groomer every 3-5 weeks, unless something happens that a bath is necessary. They dont get that dirty when you brush out debris and dirt everyday and use wipes to wipe their paws and faces clean.

[@nenah-startingfromscratch]

Thank you for your video, helpful!

[@littlemisswannabehomesteader]

Really great video!!! 👏👏👏

[@Azmarii]

is it easier to wet the golden doodle to get the hair damp and then comb through i just be so delicate i don't want to tug at my dogs hair

[@tlcdoggrooming]

I personally don't do it that way but understand why you are asking. One of the most important things to remember is that your brushing and combing will always be easier when you are working with a clean coat. Pick up some detangling spray or leave-in conditioner and that definitely helps with knots, tangles, and matting. Good luck and good for you for getting in there and working hard with your Doodle!

[@heatherlyng491]

Curly hair is always easier when wet, and it helps the overall health of the hair as well.

[@nessamae7141]

@@heatherlyng491 yes this is true w humans too!

[@doreencampbell8272]

My dog won't stand still to be brushed. My husband has to pin her down. She hates being brushed.

[@EH-fs2xm]

I have a toy poodle. The groomer showed me that brush to use on him. And yo brush him when he’s wet. Is that true ? And does that brush hurt them ???

[@tlcdoggrooming]

Thank you for the great question! Yes, you can brush them when they are wet, especially if you have used a leave-in conditioner or a detangling spray, however; make sure to give them a good towel dry, and then you can brush them. But you need to be careful because it is easier to give "brush burn" when they are wet. As long as you are using your tools correctly and not overly working one area you should not have an issue and the slicker brush will not harm them.

[@raquelhuerta2062]

What’s point of them being curly then ?

[@moongoddesse6873]

What brush is that ?

[@sarinarouth4122]

so it’s not good to keep our poodles hair curly ? i am getting one soon and i’d like to know

[@tlcdoggrooming]

No, you can keep it curly. Actually, there isn't anything you can really do to make the dog's coat not curly if it is natural. As long as they are matt-free with frequent brushing and combing, the dogs coat will typically stay curly. Just like your hair may be naturally curly or pin straight. The dog's coat is very similar.

[@geminfly]

It just looks gross and greasy.

[@onenessek]

What is the brush that you're using

[@tlcdoggrooming]

That specific brush is from Chris Christensen. It is very pricey though. I also use brushes from Whal AND Miracle Coat.

[@cmort8993]

The dog is crying and flinching because it’s hurting him. Why would you not tell the owner it has to be shaved because they allowed it to get matted instead of hurting the dog? It isn’t fair.

[@BenBreeg1138]

Just got this brush, my dog doesn't like it on his front legs, back legs, or anywhere else!!!

[@RuralRoots57]

That’s a pretty standard issue, we don’t have any dog clients that LIKE to be brushed, but brushing is the most important part of the maintenance for your dogs coat. It’s not about enjoyment, its about getting mats and tangles out so that the dog DOES NOT have to be uncomfortable to be scalped because it is so matted. That is far more dangerous and uncomfortable then brushing ever will be for a dog.

[@BenBreeg1138]

@@RuralRoots57 Yeah, I can brush him with a normal poodle type brush, but the little bends on the ends of this one are too much. Haven't had any matting with the more straight wire brush.

[@liamvanluchene4305]

Is that an Irish doodle?

[@RuralRoots57]

We are not entirely certain to be honest. My client was told there was a “Doodle” needing a new home. So she jumped at the chance to bring Reese into the family. She’s full of fire and spunk....so MAYBE!! 😃

[@kcmom2four]

Can I get one of those arms for a table at home? We use a groomer but that might make it easier in between. We’re bringing a double doodle (Goldendoodle and labradoodle) home at the end of May.

[@angiey6174]

Liam Vanluchene x

[@echochamberdanger]

PET PARENTS! At home You should ONLY use 1. PIN BRUSHES: rounded pins mounted on a rubber pad with trapped air underneath. (There will be a hole) 2. Wild boar bristle brush (not synthetic/plant based) with the same rubber cushion for gentle brushing. Use of a SLICKER brush (seen in this video- the dog is visibly in pain) is highly discouraged. These brushes are for professional/trained groomers ONLY. SLICKER brushes will: -cause harm to your pet’s skin -damage your pet’s coat. if your dog is too matted for a pin brush- it must be taken in to be groomed/shaved.

[@Uwbs_yana]

Why doesn’t he just get his body shaved and leave the legs a little longer since he gets matted?

[@tlcdoggrooming]

It's all about personal preference. In this case, Reese's human likes her not too short so we try to accommodate the best that we can as long as the mats are easy enough to deal with and the dog is cooperative.

[@pranetok29]

Ben?

[@julietomins9871]

Does that combing hurt?

[@tearose3763]

wow arnt you hurting him?😢

[@tuxxlexx]

Must be painful for the dog 😮

[@MikiDoodleMom]

It can be, depending on variables, such as severity of matt, location, tools/products used and skill level of groomer, matched with the dog's tolerance.

[@michaelcoogan1654]

Why the hell would a dog like that need to wear a sweater?

[@eg-draw]

i really don't like it when you brush all that curls off cuz all fur become like... cotton, eh? I prefer SWD's grooming style

[@christinahall9931]

? Who? I need info to compare

[@eg-draw]

@@christinahall9931 it's just another curly breed

[@frankiebest5736]

What kind of dog is she😍🥰

[@hgfinch10]

I thinks she is a golden doodle. (Golden retriever poodle mix)

[@tlcdoggrooming]

She sure is, she is a Golden Doodle.

[@IMACTED]

Doggy doesn’t like the action..

[@helenpaul4886]

My dog rolls in whatever disgusting smelly thing she finds. I have to bathe her but brushing her out is traumatic for her.

[@kathleengomes4379]

Brown dog is beautiful spoil himhope he is a boy

[@pamelaj966]

You’re hurting the dog Jesus