Basic Grooming Info For 'oodles'

[Chequeredblackdog]

I work in the pet supplies industry and am often asked by customers for advice on their dog's coat, they are often shocked when i say that they should be, at the very least, brushing the dog. Not to mention clipping.

I do not have an SWF/ oodle type dog, (I have a BC, BCx, Kelpie and a wirey haired terrier mix.) so I'm not sure what to suggest. I have been suggesting a slicker type brush and comb as 'essentials' but I'm not sure if I'm giving the best advice as I don't know first hand.

What are the 'essentials'?

Can anyone reccommend any websites/ books that tailor to the beginner/uninitiated? (for me to research and somewhere I can refer customers to)

Edited August 19, 2012 by Chequeredblackdog

[Ben and Jerry]

I recently got one of those "dog grooming for dummies" books for the exact same reason . Haven't had a chance to sit down for more then 5mins to have a good read, but I've browsed through bits and pieces. It seems to cover basics for grooming in general and has hints and tips for different coat types. I would like to find a good DvD so I can watch it as I really hate reading and don't absorb info well that way .

[Clyde]

What are the 'essentials'?

I guess ever groomer has different ideas but my number one suggestion for most breeds is a good quality long toothed comb. For the average owner I prefer recommending a quality pin brush over a slicker as most people don't know how to use a slicker properly and they are only brushing the top of the coat and not getting right down to the skin. I really dont think you can go past the good old comb!

[Guest Panzer Attack!]

Pin brush and a fine toothed comb for sure. The problem with oodles is they tend to have a combination coat, so in many cases it is despairingly thick AND curly, and almost impossible to look after. Occasionally you will have one with proper Poodle coat, but not often - and the ones that tend to have nice coats also shed. I would reccomend a good de-tangling spray as well to get right into the ears, behind the ears, the tail, armpits and around the bottom, as those areas tend to matt the worst. If the owners can't be bothered looking after the coat (and most of them don't bother), start getting the dog clipped early so it will get used to it.

The best thing an owner can do is start taking the dog to a groomer ASAP and desensitise as soon as possible because they will be getting them clipped regardless and there is nothing worse than getting an 8-9 month oodle that has never been brushed and is absolutely terrified and leaves the salon traumatised. If I had a dollar for every time I heard "oh but the breeder/pet shop said they are low maintenance!" or "they said I didn't have to brush him?" :mad

[tlc]

I'm not sure you will get many comments in here but I'll tell you how I deal with the coats on my four, I quite often get people asking me if their coats are difficult to look after.

My guys get bathed once a week if they are really dirty or once a fortnight other wise. They get clipped once every 8 - 10 weeks. I clip them myself and they get everything clipped, feet short (like poodles) except ears, tail and faces left long. I know a lot of people when they clip theirs they clip all of them all over.

When clipping I leave their coats about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. some people I know clip with a 10 blade so very short and they get longer between clips. I think it also depends on the life style you have with your dogs as to how much grooming/clipping etc they need. For me every 8 weeks works especially in Summer, its better if they are shorter for swimming, grass seeds etc. If they were home bodies and didn't go anywhere their coats could be maintained for longer without needing to be clipped but more brushing would be needed in between times to keep knots and matts at bay.

They get brushed about twice a week (mainly ears and tails and faces) shortly after clipping and sometimes more once their coats start to get longer with maintenance in between at bath times, (trim up around eyes if need be)

Their nails also get clipped every time they get bathed, we do all our exercise on grass so nails don't get worn down naturally.

Ears generally need plucking, I am lucky with mine I only have one with hairy ears and then they are not that bad only need doing every couple of months.

Not sure if I have covered everything, ask me anything If i have forgotten to mention it, happy to help with any info you need to get your customers on the right track to grooming.

I hear people say all the time that Poodle cross coats are a nightmare, I have never found that at all but then again I have always been on top of grooming/clipping/brushing etc. I quite enjoy the time I spend with my lot bathing clipping etc, and they are good dogs and quite enjoy it themselves which makes it so much easier.

Another good tip to give owners with any puppy/dog that needs regular grooming as an adult is to get them used to clippers, hair dryers etc, from the time mine were baby puppies they were in the bathroom round the hair dryer and puppies always in the general vicinity when one of the older ones was being clipped.

