Reddit mentions of Paw Brothers Stainless Steel Extra Long Hard Pin Slicker Large Brush for Professional Grooming

When you get a dog that requires grooming, you must not be "scared of hurting him". You won't hurt him if you use the right tools and you're patient. If you try brushing him and he wiggles around a little, that just means he's unsure. You aren't hurting him, promise. You have to brush your dog, and using that tool above, you are not using the right brush, at all. You would never need that type of brush for a cavapoo. Those brushes are designed for short hair dogs with undercoats-- that is a deshedding comb.

Your first step would be to take the dog to a professional groomer, and bite the bullet for the cost. Although typically unless your dog is a real handful, at least in my area the cost for a cavapoo ranges from $45.00 up. Depends on where you go, really. There is no way to get 'dreadlock' mats out of the coat save for shaving them away completely. To try to comb those out is extremely painful for the dog. From there, keep up with the brushing yourself. You will have to get this dog clipped if not every six weeks, every eight weeks, roughly. As you said this dog doesn't shed its hair, it just keeps growing. Even with regular maintenance you'll be looking at a little mophead eventually.

Please, take him to a groomer. Look up groomers in your area and find the one with the best reviews for being gentle and patient. Dematting even through shave downs can be stressful on the dog if they're very bad, although they're by far the gentlest option.

I am a groomer, and just as a tip for the future here are the tools I would use to take care of this pup.

• Firm Slicker Brush. You need something with longer bristles to get through his thicker coat, and something that won't bend as soon as you start brushing. When you brush, use gentle pressure so that you aren't scratching him.
  
• Soft Slicker Brush. For less intensive brushing around sensitive areas like the muzzle, ears, tail, paws, and belly.
  
• De-matting Comb. Used to maintain the coat before any bad mats occur. This comb has blades on it and cuts through clumps of hair gently. Do not use this if mats are down to the skin!
  
• Metal Comb. A wide-tooth and fine-tooth comb, used just as you would use a comb. Use the slicker first to kind of 'loosen' the coat a bit, then go through with the wide-toothed side, then the fine-toothed side.
  
  Make sure you're combing through his tail, ears, and muzzle as well as those are all prone to matting also. Check between his toes, as that area with dogs with a lot of hair like him also gets matted up quickly.
  
  Best of luck and I hope this helps.

This isn't the exact same brand I have but it's functionally similar:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014PFS2VE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_jE-uCbX9RTFB2

Yes! I recently bought this one: https://smile.amazon.com/Paw-Brothers-Extra-Slicker-Brush/dp/B014PFS2VE/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=large+slicker+brush&qid=1556802844&s=gateway&sr=8-3

It's my new go-to brush. Gets lots of loose undercoat fur out, and does a much better job of taming the fur on his hips/by his fluffy butt than what I used before.

We also use a regular rake that I bought at a pet store on a whim like 5 years ago.

I still need help taming his mane, though, if anyone has any tips...

I just found a cheap one at my grocery store’s pet supplies section. It’s a pretty basic one, kinda like this:

Paw Brothers Extra Long Hard Pin Slicker Brush, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014PFS2VE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZxjqDbHHGG4R0

except a smaller size for my mini AD

Andis deshedding rake and Paw Brothers slicker brush, both on amazon.

Andis Premium Deshedding Tool, Pet Grooming (80490) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0WOMCQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pkp5AbKQYTG0V

Paw Brothers Extra Long Hard Pin Slicker Brush, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014PFS2VE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Skp5AbC3D68K4


A photo of your dog might change my answer, but these are my usual deshedding tools.