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Best Poodle Brushes

Brushes

Best Poodle Brushes

two black poodles brushed

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Poodles are intelligent and affectionate, but, boy do they take a lot of grooming! My sister had a Poodle for years, and they often appeared to share the same hairstyle – tangled and unruly! 

While my sister valiantly tried to tame her own hair with a tangle teaser, she battled to find a brush that could work the same magic on Daisy, her standard Poodle. 

My sister went through at least five combs, a couple of dematting rakes, and a handful of slicker brushes before she struck gold in the form of a  Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush. Suddenly, Daisy was transformed into a big, beautiful ball of white fluff!

Our Top Choice for the BEST Brush for Poodles

Best All-Round Brush
Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush

Slicker brushes are popular among professional dog groomers who value them for their ability to penetrate deep into a dog’s coat, removing knots, breaking-up tangles, and improving blood circulation as they go.

Hertzko’s is one of the best, especially when it comes to the self-cleaning feature that is more robust and effective on this slicker brush than on many of its rivals. 

The ergonomic handle makes it more comfortable for the groomer as well, taking the hand strain out of a long grooming session and making you more willing to commit to a daily pampering ritual.

Not only will the Hertzko slicker brush remove dead hair and tangles, but it will also help prevent mats from developing, but boosting circulation, and improving the overall quality of your dog's coat.

This slicker brush is affordable and effective, and Hertzko also offers a 100% money-back guarantee if you’re not completely happy with the product, making it a risk-free purchase.

Although Daisy’s non-shedding coat was ideal for my allergy-prone sister, like all Poodles, Daisy’s thick, wavy coat never stopped growing and, even with daily grooming, tangles and mats would start to form. 

Not only did this brush transform my sister’s Poodle into a show-ready fluff-ball, but it also did so without hurting her. Many of the combs and rakes she’d tried before induced ear-splitting cries from Daisy, who is renowned for her unfathomably low pain threshold – ask any one of the local vets! 

This brush is designed to get all the mats out of your dog’s coat with its fine steel bristles that can penetrate deep into a Poodle’s curly coat but won’t scratch her skin. 

I think one of the things Daisy appreciated most about this slicker brush was that it massages your dog at the same time as removing tangles and matted hair. It won’t pull on your Poodle’s coat either, making the grooming experience more pleasurable for all involved!

Once your dog is looking like a Cruft’s competitor, just press the button, and the bristles will retract, allowing you to remove the hair and clean the brush ready for next time. Simple, but highly effective.

This grooming tool works efficiently and is easy to clean, which, when you’ve got a Poodle that needs daily grooming, is notable. 

If you need a specialized brush for your Poodle’s coat, below are our reviews for the best choiced:

Table of Contents

white poodle dog

Top 5 Poodle Brushes

Best Poodle Brush for Untangling Mats

Best Brush For Dematting
Poodle Pet Dematting Fur Rake Comb Brush Tool

This dematting rake reaches deep into your Poodle’s coat with its long stainless steel blades, quickly breaking up tangles, knots, and mats. It works particularly well on long-haired Poodles but is equally suited to the dense, curly texture of a Poodle puppy’s coat.

With its two-and-a-half inch blades, this durable brush looks like an instrument of torture - according to Daisy, anyway - but it proved quite pleasurable for her in the end. The rounded ends of the blades meant it didn’t so much scratch, as gently massage her, while cutting through tangles like a knife through butter.

Top-grade rubber forms the body of the brush, making it perfect for high-maintenance hounds like the Poodle. You can even use it on long-haired rabbits and horses if necessary! 

This dematting rake is slightly cheaper than Hertzko’s slicker brush and also comes with a 100% money-back guarantee.

white toy poodle

Best Detangling Comb for Poodles

Best Detangling Comb for Poodles
Detangling Pet Comb

Another product from Poodle Pet, this detangling comb is particularly effective at removing tangles from damp fur. After bathing your Poodle, you’ve probably noticed that the tight curls in her coat expand when wet and then retract again as they dry, causing widespread matting. 

Poodle Pet’s detangling comb can stop this. Just run the comb through the damp curls and, voila, the individual strands of hair stay separated so the tangles can get a foothold.

Two sets of teeth - one long, one short - give this comb its dual-action power that will get rid of the toughest tangles and impossible mats.

Even skittish dogs with prior bad experiences at the groomer's seem to find it comfortable. Cheaper than either the rake comb or the slicker brush, this comb is comfortable to use, effective, and offers excellent value for money.

Best Budget Choice for Poodle Brushes

Best Budget Brush for Poodles
Hartz Groomer's Best Combo Detangling Dog Brush

Although this brush hasn’t got the detangling capacity of a detangling comb or the long stainless steel blades of the fur rake, it does incorporate two brushes and two grooming actions in one. 

The stainless steel tips detangle the coat and remove loose hair, while the other side sports nylon bristles that will disburse natural oils, to give your Poodle a shiny coat that’s tangle-free.

At eight inches long and 2.5 inches wide, Hartz’s detangling brush is great for standard Poodles but a little too unwieldy for those wanting to get the tricky spots, like under the chin, on a toy Poodle.

The ergonomically-designed handle will give you excellent control, so there’s less chance of you hurting your Poodle during grooming. 

black standard poodle

Best Finishing Comb for Show Poodles

Best Finishing Comb for Poodles
Andis Pet Comb

Finishing combs like the Andis Pet comb are most commonly used to remove the last remnants of mats and tangles from a dog’s coat. When used in conjunction with the Hertzko slicker brush, this comb can help you create the fluffy Poodle style you’ve always wanted.

