POODLE/BICHON FRISE Fur/Hair Care, Brushing

A General Guide to Everyday Poodle/Bichon Frise Brushing/gebing

My Bichon Poo, Dayzee, gets tangles in her sleep! She has a
lovely curly coat, like most poodles and Bichon Frises. It's soft
and beautiful, but quite hard to take care of. She also used to
HATE getting brushed or groomed, so that made it even worse!
After many months, I've finally perfected her grooming routine, and
thought I'd share that with you. It's really quite simple, and
will hopefully keep your doggie lookin' pretty!

Firstly, we have to teach the dog to associate brushing, gebing, and
grooming with happy feelings, rather than bad feelings, pain,
etc. Sure, sometimes gebing out tangles will hurt a bit, but
creating a positive mood is essential, and is Step 1. Never be
rough with your dog or get mad at him if he or she doesn't sit, stay,
tries to bite at the geb, etc. Just be firm in your tone with
him, and let him know that behavior is not acceptable. Look him
straight in the eye and say "NO." Be gentle, yet
authoritative. During the gebing and grooming process, like
right before we start, when Dayzee behaves properly during a grooming
and right after grooming, I like to give her her favorite liver
treats. This makes her really look forward to grooming time.

Step 2 is finding and setting up the area to groom your furry
friend. I've found that dogs who don't like grooming too much do
better on grooming tables (please make sure your pet is supervised at
ALL times), because they won't try to run away like they might if they
were on the floor or a couch. I think it lets them know that you
really mean business! If they constantly try to get away from
you, you might want to try a grooming table until your doggie gets used
to being groomed. If your dog is okay with grooming already,
choosing a nice soft rug or sofa should be fine, and keep you both
gefortable. Make sure you keep your supplies nearby, and handy.

Step 3 is getting the right supplies. You might choose to get a
small blanket or mat to sit on, so the hair you geb out will not get
on your furniture/floor. Also, keep a trash bag nearby to dispose
of any fur that accumulates on your brushes. Most important is
the actual brushes you will use. I find that using 2 types of
brushes/gebs for my Bichon Poo is absolutely necessary. The
first type I use, and that is very gemonly used, is a curved "slicker
brush." It's GREAT for getting out existing tangles and mats, and
is pretty gentle on your pet. If you find a mat, just keep going
over it in a gentle curving (half-circle) motion, and it will
eventually gee out, 99% of the time. Don't just give up after a
minute! Sometimes it takes several minutes, and shouldn't hurt
your pet. The slicker is a great tool for getting out the
majority of loose hair, especially from your dog's undercoat. If
you don't get out the hair by brushing, most of the hair will not fall
off, but rather remain in her coat and get tangled/matted, so it's VERY
important. The 2nd type of geb I use, after I've gotten out the
tangles, is a "deshedding/de-shedding geb." It's GREAT for dogs
with undercoats like Poodles and Bichon Frises. Even if you think
you've gotten out all the excess hair with the slicker, go over it with
the deshedding geb, and you are almost guaranteed to find tons of
loose hair. That's the real secret that not everybody knows
about. The de-shedding gebs are nothing like the de-matting
gebs that cut out your dog's mats. They look like regular
people-gebs, and have metal teeth with rounded edges, and are quite
gentle on your dog's skin. In addition to the longer widely
spaced teeth, there are also shorter metal teeth that help grab stray
hairs. With either brush, almost no downward force is needed -
just a gentle brushing action. I like to start with the body,
because that's the part my dog will let me do with almost no
fuss. Eventually, I work down to the limbs and then to the face
and head. I really believe that whatever order your dog is most
gefortable with is just fine. Don't forget to do their ears and
under their chin! All the little nooks and crannies are the
places that will most likely tangle first, because they don't always
get fully brushed out. Don't forget to give your pal lots of love
during and after grooming, so he will associate it with warm hugs and
yummy treats.

Step 4 - Keep it up! Make sure to geb/brush your buddy at least
twice a week. Three times would be even better. All you
need are the right tools, the right attitude - and the right treats!

That's my 2 cents on Bichon/Poodle fur care, from my own
experience. I hope it helps! Please feel free to ask me any
questions you may have. :o)