Hope this has helped a bit.

edited to add, the brushes I use are the cheap $2 shop ones, not the brush side but the pin side, also a good metal comb for ears and tails. I don't use a slicker on my guys, they all seem to be in some discomfort when I use a slicker so i just stopped and used a regular pin brush. Bad spot for oodles to matt is between the pads of their feet. one of the reason my guys get poodle feet when I clip them. :laugh:

Edited August 19, 2012 by tlc

[tlc]

Sorry Panzer Attack, I repeated some of what you said, we were posting at the same time. :)

[noisymina]

A good blunt ended pins type brush (the last one I got was a human one - better than any pet store one) with the rubber backing that gives just a little "give" to the "pins" PLUS a good METAL comb. That was best for daily care of my Poodle and works well on my present dog. BUT cross breeds have coats that vary considerably from one to the other.

One thing that newbies need to know is to groom ALL the dog - under the forelegs (the armpits, so to speak)and inside the legs, and behind the ears are usual places for neglect. The belly needs to be done too. Not just along the back! :laugh:

Edited August 19, 2012 by noisymina

[Chequeredblackdog]

Thank you all! Definitely some tips I can pass along. I hate trying to give people advice on things im not sure about I will now be reccommending a pin brush instead of a slicker, and adding detangler to the basic 'essentials' list.

The one about getting them used to grooming as puppies is also a great one, I do try to press that idea on customers, unfortunately a lot of the people coming in are already battling with a dog that hasn't been desensitized to being groomed. Some come in and seem to think that getting a 'special' brush will solve all their problems.

I didn't know about the feet, i usually only mention them in relation to nail clipping (which also seems to be a HUGE problem for so many people i see) and the ear plucking so will definitely mention that too.

I also try to tell customers (if they are unsure/ new to it all) to get in contact with a GOOD groomer, who can offer a lot more guidance and expertise than a shop assistant can! And that they can ensure a puppys first experiences with clipping etc are good ones.

[frufru]

Well, I am going to buck the trend and say I prefer a slicker on short poodley coats - it has to be a good quality one. I only use a pin brush on poodles in show coat and even then the short bits like tail and bracelets are done with a slicker. Yes, to needing a comb. Yes to "groom proofing" a dog similar to "vet proofing" handle paws, ears and accustom dog to being brushed, combed standing up and washing and drying. Pop dog off to the groomer for a wash and dry and nails right from the time they come home so that grooming is not stressful if owner will not be clipping the dog themselves.

[Dogsfevr]

Slicker all the way pin brushes aren't designed for the type of brushing it needs,there more finishing brushes.

Slicker (one that isn't hard & you can brush your arm without it hurting & a combo comb .

Then of course telling the people to use the tools is more helpful for someone reason buying tools & then using them is a weird phenomin

Also we tell people to brush from the feet upwards ,this actuially will brush the coat not skim over the top if done the other way around.

Use slicker to fluff out the coat from the toes upwards ,then use the comb to go through the coat & remove any knots .

The top coat depending on what kind it has again you can brush backwards & then comb or forwards .

Clip regularly as well & don't bath matted coats

[megan_]

My oodle gets clipped (in the schnauzer style) every 6 weeks. I do occasionally brush him but his coat never knots. My purebred mini schnauzer knots up very quickly though.

As general advice, I'd say see a groomer regularly. How regularly will depend on the amount of maintenance they do at home. I'd suggest every 8 weeks. Most long-coated dogs need to be brushed regularly. My groomer recommended a slicker brush and it does the job well.

If they don't do this then:

i) The dog will be in pain if the matts are close to the skin.

ii) The dog will need to be fully shaved.

iii) Getting a groomer to fix it up will be more expensive.

ETA: If they still have a pup encourage them to go for a puppy groom before they are 16 weeks to get used to the environment.

Edited August 20, 2012 by megan_

[becks]

Slicker all the way pin brushes aren't designed for the type of brushing it needs,there more finishing brushes.

Slicker (one that isn't hard & you can brush your arm without it hurting & a combo comb .

Then of course telling the people to use the tools is more helpful for someone reason buying tools & then using them is a weird phenomin

Also we tell people to brush from the feet upwards ,this actuially will brush the coat not skim over the top if done the other way around.

