Grooming is a very important part of your doodles life, and it begins at a very young age. Doodles are very high maintenance dogs. They require regular brushing and combing to keep their hair tangle free, and need their haircut every 4-12 weeks depending on the hair style and length you choose and how well you are able to maintain them between appointments.
Bathing can be done as often as every 2 weeks. Be sure to choose a gentle, hypoallergenic shampoo that will not dry out their skin if bathing often. You will want to have a force dryer to blow dry your puppy after the bath. These dryers are made for pets and can be found many places online such as Amazon. Make sure to dry your puppy completely, don’t just bathe and let them air dry (this leads to matting).
Doodles have a bad rap with many groomers, because owners bring them in wanting them to be kept long and fluffy but haven’t taken care of their coats at home. If the puppy or dog is too tangled (matted) this is not possible to do, and is very stressful for everyone involved. The groomer doesn’t want to have to shave your dog but sometimes it’s the only option. However; you can prevent this from happening!
You will want to purchase a metal comb, a slicker brush, and conditioning spray. We use and highly recommend the Chris Christensen coral brush. It’s a little pricey but worth every penny. Start by misting your puppy all over with the conditioning spray. Then go over them with a slicker brush, followed up by the metal comb to make sure that you have brushed all the way to the skin. Typically, high friction areas are the first places matting starts. Such as armpits, back of the legs/hips, tails, ears and face. These places tend to get matted quicker than others.
As a young puppy, the hair will not tangle. But you want to get them used to the process so they won’t mind it later on. A doodle puppy goes through a coat change anywhere from 6 to 14 months of age, with 9 to 12 months being most common. Their super soft, thinner, fluffy, easy care puppy coat will transition into the adult coat. During the coat change, your pup's coat may become extremely prone to knots and mats, so daily brushing is highly recommended, moving to weekly longer-term.
If you want to keep the coat long as an adult, you'll need to keep it free of knots. If you can't keep on top of the knots, keeping the coat a shorter length will make it much easier for you, and kinder for your dog - mats can hurt! Short haircuts are much easier maintenance, requiring only brushing of the areas with longer hair (head, ears & tail) every few days. Don’t feel bad if this is your chosen route! Your doodle will be adorable regardless of their haircut, being clean and comfortable is the most important.
Start taking your puppy to the groomer as soon as they finish their final round of vaccinations. Even if you do not want any hair cut, it is very important that your puppy gets used to the process. Grooming can be scary with barking dogs, loud dryers, new people, etc. and you want your puppy to be comfortable. The first few visits can just be baths & light trimming if needed around eyes and anywhere else needed for cleanliness. Find a groomer you’re comfortable with, and make it a positive experience for your puppy so they will enjoy going for years to come!
Bathing can be done as often as every 2 weeks. Be sure to choose a gentle, hypoallergenic shampoo that will not dry out their skin if bathing often. You will want to have a force dryer to blow dry your puppy after the bath. These dryers are made for pets and can be found many places online such as Amazon. Make sure to dry your puppy completely, don’t just bathe and let them air dry (this leads to matting).
Doodles have a bad rap with many groomers, because owners bring them in wanting them to be kept long and fluffy but haven’t taken care of their coats at home. If the puppy or dog is too tangled (matted) this is not possible to do, and is very stressful for everyone involved. The groomer doesn’t want to have to shave your dog but sometimes it’s the only option. However; you can prevent this from happening!
You will want to purchase a metal comb, a slicker brush, and conditioning spray. We use and highly recommend the Chris Christensen coral brush. It’s a little pricey but worth every penny. Start by misting your puppy all over with the conditioning spray. Then go over them with a slicker brush, followed up by the metal comb to make sure that you have brushed all the way to the skin. Typically, high friction areas are the first places matting starts. Such as armpits, back of the legs/hips, tails, ears and face. These places tend to get matted quicker than others.
As a young puppy, the hair will not tangle. But you want to get them used to the process so they won’t mind it later on. A doodle puppy goes through a coat change anywhere from 6 to 14 months of age, with 9 to 12 months being most common. Their super soft, thinner, fluffy, easy care puppy coat will transition into the adult coat. During the coat change, your pup's coat may become extremely prone to knots and mats, so daily brushing is highly recommended, moving to weekly longer-term.
If you want to keep the coat long as an adult, you'll need to keep it free of knots. If you can't keep on top of the knots, keeping the coat a shorter length will make it much easier for you, and kinder for your dog - mats can hurt! Short haircuts are much easier maintenance, requiring only brushing of the areas with longer hair (head, ears & tail) every few days. Don’t feel bad if this is your chosen route! Your doodle will be adorable regardless of their haircut, being clean and comfortable is the most important.
Start taking your puppy to the groomer as soon as they finish their final round of vaccinations. Even if you do not want any hair cut, it is very important that your puppy gets used to the process. Grooming can be scary with barking dogs, loud dryers, new people, etc. and you want your puppy to be comfortable. The first few visits can just be baths & light trimming if needed around eyes and anywhere else needed for cleanliness. Find a groomer you’re comfortable with, and make it a positive experience for your puppy so they will enjoy going for years to come!