Poodle Grooming Tips: How to Brush and Comb Your Poodle's Hair

Poodles are a great breed, much like every other breed of dog, but they have some of their own unique challenges.

Probably the most common is grooming. Mastering how to brush and comb your poodle's hair is a dream for every poodle's parent, am I right?

We've all seen pictures of show poodles with crazy trims, but even simple brushing can be a chore with the dense, curly fur a poodle has.

Luckily, it's a lot easier if you have the right tools and tips on your side.

In this blog post, we will discuss useful tips on how to brush and comb your poodle's hair. From recommendations on what the best tools are to how to build a grooming routine with a demonstration video from a professional groomer. This section also comes with a bonus.

The last section at the bottom "read further" is for pet parents interested in expanding their knowledge on how to care for their dogs fur. I have written extensively on this topic.

Looking for more dog care guides? No problem, you can either scroll down to the further reading section or visit my blog. Spoiler alert, it is packed with resources.

Editor's Note: 'Poodle Grooming Tips: How to Brush and Comb Your Poodle's Hair' was originally written in 2021. We update this post periodically to reflect changes in techniques, new recommendations, and because I am always learning new things! Happy learning and sharing.

The Number One Challenge of Poodle Grooming

Keeping your dogs well-groomed can be a challenge, but the challenge varies from breed to breed. For some, you might have to worry about the dirt he or she rolls around in. For others, the length of the coat may necessitate frequent trims.

For poodles, the number one challenge is mats and tangles in his or her curly fur.

Poodles shed, but their naturally curly fur traps shed hairs in place, so they're as close to hypoallergenic as it's possible for a dog to be.

Unfortunately, their coat is very high-maintenance, which means they're less than ideal for anyone who doesn't have the time to dedicate to grooming.

Read Further

• 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Shave a Dog's Fur for Summer
• Tips for Assisting Your Dog in Shedding Their Winter Coat
• Signs Your Dog Has Mange (And What to Do About It)

It's about more than the haircut, though. Poodles need continual trimming and grooming to stay healthy.

If left ungroomed, their fur can trap dirt and grime close to your fur baby's skin, resulting in a skin infection that requires a vet trip and some medication to clear up.

Applying powder dry shampoo in-between baths can help reduce the risk of skin infections in fogs with curly and or long hair. Our Momma Knows Best organic dry dog shampoo has been naturally formulated to maintain a healthy natural oil balance while keeping yeast, bacteria and pesky bugs away, and of course maintain your pup smelling fresh longer.

Dry dog shampoos are in high use and demand today. As with everything you apply on or feed your dog, make sure to educate yourself about these products before use on your pup.

I wrote an extensive blog post about the safety and use of dry dog shampoo.You can also check out the read more section at the bottom for more fur and skin care tips.

It's a much better idea to stay on top of the grooming, don't you think?

Groom Often

Some people describe poodles as "high maintenance" based on how often they need their fur brushed.

General recommendations are to have your pup groomed professionally about once a month (every three to six weeks), depending on his or her personal needs.

That's just for trims and deep grooming though.

Not all poodles will require the same brushing frequency. Depending on the length of the coat, your poodle will need daily, near-daily or weekly brushing to keep his or her curls free of mats and tangles and to strip out shed hair that has remained caught in the coat.

For example, long poodle coats will require daily brushing. Medium length poodle coats will do fine with 2-3 times per week. And, short poodle coats can be brushed once a week.

The exception to this is if you prefer to keep your poodle "shaved." That isn't to say an actual shave, of course; your fur baby should have at least some coat on to stay protected from the elements.

Read Further

• [Guide] How to Prevent and Treat Razor Burn on a Dog
• 5 Reasons Why Your Dog Still Smells After a Bath (With Tips)
• How To Blow Dry Your Dog's Hair Safely and Correctly
• 5 Alternatives to Dog Shampoo that You Can Use to Wash Your Pup

A "shaved" trim is a short coat. Actually, shaved poodles are rare and are typically only seen when the poor pup has such heavily matted fur that there's no salvaging it.

