Poodle cross breeds including:
Labradoodle, Groodle, Cavoodle, Cobber Dog, Schnoodle, Moodles, Sheepadoodle and many more are notoriously difficult coats to maintain especially through the puppy coat transition phase (6-12 +months). Here at Chris Christensen Australia we understand the struggle their owners face but don’t despair we have the perfect tools for you to get on top of your coat maintenance woes.
It’s best to get into a grooming routine from day 1 to build trust and tolerance for brushing and combing. I always like to introduce a puppy to grooming with a Wood Pin Brush as this brush is like a massage to the skin and all dogs love a good massage! and as our dog’s get old and achy they absolutely enjoy the therapeutic benefits of the wood pin massage. Wood Pin Brushes are also an excellent blow drying tool as the pins will not heat up keeping your Best Friend comfortable. Wood pin also deals with baby coat tangles well but it needs to be remembered that this brush is not a maintenance tool for dealing with deep matted coat.
For Poodle cross breeds a good slicker is a must, the Big G slicker is perfect for curly or wavy coat that is lighter in texture and longer in length. If your dog’s coat is coarser in texture and difficult to brush to the base of the coat then the Big K slicker is your best option as the lower pin density will help you work right through the whole coat.
For smaller dogs or dogs who are kept at a short clip length the Big G and Big K may be too much brush for your dog. For Cavoodles from 4-8 kg a Mark II Small slicker is perfect, go up a size in slicker if your dog is bigger.
I cannot stress the value of using a good comb in your grooming regime enough. Combs will assist with line brushing, find hidden knots and help you with delicate areas like ears, feet and tail. My favourite comb to recommend to Oodle breeds is the Buttercomb 000 fine/coarse 7.5 inch. This comb is two combs in one, coarse for body and legs, fine for face, ears and feet.
And finally don’t forget the value of a detangling spray which will assist greatly in helping you deal with matts & tangles by softening the coat. My go to is the Ice on Ice detangler range, just spray into the knot, work in with your fingers, let stand for a minute and then gently start to work on breaking down the knot with your comb and slicker or in extreme cases you may want to consider our Mark V Triangle Head slicker, I call this the “Matt Buster” as the pointed head allows you to work easily in the problem area and tight spaces like armpit and groin which are very prone to matts, it’s also an excellent tool for behind the ears.
Below are my favourite Oodle products for your reference.
Groom training: Wood Pin Brush
Slickers: Big G Big K, Mark II Small, Mark V Triangle Head Slicker
Combs: Buttercomb 000 Fine/Coarse 7.5 inch, Buttercomb 005 long tooth comb ( for longer length coats)
Detangler Spray: Ice on Ice
Bath: Ice on Ice range for problem coat. Fair Advantage 3 in 1 shampoo for a little luxury and the Thick n Thicker range for Va Va Voom Volume.
Tell us below your poodle cross breeds coat maintenance woes.