HAPPY UPDATE TO... " I don't want to shave my 11 mo goldendoodle!"

[Nicole & Dexter]

I just want to give everyone an update! Thank you all for giving me your advice! My husband and I REALLY appreciate it! 

After we took Dexter back to PetCo to get him groomed, they told us again that we would have to have him shaved! GRR! We were feeling pretty beat at this point.

Anyways, this past weekend I spent both Saturday and Sunday working on Dexter's matts. I got 95% of them out! With a slicker brush, or I just cut them out completely. I also gave Dexter a bath and conditioned him very good and then brushed. The next day I got the scissors out and chopped away. He looks GREAT! I am SOOOO happy I decided to do it myself. His new hair coming in is VERY fine and soft. I think at this length we will be able to manage anymore matts! Here's a couple pictures of Dexter now! :) The last picture is his before picture.

Read more here: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/i-don-t-want-to-shave-my-1...

[Wendy and Myla]

Wow, what a difference!  Great job!  We've been clipping Myla ourselves also - it's taking us quite a while to do it, but we are getting quicker.  We think she looks great after also, so we are going to invest in better clippers and keep doing it ourselves.  We just have to work on the face a bit - I'm finding that she still looks a bit choppy there but we will get it right soon enough!  So glad that you didn't have to get Dexter shaved (and I'm sure he is too!)

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Nicole ~ You did a good job. He looks so much happier.    

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

He looks GREAT!

[Lynda Kamrath]

I'm so glad you decided to bite the  bullet and take on his grooming yourself.  Shaved?  They are just too lazy to do a good cut and want the easy way out.  You would have to live with it.  We have always groomed our own dogs and they love to be bathed and groomed.  We have a grooming table and sinks in the laundry room.  Harpo just jumps up onto the counter when we tap it.  The poodle in them allows them to just stand for hours.  It takes about five hours for a "good groomer" to do a total groom, but we kind of divide it into several days.  My husband and I each have our special areas.    The longer you work at it the better you will get and it is a great bonding activity with you and your dog.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Great job! I think it's better to do your own grooming. No one will treat your doodle better than you will.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Really true. Congratulations.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Great job! I love Dexter's "look"!

[Rose Coward]

Way to go.  I too have managed to keep Molly from having to be shaved.  I did scissor her down a couple times.  And I can recal the and of her molting at about 14 months old or so, I would sit down and untangle a rear left leg today, and an ear tomorrow, etc.  I often find myself petting Molly while at the same time feeling for matts.  Can anyone else relate to this behaviour?  :)

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Dexter. Looks awesome. Great job.

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

Happy to hear you were able to handle that.  We have been worried about Polly as she gets a bit older and closer to shedding that puppy coat.  I talked to our groomer and she didn't seem concerned.  I mentioned that I see most of the longer haired dogs leave her shop cut down to the skin and she said that is for two reasons, they don't brush their dogs like Polly gets brushed and the owners do not want to pay the cost for the groomer to work all the mats out.  Just encouraged us to work even harder on keeping Polly brushed out...but still we wait for the dreaded puppy coat blow out!

[Lynda Kamrath]

You might also get a mat cutter.  I have a couple of them and they are dangerous until you learn to use them correctly, but really are great.  They are especially useful for ear mats.  And brushing is essential if you don't want to have to shave your dog.  However, (I am not bragging) but the coats on the F1b goldendoodles are so soft and really do not mat.  My goldendoodle got brushed maybe weekly but never had mats and his hair was usually quite long.  Yes, shedding the puppy coat is a time for concern, but it really depends on the coat as to which cut is best for each dog.  Don't let a lazy groomer shave your dog down unless you want that for some reason.  I shaved down my labradoodle one time because he scared a jogger on the trail.  He did look like some kind of hairy beast.

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

He looks great!! You did a great job!!