Equipment needed:

• Table with no skid top
• Grooming arm to secure your Poodle on the Table
• Leash or Grooming Noose
• Pin Brush
• Ultimate Poodle Comb
• Slicker Brush
• Conditioning Spray
• Small Cylindrical Pillow
• Knitting Needle
• Dematting Comb

Set your Poodle on the table. Make sure your Poodle is secured to the table with a leash attached to the grooming arm. On puppies I use a slip lead looped under one front leg so if the puppy jumps from the table he/she is not damaged by hanging from the neck. Never walk away from a puppy or an untrained adult Poodle while on the table.

Poodles are properly brushed by using the “Line Brushing Method”. This means one brushes one “line” of coat at a time. Start at the base of the leg, hold the coat on the lower leg away from the foot. Spray a bit of conditioning spray so that you don’t damage coat while brushing. Rap your hand around the lower leg to do this action. Then start brushing while releasing a layer of coat at a time. Do this all around that section of the leg. Work your way up to the top of the leg on all four legs. Do the same with the tail starting at the tip.

Once legs and tail are brushed, lay your Poodle on his/her side on the table. You can put a small round pillow under your Poodle’s head for comfort if you like. To train a Poodle to lie on the table, I will lay them down gently. Then if needed I lay the upper half of my body on them until they feel secure and no longer struggle. Once your Poodle learns this technique he/she will find brushing relaxing and many fall asleep while being brushed.

Start the brushing process by parting the coat at the spine all the way up through the topknot. Use your Pin Brush if brushing long coat or coat that’s growing out for show. Start down by the tail brush from the tips of the hair in using small gentle strokes. Do this all along one side of the part. Use your knitting needle to part off a 1” section along the same line. This is your next section to brush. Do this throughout the torso and under chest. You can use the same method on the chest area as well. Always use Conditioning Spray as you go, never brushing dry coat. On a show coat, once you get past the areas that require very long coat for show, such as back of neck and down back and sides and topknot you can switch to a Slicker Brush.

Once you get a section of coat done follow up by running a comb through it. I find the easiest way to comb is to start with the Dematting comb and then one more time through with the Ultimate Poodle Comb. Ears should be done with a Pin Brush starting at the back of the ear with the “Line Brushing Method” one section at a time.

Poodles in short coat don’t have to be lying down to be brushed. Just use the Line Brushing Method on places such as ears and top knot where the longer coat is and use a Slicker Brush on the short coat being careful not to scrape skin. Be sure to follow up with a comb on all long coat to get any loose hair out and prevent matting.

Now you have fluffy beautiful Poodle! Time to take your Poodle shopping to show off!