13/05/2025
DOODLES!
They're everywhere, in all sizes, coats, and personalities under the rainbow! They're loving, friendly (sometimes nervous), fluffy sweethearts, and it's my job to keep them looking and feeling their best!
Very often, I have to trim a doodle shorter than desired. More rarely, I have to shave one down almost entirely. Why?
MATTING.
These pups have every type of coat imaginable, and a few combo coat types unique to doodles, and keeping them brushed can present a challenge to owners.
The goal of this post is to show you the tools and techniques you can use at home to keep your dood the length and style you prefer during a groomer visit. A well-maintained doodle is like having an 800 credit score at the car dealership - you can have whatever you want!
The tools and supplies needed to properly brush your doodle at home:
Slicker brush, metal comb, brush out spray.
My preferred brush out spray is Hydra Ultra Dematting and Finishing Spray. It can be found on Amazon for around $32. It is worth it, I promise.
A great at-home slicker brush is Tuffer Than Tangles with long, soft pins. It's on Amazon for $14.99.
As for combs, there are many stainless steel options to choose from. I use Chris Christensen and Utsumi brands, but there's no reason to spend that kind of money. Any metal comb will work for what we need.
The TECHNIQUE for brushing your doodle, regardless of coat type, is called LINE BRUSHING. You can find videos of it on YouTube. After learning the line brushing technique, many doodle owners find they have only been brushing to top layer of coat and their pups are solid matted at the skin*. Line brushing ensures that you are brushing from the base of the hair and outward.
*once your pupper becomes matted at the skin, the humane option is to shave, which will leave 1/8"-1/4". No one likes it, but we love our dogs for who they are, not just their gorgeous hair.
FIRST: spritz the area you'll be working on with your brush out spray. Never brush a coat without a little spritz of something, even if it's just water. This prevents breakage, and breakage causes mats to form quicker and easier.
NEXT: pull a section coat up with your hand, and gently and methodically, brush it down with the slicker. I know that's confusing, but a quick view of a line brushing video will totally demystify it.
Continue this until the slicker isn't hitting any snags or resistance. And you'll use this same method all over your pup. ALL OVER. Don't forget the belly, armpits, neck and chest, PAWS, backs of the rear legs, and the base of the tail.
Line brushing is also used on their heads and faces and muzzles. I know they won't like it, but with some reassurance and tlc, they will come to accept it as part of their life, just like we brush our teeth without even thinking about it.
NOW: this is where your comb comes in. Combs, regardless of what you have heard, are NOT for dematting. That's painful and unnecessary. Your brush is for dematting. Your comb is to go behind the brush and make sure there's no snagging. If your comb hits a snag, your brush has more work to do.
And now for the answer you've all been waiting for:
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU BRUSH YOUR DOODLE?
It's actually a pretty easy answer, and just a general rule of thumb: how many inches of coat does your doodle have? That's how many times per week you should be brushing. And if they have at least 1/2", that counts as 1 lol.
Line Brushing tutorial video from YouTube (not my video, just sharing to show the technique): https://youtu.be/Em09QgJJhpI?feature=shared