Use slicker to fluff out the coat from the toes upwards ,then use the comb to go through the coat & remove any knots .

The top coat depending on what kind it has again you can brush backwards & then comb or forwards .

Clip regularly as well & don't bath matted coats

just what i was going to say

would add if they want to bath the dog themselves, to use a conditioner

[Salukifan]

Well, I am going to buck the trend and say I prefer a slicker on short poodley coats - it has to be a good quality one. I only use a pin brush on poodles in show coat and even then the short bits like tail and bracelets are done with a slicker. Yes, to needing a comb. Yes to "groom proofing" a dog similar to "vet proofing" handle paws, ears and accustom dog to being brushed, combed standing up and washing and drying. Pop dog off to the groomer for a wash and dry and nails right from the time they come home so that grooming is not stressful if owner will not be clipping the dog themselves.

Ditto on the Slicker over the pin brush. Most pet oodles wouldn't have hair long enough to justify a pin brush.

Ditto on buying a decent quality one. The ones your average chain pet store sells are shite. No wonder dogs find them uncomfortable.

My poodles are slickered and then their ears, topknots and tails are combed with a fine/medium metal comb. Anything that isn't clipped will need a comb through it to prevent knotting.

If I could give advice to oodle owners I'd tell them to get their dog's faces and feet trimmed for hygiene reasons. Their dogs will be more comfortable if shorter hair on face and feet.

Edited August 21, 2012 by Haredown Whippets

[shells]

What slicker would you recommend? My guys seem to find the 2 I have tried uncomfortable and whilst it does a decent job. It would be nice to make it more pleasant for them.

[Dogsfevr]

Shells yours may be fine.

People need to determine whether the slicker is hard by running it up there arm(mind you hard slickers can be easily felt) & not using it as an excuse for dogs bad manners when being groomed.

Lawrence Slickers are good ,masterpet do a great one .

Cat ones are often gentler but you simply run your fingers over & if it isn't gentle throw it,it shouldn't be like a scraper you would clean the BBQ with.

What are they like when you comb them ??

Do you brush them on a non slip surface ??

[Salukifan]

What slicker would you recommend? My guys seem to find the 2 I have tried uncomfortable and whilst it does a decent job. It would be nice to make it more pleasant for them.

I like the soft Doggyman ones. They have a pink band on the handle.

[shells]

Thank you. I will check them out. They are good about being brushed but I can tell it isn't that comfortable

[Zug Zug]

Definitely a slicker and a long toothed comb! You had it right the first time I would say.

Tell them to hold the slicker like you would hold a pen - i.e. gently between your fingers, not roughly in your closed fist. Then they brush in lines from one end of the dog to the other, brushing the hair thoroughly in very small sections. If you can't see the skin between the lines of hair you are brushing, you're not getting down to skin level.

Then go over with the comb to check you haven't left any knots behind. If the comb doesn't make it through the coat, you need to go back to the slicker and keep working on that section.

The more often you do it, the easier it is to do

And for the average pet owner - yes off to the professional groomer every 6-8 weeks.

The other thing I would call an 'essential' is some powder for the ears - to make plucking ear hair easier (much, much easier). This is a very common issue with oodles - not all of them but many need their ears plucked regularly to prevent ear infections forming.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Zug Zug

[G.S.P.S/K]

I'm a former groomer, and we used to use a hard slicker (to break up hair that was sticking together), followed by a wide tooth comb, followed by a fine tooth comb (to really check the hair). After the bath we would use a soft-slicker and the fine tooth comb. Pin brushes we only used at the end of the groom on dogs with very long hair, such as Bearded Collies, to part the hair nicely.

Can I also suggest you advise your customers that brushing and combing is far more important than bathing. So many dogs came into us water-matted, because people kept bathing them when they hadn't got rid of knots, thus making the knots tighter and tighter. They would then have the cheek to ask that their dog doesn't get clipped too short! It is possible to remove knots without clipping (by using a matt-breaker), however its very time consuming and can be painful and distressing to dogs.

[MalteseLuna]

On a breed with a silky straight coat I prefer a pin brush as a slicker will break the hair. My maltese also HATES slicker brushes, the scratchy texture/feeling is unpleasant to her. She doesn't mind a pin brush. A good pin brush shouldn't have balls at the ends of the tips either.

I also like metal combs for the ears/tail.