Pick a Clip

Different kinds of haircuts, or "clips," for your poodle necessitate different levels of grooming. You can pick a style and keep up with it, or you can try out different styles every few months and see which ones your fur baby likes the most.

Clip styles include:

• The puppy clip. This style is usually limited to younger dogs and trims fur around the face, feet, and tail quite close to keep from irritating your youngster.
• The lamb clip. This is a style that makes your fur baby resemble a lamb by clipping his or her coat short across the entire body. It's simple, easy to maintain, and makes your canine companion look like he or she is wearing a wool coat.
• Show clips. There are several kinds of styles mostly seen in show poodles, like the Continental clip or the Saddle clip. They tend to be more high-maintenance but very striking.

Read Further

• 10 Tips to Make Dog Baths a Little Easier and Faster
• FAQ: Are Essential Oils Safe for Your Dog's Hair?
• Why Dogs Get Smelly
• Expert Advice: How Often Should You Bathe a Puppy?
• Buy Dog and Cat Books – A great read for the entire family

These are just a few of the style options you can try out with your fur baby. What matters is finding one you can keep up with that looks good and that your pup enjoys.

Use the Right Tools

Do you want to maintain your poodle's coat at home, or do you want to take him or her to the groomer on a regular basis? The choice helps determine which tools you need to keep on hand.

If you want to keep your poodle's hair trimmed at home, with less frequent visits to the groomer, you'll want to make sure you pick up scissors, clippers, and the right kind of dog-safe shampoo and conditioner to keep their coat and skin healthy.

If you're only looking to do some maintenance at home, you'll want two kinds of dog brushes.

The first brush is called a pin brush. Pin brushes have widely-spaced, usually metal pins, with safely rounded ends. These help slide through your poodle's coat, working out tangles and mats that form throughout the day as your fur baby frolics through life.

The important part of a pin brush is making sure it has a cushion and that the pins aren't sharp as in the so-called slicker brushes.

Poorly-made pin brushes, or simply used incorrectlycan irritate the skin and cause "undercoat burn," similar to how you might get a rug burn if you rub a stiff, abrasive fabric against your skin.

In other words, a pin brush is stiff enough to work mats out of your fur baby's fur while being gentle enough to avoid hurting his or her skin beneath.

The other brush you want to grab is a bristle brush. These brushes have denser, more closely-packed sets of bristles. They are more flexible than metal pins and softer.

They don't work out mats, but they help to align curls and straighten hair. Usually, a bristle brush is ideal for short-coat dogs and dogs with straight coats, but they work wonderfully on poodles as well, especially when they're trimmed.

The important quality to look for in a bristle brush is natural bristles. The EarthCare Deshedder brush is equipped with natural boar bristles, for example.

I personally do not recommend synthetic bristles.While their cost may be tempting, they can cause static electricity to build up, which can be unpleasant and tangle hair further.

The bristle brush is used to straighten fur, remove shed hairs, and gently exfoliate the skin beneath to prevent dandruff and skin issues.

It also helps smooth out natural skin and hair oils and sebum, spreading it evenly across your fur baby's coat. That way, your pup will be shiny and lustrous, the envy of the neighborhood.

Read Further

• How to Bathe and Groom your Dog Like a Professional
• 5 Tips for Removing Matted Hair from Your Fur Baby
• 5 Steps to Take When You Find a Tick on Your Dog
• Hot Spots on Dogs: Causes, Symptoms, and Remedies

There are other kinds of brushes and combs, but they're often either too harsh for your poodle's sensitive skin or are doing the same thing as one of the two brushes above.

• Rake brushes are stiff and harsh. They can be fine to work out mats if you're very careful, but it's usually safer to go with a pin brush instead.
• Slicker brushes are essentially the same as bristle brushes with one main difference: this are better left for professional groomers.
• Metal combs can help you find mats, but you should always use a brush to work the mat out as combs tend to further tighten any knots.