It’s lightweight and comes in two different sizes - a 7.5-inch version for toy Poodles and a 10-inch one for larger dogs. It works well on both the Poodle's curly coat and the softer, wavier hair of the various Doodle breeds.

It comes with coarse and fine teeth, both of which will stimulate the hair follicles while removing tangles and debris from the coat. 

The Andis pet steel comb glides through the coat thanks to its well-spaced teeth, making it comfortable for your Poodle. It is also small enough for you to concentrate on sections of the coat, rather than brushing the entire dog in one go, making it easier to use on dogs that squirm or fidget during the grooming process.

brushed brown mini poodle

How to Pick the Best Brush for a Poodle

With so many different brushes and grooming products for Poodles, it can be tricky to figure out which is the best for you. 

Professional groomers tend to prefer slicker brushes, like the one from Hertzko, because they are easy to clean, versatile, and hard-wearing. They often manage to remove tangles that initially look like they’ll have to be cut out.

Other tools, like de-matting rakes and detangling combs, are also useful for getting tough tangles and stubborn mats out of a Poodle’s dense and curly coat. They can also make the grooming process more comfortable for a skittish or fidgety dog.

Pin brushes, like the one side of the Hartz brush, are made up of “fine wire bristles that effortlessly work their way through a Poodle coat without causing the dog discomfort.” Similarly, finishing combs are great for the final fluffing up of the coat and for cleaning sensitive areas like the face and paws.

The only type of popular dog brush we have not mentioned is the shedding brush, and you will find out why in a minute.

Can I Use a Furminator on My Poodle?

Poodles are known as hypoallergenic dogs as they do not shed like most breeds. Another thing about Poodles that sets them apart from other dog breeds is that they only have one coat, rather than two. This means that there is no undercoat to be removed, which is what shedding brushes like the Furminator are designed to do. Using a brush of this kind on your Poodle could result in you pulling her hair out by the roots, causing her discomfort, hair loss, and potential skin disorders.

Should I Brush My Poodle Every Day?

To keep your Poodle’s coat tangle-free, you need to brush them several times a week at least. My sister used to brush Daisy daily but, once she started using the Hertzko slicker brush, found she could drop it down to every other day.

Daily grooming is essential if your Poodle spends a lot of time exploring outside but, if she’s more of an indoor pooch a couple of times a week should suffice, depending on her coat.

How Often Should I Bathe My Poodle?

A good bath once a month gives you the chance to help your dog reset. Bathing stimulates the skin and improves the quality of the coat. 

Using a detangling shampoo and conditioner can make it easier to brush or comb the coat afterward to ensure your dog is free from the irritation of matted hair. 

A hypoallergenic shampoo is also highly recommended for Poodles who are prone to skin sensitivities and allergies.

Should I Get My Poodle Shaved?

Although shaving your Poodle isn’t necessary, it can make it easier to keep her looking good. If you don’t want it shaved, you can always opt for a close trim instead. Although clipping most dog breeds can be detrimental to their health, because the Poodle only has a single coat, you can shave it down, making your dog cooler in summer, without causing “any long-term problems for your dog’s coat and skin.”

A shaved Poodle needs to visit a professional groomer every four to eight weeks to maintain her style and keep her coat in tip-top condition.
You can shave a Poodle early on in their life!

Conclusion

Keeping your Poodle tangle-free and looking good requires a regular grooming regime and one of the best brushes for Poodles. The Hertzko slicker brush can tame the most unmanageable coats, whether they’re full of unruly curls or a mass of fluff.

Affordable yet durable, the Hertzko slicker brush removes mats without hurting your dog and cleans itself with the clip of a button. 

Poodles that spend a lot of time running through the undergrowth and splashing in the mud will inevitably develop a muddle of mats through their coats. The Poodle Pet dematting fur rake can take on the toughest of tangles with its two-and-a-half-inch blades. 

On a larger dog, like a standard Poodle, it’s small enough to get into the troublesome areas between the front and back legs but is a little large to use effectively on toy Poodles.

While the Hartz brush isn’t quite as effective at tackling tangles, it does offer two different grooming actions – a pin brush on the one side and the softer, nylon teeth on the other. Affordable and effective it can be teamed with a finishing comb, like the one from Andis, to leave your Poodle looking ready to enter its first show.

Whether you opt for a slicker brush or finishing comb, it doesn’t matter as long as you groom carefully, making sure you’re aware of your dog’s reaction to the process at all times. 

These top brushes are all designed with your furry friend’s curly coat and sensitive skin in mind. 

Let’s get the best brush for your Poodle, knowing it will improve your dog’s health, comfort, and appearance with regular use.

Author: Nicky Hoseck

Author: Nicky Hoseck

Nicky lives on a small-holding on South Africa’s Wild Coast with a selection of animals, a husband, and five dogs. She spends all her waking hours with her Australian Cattle Dog, Koala, either walking, horse-riding, running, or just hanging out.

Originally from the UK, Nicky been living with dogs for over 40 years and is a passionate dog-owner.

With a Masters Degree from the University of London under her belt, Nicky has had a diverse career, training and riding horses, running safari lodges, and hosting volunteers. She’s now a full-time writer.

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