Brushing and Combing Your Poodle
Unlike the hair of short-haired dogs, which reaches a genetically programmed length and falls out, that wonderful curly coat on your poodle just grows and grows. When it does fall out, it stays in the coat — that's why poodles don't leave a lot of hair around the house. If you don't brush your poodle regularly, and the shed coat is allowed to remain there among the curls, it creates mats. Matted poodles are uncomfortable, and they can be very unattractive.
Brushing your poodle should be a regular part of your life together. Done properly and frequently, the task should be a pleasure, not a chore, for both you and your dog. If your poodle's coat isn't tangled, and you're gentle, there's no reason that brushing should hurt her.
Use a slicker brush (one with closely spaced pieces of wire mounted on a rectangular rubber base) or a pin brush to brush your poodle's coat. Make sure that you get the brush all the way down to the skin. Just raking it over the top of the coat won't get out tangles.
Start at the tail and brush out from the skin, working in small sections toward the head. You might find it's easier to work on one side at a time, with your poodle lying down. Once you finish the torso, move on to the legs, head, and tail.
Fact
Always brush and comb your poodle's coat before bathing him. If he has any mats, getting them wet and allowing them to dry will only make them tighten up. Brushing and combing also gets rid of some of the excess dirt.
After brushing, your poodle should be looking fluffy. Now you need to comb her. Use a metal comb with rather coarsely spaced teeth. This type of comb is often called a greyhound comb. By combing your poodle after you brush, you get out any small tangles that are left in her coat. Only after your comb has passed throughout your poodle's coat without resistance can you be sure there are no lingering mats.
