June came home at ten weeks old in October 2023, a blue merle ball of fluff with the waviest curls you have ever seen. By the time she was six months old, the puppy coat was giving way to her adult coat, and that is when I learned what an Aussiedoodle coat can do. It mats. Behind the ears, in the armpits, right along the collar line. My cheap pin brush skated over the top and left the tangles underneath. The mats were the kind you only find after the dog has been lying on you for twenty minutes, tight little felt balls that made my heart sink.
The Chris Christensen Big G Slicker Brush changed the routine, and I do not say that lightly. I bought it in February 2024, when June was about six months old, and I have used it three or four evenings a week ever since. I am a dental hygienist, not a groomer, trainer or vet, so this is not a professional lecture. It is just what works for June and me on the living-room floor, and the ten reasons I keep reaching for this particular brush.
The brush that finally got ahead of June's coat
If you are fighting mats behind the ears and along the collar line, the Chris Christensen Big G Slicker is the brush I reach for three or four evenings a week. It is the tool that got us through June's coat change, and it is the one I would buy again tomorrow.
Amazon Check Today's Price on Amazon →10 reasons the Big G suits an aussiedoodle coat
It showed up right when June's coat changed
June's puppy coat started matting at about six months, in early 2024. That is exactly when I bought the Chris Christensen Big G. The long, flexible pins reached through the baby fluff down to the skin, so I could brush the new adult hair as it came in. For an Aussiedoodle, that coat change is when the trouble starts. The brush arrived before the mats got ahead of me, and that timing mattered more than I expected.
It reaches the three places June mats first
Behind the ears, in the armpits, along the collar line. Every Aussiedoodle owner I have talked to names the same three spots. The Big G's cushioned pad flexes, and the pins bend just enough that I can work close to those spots without digging in. I still go slow there, but I no longer dread them. It is the difference between a calm evening and a wrestling match, and these days we mostly get the calm one.
It makes line brushing feel obvious
The way to brush a wavy-curly coat is in small sections, from the skin out. The Big G makes that easy. I part a section with one hand, brush from the skin to the tips, and move on. With my old pin brush, the sections blurred together and I missed tangles. With the Big G, I can see exactly where I have brushed and where I have not, and that is the whole point.
It reaches the skin without scraping it
This was my biggest worry. I am not a groomer, and I was afraid of hurting June. The pins are long and flexible, and the pad is cushioned, so with a light hand the brush reaches the skin without scraping it. I still keep the pressure gentle around her belly and legs. If you are new to brushing a curly coat, that forgiveness matters.
Fifteen minutes a night keeps the groomer from shaving her down
I brush three or four evenings a week, fifteen to twenty minutes, with June lying on an old towel on the living-room floor. The point is to keep mats from forming so the groomer does not have to shave her. June has never been shaved. That is the whole goal, and the Big G is the brush that got us there. I would rather spend twenty minutes brushing than watch her get clipped down and start all over.
It works with detangler spray instead of against it
I keep a bottle of TropiClean Detangler Spray in the basket by the back door. A light mist on a section before brushing, mostly behind the ears, in the armpits and along the collar line. The spray adds slip, the brush glides, and knots loosen. The spray does not dissolve felted mats, and neither does the brush. Tight mats go to the groomer. Together, the two make the nightly job easier.
It does the heavy lifting, and the comb does the checking
The Big G does not replace a comb. After I brush a section, I run a plain steel comb through it to check my work. The slicker fluffs and detangles, and the comb tells me if I missed a spot. That two-step habit is what actually keeps June's coat from felting. The brush alone would not do it, and I would not ask it to.
It follows a wavy-curly coat instead of skating over it
An Aussiedoodle coat is a mix of wave and curl, and the curls grab at each other. The Big G's flexible pins follow the wave. My old cheap pin brush just skated on top and left the tangles underneath. That was the difference I noticed in the first week: the brush actually stayed in the coat instead of bouncing over it. A brush that bounces is a brush that hides tangles, and hidden tangles become mats.
It is light enough for the long evenings
Brushing in small sections means a lot of strokes. As a dental hygienist, I pay attention to my hands and wrists. The Big G has a lightweight handle, and a twenty-minute session does not leave my hand tired. That sounds like a small thing, but it is the reason I actually keep the routine going instead of letting it slide.
It keeps the fluff between eight-week groomer visits
June sees a professional groomer about every eight weeks for a bath and a moderate trim. In between, the Big G keeps her coat brushed out and fluffy. The groomer has never had to shave June down, and I think the evening brushing is why. Going on three years in, I have no reason to look for anything else.
What I'd Skip
If you are hoping a slicker brush will dissolve a felted mat, skip it. Nothing dissolves a tight mat, and pulling at one with any brush hurts the dog. That is a job for your groomer. I would also say skip the Big G if you are not ready to brush in sections and check with a comb. It is a tool, and you still have to show up three or four evenings a week. And if your dog's skin looks irritated, ask your vet before you change anything about your routine.
The Big G is not the only tool in the basket, but it is the one I reach for first. If you have an Aussiedoodle, you already know the coat is the project. This brush makes the project feel doable.
Three or four evenings a week, fifteen to twenty minutes on the living-room floor, and June has never needed a shave-down.
Start with the Big G and a steel comb
If your Aussiedoodle mats behind the ears and along the collar line, the Chris Christensen Big G Slicker is the brush I reach for. Pair it with line brushing and a comb check, and leave tight mats to your groomer. It has earned its place in our basket since February 2024.
Amazon Check Today's Price on Amazon →