Except for metal combs that can be safely used by almost any pet parent, we highly recommend non-grooming professionals avoid using rakes or slicker brushes as they may injure your dog.

You may find that some manufacturers label their slicker brushes as "soft slicker brushes". Well, the truth is, there is no such a thing when it comes to brushing your pup's delicate skin with any wire-type of brush. Don't take our word, the ultimate test is to use them on your head first.

Have you ever tried brushing your hair with a slicker brush?

Exactly! We know what you are thinking. If you haven't, we recommend you try it on your hair first. After that we promise you'll never try it on your fur baby. These tools simply take skill. Always get the right tool for the job. Your fur baby will thank you!

Understand Your Fur Baby

Some poodles love being groomed, while others have had bad experiences in the past and don't like it at all.

Still, more are averse to certain kinds of brushes, the noise clippers make, or the feeling of fur being trimmed. It's important to how your fur baby responds to different grooming techniques.

Different signs of stress in a poodle include:

• Excess drooling, frequent yawning, whining, barking, or a wrinkled muzzle can all be signs of mild stress.
• Rigid posture, barking, shaking, trembling, struggling, snapping, submissive behaviors, urination, and vomiting can all be signs of high stress.

For poodles who don't like being groomed, you'll want to take special steps to make the process easier.

• Stick with the softer brushes, just in case he or she has sensitive skin, and the brush irritates it.
• Stay gentle and communicate with your fur baby. Your pup will understand you, at the very least, your tone of voice, and something as simple as talking to your pup will keep him or her calmer while being groomed.
• Try out a distraction or a reward. Some dogs respond well to simple positive reinforcement or even to basic distractions. You can read more about this in our guide to trimming nails.

We all want what's best for our furry children, so you need to find the right balance between grooming for their health and keeping them calm and happy.

Read Further

• Is Dry Shampoo Safe for Dogs? 5 Things to Avoid
• 12 Tips to Keep Your House Free of Dog and Cat Hair
• Methods to Safely Untangle and Brush out Matted Dog Hair

Keep an Eye on the Skin

Poodles usually have very sensitive skin.

That's why brushes need to be soft and gentle, so s/he doesn't develop any skin irritation during brushing sessions.

This is also why you need to keep on top of brushing their coat, because mats can trap dirt against the skin and result in an infection.

Infections are irritating and painful and will require treatment at the vet.

Obviously, you want to avoid putting your fur baby through this, and you don't want to go through it either! Keep an eye out for places where your fur baby is itching, look for redness or welts, and other signs of skin infections.

If you notice that your furry friend has signs of a skin infection, you'll want to take them to your vet for a look.

Skin infections can be irritating at best and dangerous at worst, so it's always better to get them treated ASAP.

Develop a Grooming System

Patterns are an important part of dog training. You don't want grooming to be an ad hoc affair because then your fur baby will never know what to expect, and that can cause him or her anxiety and stress. So, set up a grooming pattern and stick with it.

Start with a conditioner. There are many conditioners on the market that you can simply spray across your fur baby's coat.

The conditioner helps to hydrate the coat, makes it easier to remove mats and tangles, and reduces static generated by brushing. Look for a conditioner that doesn't have a strong scent, as poodles are often averse to strong-smelling fur treatments.

Next, lightly brush your fur baby's coat with a pin brush equipped with rounded pins. We cannot emphasize this point enough. This will find and start to work out any mats and tangles that have accumulated since the last time you brushed.

Don't brush too deep or press too hard since that can irritate your fur baby's skin. Just lightly brush his or her coat, allowing the conditioner to work through the fur, working out the mats you find.

Make sure to brush with the right technique! Watch the video below from professional groomer Terri below. Terri shows a good technique you can use with your fur baby.

Keep in mind that Terri, who is a professional, is using a slicker brush in this video. We highly recommend pet parents to stay away from using slicker brushes on their dogs. instead, you should use a pin brush.

Our EarthCare pin brush is equipped with rounded pins that eliminate the risk of causing lacerations on you pup's skin.

