What kind of brush should I use for my poodle puppy

Question
Dear Kim,
My poodle puppy (Cookie) is 3 month now. What kind of brush should I use for him? How often does he need to be brushed and bathed? (He often play on his urine when we are not at home and put him in his crate...)And when he grow up, should I change the type of brush?

Thank you,
Sarah

Answer
Hello Sarah,
The best kind of brush for your Poodle would be a gentle slicker brush (made for puppies or kittens) and a comb.  You can also use a Pin brush with tips on the pins to reduce hair breakage.  Here is a picture of a Pin brush with tips on the pins: http://www.petedge.com/product/Grooming/Grooming-Tools/Combs-Brushes-Rakes/Maste...  
When the puppy gets older, you can buy a regular slicker brush.  Here is a site where you can see the brushes. http://www.petedge.com/product/Grooming/Grooming-Tools/Combs-Brushes-Rakes/Oscar...  
The slicker brush has sharp pins that are good for the Poodle type hair, but you need to be gentle when brushing so that you don't damage the skin.  Over-brushing with a slicker brush can cause scratching on the skin that will bleed if you are too rough with the brush.
When you brush your Poodle, lightly spray your dogs hair with water with a small amount of conditioner in it.  It will help keep your dogs hair from breaking.  I like to use a product from Sally's Beauty Supply called Proclaim Spray-On Conditioner.  You can find more info about it here:  http://www.sallybeauty.com/Spray-On-Glosser/SBS-631520,default,pd.html?cm_vc=SEA...
I like it because it conditions the hair, keeps down static cling and dust, and leaves a pleasant smell behind.  
After you use the brush on Cookie, run a comb through the hair to make sure that you got all the mats.  

If Cookie lays or plays in his urine, you can bathe him about once a week, but try to limit it if possible to 2 times a month at most.  Bathing too often can dry the hair out, leading to coat breakage and dull looking hair.  Be sure to use a higher quality Conditioner if you need to bathe your dog more frequently than 2X's a month.  

For potty accidents in the crate, try using Potty Pads for your puppy to go on.  These will absorb the urine rather than leaving it in the crate for your puppy to lay in.  If your puppy chewes the pads, they sell Pad holders that will help keep the pads from being as available to your puppy.  You can find the pads and the holders here: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Out-Training-Pad-Holder/14255225  You can buy the pads at Wal-Mart also.  You may want to compare prices between the Pet Pads and adult incontinence pads (found in Pharmacy by the adult diapers).  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim