On the other hand, dogs which do not shed, have no way of ridding themselves of their puppy coat, to allow the adult coat to grow through.  This means that if the puppy coat is not stripped out with vigorous brushing using a good slicker brush,  Les Poochs Brush is recommended   thinning scissors, or razor comb, it will tangle with the new adult coat coming through from the follicle and this is what produces the matting.

The most common mistake made when grooming is to brush over the top but not get in underneath and close to the skin.  It can be quite a shock to discover that although your dog looks beautiful 'on top'  underneath there is a whole nest of matting  you haven't seen. 

Below are some photos which show how the coat looks when it has been thoroughly brushed.  Although it 'poofs' up and looks very fluffy, a light spraying with water will settle it right back down into its tendrils.   If you brush thoroughly first you will save the groomer a lot of time and yourself a lot of money.  Your Doodle is also more likely to come back looking beautiful instead of shaved like a rabbit!  Most busy groomers take the quicker way out and go for the clippers when it is may not always be necessary if you've done your own homework first.  Always brush 'layer by layer'  don't just skim over the top with the brush.

Clipping Tip:  If the coat is already matted, use a size 15 blade which will slide in underneath the matts.  The coat may look quite short for awhile but will soon grow back some length and look like a soft wooly lamb.  If there are no matts, then groom thoroughly with a slicker brush and if there are no knots left, use a size 5 or a size 7 blade which will leave a soft fluffy coat with a little more length.

Short coated dogs are brushed effectively by running the brush over the top of the coat.  But long coated dogs need to have their coats brushed layer - by - individual layer.  Matts begin at the skin, so even if the ends of the coat are brushed, this will not prevent matts from happening unless the underneath is brushed as well.  Brush against the lay of the coat first and then layer by layer in the direction it grows.  It's really very easy once you see how!  Many owners are shocked when they part the coat to discover a lacework of matts which they think have appeared overnight.  They have actually been forming for quite some time, hidden away close to the skin where they can be missed if brushing doesn't open up the coat from the skin outwards.

Shedding coated dogs help the process by getting rid of a lot of their old coat which would otherwise matt and knot, but non shedding coated dogs need your help by stripping out old or damaged coat, especially during the change from puppy to adult coat which happens any time between ten and fourteen months of age.  How long this change lasts depends on how thoroughly the stripping and grooming is done, more than the frequency with which it is done.