Additionally, our EarthCare Dematter has been engineered in Germany with Pneumatic Cushioning Technology for the ultimate gentle brushing experience. The use of slicker brushes should be left for professional groomers who have the skill required to not harm a dog.

As stated above, before you use a slicker brush on your dog, we recommend you try it on your head first. We promise you will never try it on your dog after that.

How to Brush a Curly Coated Dog

Once you've gone over your fuzzy friend's coat with the pin brush, it's time to use a finishing brush.

The boar bristle brush we've linked above is generally the best option for most canine companions. This helps smooth out his or her coat, finish working in the conditioner, and remove any lingering shed hairs, all without irritating the skin.

Just like with our EarthCare Dematter, our EarthCare Deshedder is also equipped with Pneumatic Cushioning Technology. Save $1 when you bundle the Dematter and the the Deshedder with code: Poodle

Finally, give your fur baby the treats and praise s/he deserves! Grooming doesn't have to be a stressful time, and the reward makes it all worthwhile.

Do this every day, every other day, or every few days, depending on how much you have your fur baby's coat groomed and trimmed.

If his or her hairstyle is thinner and shorter, you don't have to brush him or her as thoroughly or as often. If you've left the coat longer and thicker, you'll need to brush more often.

What Can I Use to Detangle My Poodle’s Hair?

There are plenty of dog hair detangling products online.

One huge problem with most (if not all) commercially available conditioners is that they are loaded with parabens and other synthetic and toxic ingredients. These lethal ingredients will quickly make it into your pup’s internal organs via dermal absorption causing all sorts of health problems through the life of your pup. From mild allergies to cancer.

Unless you can find a truly organic dog detangling solution, we advise that you make your own. And when we say organic, we mean a USDA certified organic solution.

Beware of self-proclaimed "organic" product status. Just like with any dog products today, the market is flooded with all sorts unscrupulous sellers.

From the traditional Chinese product that clearly states "made in China", to the sneaky "made in the USA dog product" but actually made in China product, or made with ingredients from China products. The common denominator is many will claim a self-proclaimed organic products status.

A self-proclaimed organic product status is nothing more than labeling a product as organic without having an authoritative third party endorsement. This is a common and dangerous marketing tactic.

As we like to say at toe beans, except for organic textile products that are certified organic by GOTS or OEKO TEX, if it’s not USDA organic, it's not organic at all.

Self-proclaimed organic dog products are oftentimes more dangerous than similar products that do not use misleading marketing tactics. Beware!

What is a Natural Detangler for Dogs?

Here's a simple DIY detangling solution for your poodle:

• 2 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon of fractionated coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons of glycerin
• 1 teaspoon of aloe vera gel
• Mix well and pour into a spray bottle

Spray your dog’s damp fur after a bath. Saturate tough areas. Make sure to keep shaking the spray bottle throughout the session to make sure the ingredients remain mixed.

Try to work through any matts with your fingers first. Then use a gentle detangling brush followed by a natural bristles brush.

Spot treat unresolved tangles and work them with your fingers one more time.

This solution is 100% natural and safe for your dog so you can use it as a leave-in conditioner. Remember, this detangler is free of preservatives, so it will not last long. Keep it in the fridge and use it within a week.

Only the Best for Your Poodle

Poodle grooming is a unique challenge few other breeds face.

You need to keep up with it to ensure the most comfortable pup you can. It's important to know how your dog thinks and acts, understand his or her reactions, and learn when s/he is stressed.

Even small stress reactions or aversive behavior can indicate an underlying problem you might need to address.

Thankfully, many poodles enjoy their grooming and will feel happy afterward. Mats and tangles can be irritating, brushing can be pleasant, and who wouldn't love a treat after their hair cut?

Why not pick up a couple of brushes from our store? Before you know it, you'll have the habits down pat, and your fur baby will thank you.

Do you have a poodle or curly coated dog? What are some of the grooming challenges you’ve faced? If you have any questions or concerns regarding poodle grooming or similar, feel free to reach out at any time!

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