A guide to choosing the best brush for your unique Goldendoodle
A little intro to brushes
Not all brushes are not alike. The pin densities and thicknesses are different and can help or hinder your efforts. The way the pins are cut or finished at the tip can possibly scratch their skin so... cheap is not the way to go when choosing a tool that could potentially hurt your beloved pet. That's why as professionals we choose these brushes. We use them all day, every day. As a professional groomer I have multiple brushes for the many different coat types that I encounter but today it's all about your unique doodle and his/her unique coat.
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Size matters
To maximize your time if you have a large dog, you should probably get 2 brushes. One for the large wide open spaces like the body, legs and tail. And a medium or small one for the more compact areas like the face, ears, neck and feet. Small dogs can utilize a single smaller brush. Length is also a consideration. If the fur length is over 3/4 of an inch - you will want to opt for the longer pins.
Thick coats
This coat needs a little more umph (elbow grease and or better brush) to get through the coarse outer layer and still effectively brush out the downy undercoat they have.
Full sized Goldendoodles - The best brush I can recommend is the Coral Brush.
It's a bit pricey but they make quality products that work well and last a long time.
This Smaller Brush works on the compact areas or a Mini Goldendoodle. This is also a great brush for any medium pet that needs detangling.
Goldendoodles with longer fur
If you want a length longer than 3/4 of an inch you should opt for a longer pin size like the Big Slicker. It has a comfortable handle and the pin length needed for longer coat types.
Slicker brush for sensitive skin goldendoodles or puppies
Since I'm not there to teach you exactly how much pressure to apply, I'm going to recommend the safest brushes to use to avoid brush burning the skin. (which is actually an abrasion) Remember at the beginning I said...
"The way the pins are cut or finished at the end can possibly scratch their skin so... cheap is not the way to go when choosing a tool that could potentially hurt them."
For compact areas, you should be able to use this brush or you can elect to get the T Shaped Brush brush previously recommended for the smaller dogs that can get into those areas a bit better.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
Which ever brush you choose, I would be doing you and your pets a disservice if I didn't mention a comb. Many times a brushing session is complete with just that.... brushing. However, there are frequently some tangles left that you just can't see or identify with the brush. Enter the comb stage left. We all use them, we can't do our job without them period.
Using this tool will allow you to identify and remove any unseen tangles hiding below the surface before they get larger and have to be cut out (we do this to save the pets undue pain, discomfort and trauma from full blown dematting).
Combs are probably one of the least talked about but most important items.
I am going to recommend combs that don't have fancy handles because the more cushion or material between your tactile senses and the tangles allows you to not be able to actually feel those smaller tangles.
Be sure to comb from the skin out (not across the surface). For pets with longer fur, you will need to separate the fur to the skin to comb from the skin out.
Comb choices - I use a comb with a fine/coarse tooth combination. This Brass Comb with steel teeth is an all around good choice for people who want the best for their pets.
The cheaper alternative is this Steel Comb.
That's it for today's blog, I hope this helps you. I've seen way to many people wasting their money and time buying the wrong brushes again and again.
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