Brushing

Techniques for brushing your Doodle

 

Ever brushed out a little girls’ tangled ponytail? You start from the bottom, and work your way up, so that you are brushing a section at a time, and the hair below the brush is always smoothed out with each pass. You must get down TO the skin, but not BRUSHING the skin. (’Brush burn’ is a real thing, and can happen accidentally when too much pressure is applied and/or brushing is very vigorous and one area is repeatedly brushed over and over. Ouch!) As you get each section brushed out, take your large comb and go back through it, again, bottom to top, down to the skin and out.

 

A brush will LIE to you, but a comb will tell you the TRUTH every time!

 

Your comb will let you know where additional brushing is needed to break up any tangles or matts still there. Then comb again to re check. When you can get your comb through every part of the coat, from the skin out, with no resistance, then you truly have a brushed out dog.

 

Not as easy as it sounds, as there are several areas that are ‘hot spots’, meaning more prone to matting to some degree. Behind the ears, neck, ears, base of tail, tail, haunches, armpits and the flank area. All of these areas can be safely brushed and combed out using the above mentioned method. However, special care should be taken with ears. Ear leather can be very thin, mostly around the bottom half, making it subject to injury from the tines of a brush when repeatedly taken over and over the same area. Just go a little easier on brushing those ears, and following up with the comb, just as you did the rest of the body.

 

And be sure and reward your little trooper for a job well done with treats and praise! They will learn to love their groom time with their favorite human, making everyone’s effort just a little easier. Effective grooming at home also allows you to be up close and personal with your pet, noting any changes in their skin and body, as you will have your hands all over them with a different purpose and will become more familiar with what is ‘normal’ for them and what may need their vets’ attention.

 

If you decide to bathe them after the brushing and comb out, be sure and rinse rinse rinse, and then rinse some more.