Grooming!

[Sarah, Louie & Dougal]

So my 10 month old Labradoodle is getting groomed for the first time on Saturday! My 8 month old one doesn't need it just yet as my dad cuts and clips them where they need t but Louie's coat is a lot thicker and longer and shaggier than Dougal - so the groomer is just going to cut/trim Dougal where he needs it but she is going to proper groom/clip Louie. Which is why I'm scared!!
The reason Louie is Louie is because of his gorgeous coat! everyone stops is and comments on his coat and it's the reason he's so cute!! I don't want to cut it!! But he needs it as it's getting matts in and also it's just too hot for him! The groomer also said he's got mixed puppy hair and adult hair this is why he is matting in some areas. BUT I don't want him to just be shaved. I've seen doodles on Instagram where they have been "groomed" and they have just been completely shaved short and I don't like that look, not on Louie! So is there any ideas you can give me to ask the groomer to do to him so he still has some fluffy hair let and not just shaved short?
Really appreciate it. Thanks x x

[Lynda Kamrath]

Yes, take photos with you and discuss exactly what you want done for his first groom.  It really is important.  And I hope you are taking them to an established groomer, not Petco or PetSmart.  The people who work there may be capable but the turnover is remarkable and the groomer who is there today may not be next week.  Know your groomer and talk to him or her before you leave your dog - and bring those photos.  You shouldn't be scared, but you should be assertive.  Make sure you get exactly what you want.  Don't do any less with your dog's hair than you would with your own.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Picture is a great idea. Try to take him as matt free as you can. This seems to be a lot of the reason why sometimes the doodles get shaved down,...too matted. Good luck, hope it turns out how you like

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Mat free is going to be the main factor in what the groomer is able to do.  However, that being said in looking at your pictures I think that you are going to find that he is somewhat curlier underneath the puppy hair.  If you look at the hair under his chin by his collar this looks really curly to me.  Their puppy coats are sometimes very straight and fluffy but their adult coats can be curly.   I would just talk to the groomer at length when you go in and make sure they understand you do not want him shaved.  If they can't agree not to then you need to find a groomer that will agree to what you want.  Make sure she looks at the coat and checks it for mats before you leave.  You can ask that they use a comb on the clippers that will leave the coat longer.  Best of luck.  Be sure to post pictures.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You can also ask for a scissor cut rather than  clippers.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Louie may look a lot different when the puppy coat comes off--this is not the groomer's fault--he is just growing up!  The groomer has to deal with the reality of Louie's soft, thick coat and needs to get it under control before it is too late.

Lots of my customers cringe when their pup gets that first big haircut--the puppy coat is so cute! And they are often curlier and lighter in color underneath..But if it does not come off, it mats into the adult coat (it happens overnight it seems) and the fluff becomes thick cemented mats--especially in hot moist weather....this is inevitable! So, let the groomer take it down a bit before the shaving is needed---Believe me, I have seen this many times with doodles I groom or with puppies I have raised--if you don't keep up with the coat over the next few months, it is a disaster.

Sometimes what happens that leads to shaving is that the clipper will not go thru the mats that are there and then the groomer just shaves the whole darn body! Ask the groomer to cut out any big mats ad try to leave the other hair longer than that area--it looks funny at first, but eventually blends in--unless Louie has giant mats of course, but it doesn't sound like it.

I just went thru this yesterday with a doodle that was shaved at 13 months because the owner did not keep up with the puppy coat and the dog was covered in large mats--when he was shaved (by another groomer) they left him with a big puffy head and ears to keep some of his doodle look. That was a few months ago...Well, yesterday i had to shave his muzzle, chin and ears to get the puppy coat out. The rest of his body was fine since the puppy coat had been removed in March--but his ears looked like softballs due to the piles of trapped puppy coat! He looked like a lamb when I was done, but it had to happen. It will grow back and from now on, it should be easier to care for.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Ginny,
Yogi is going through the matting now. It is a constant battle. I have to comb him twice a day. So far so good, but I can see how some people can't keep up. The matts are in places I didn't even think of combing at first. The ones I hate combing the most are the sides of his face.

[Stephanie and Ragley]

I'm right there with you, Leslie. Breaks my heart to comb out Ragley's cheeks. I can tell it is uncomfortable for her, but she is so patient with me.