Honestly - long or short hair on your doodle

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Honestly now, I am taking a sort of a informal poll about your doodle hair.  I want to know not what we wish we did, but what we really do with our doodles hair.

1) Keep it brushed and matt free and the length I like it by hand scissoring ( you or a groomer)

2) Keep it 2 inches or less and matt free

3) Keep it 1 inch or less all the time so it does not matt

4) Let it grow, shave it, let it grow, shave it

5) Something else - please describe

 

Since there seems to be some judgementalism about hair length, long is best, shaved is worst, I will go first and freely admit ( remember I am proactively trying my best to give up guilt) that I am a

 

                                               #4. 

 

 My shaved doodles look funny, but other than short, very occasional, brushing annoys all of us.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I do think if they never licked themselves some of that glued together stuff wouldn't happen. I'm not speaking about regular matting but the kind that if you sit and just pull the hair apart horizontally it comes apart. But as I was doing that to Luca today I heard Calla licking in the background. I think licking is a natural dog behavior that you couldn't stop if you tried. But it sure is a chore. I keep kidding myself it will get better but Luca will be 3 in March. Time does fly.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

It is sticky too~ but he does not lick himself. Maybe it is Starlit's Spit, as I said before. But if that were the case, he would feel sticky at a 1/4 inch too.

I really think it is just the combination of a very Thick Golden Retriever and a very thick Poodle. I had this horrible thought tonight... what if I gave him bad food for awhile and his coat thinned..... okay okay, of course not but honestly I sat there and the thoughts crossed my mind. I can not handle his coat.

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

Joanne I think Spud would look cute with the Bob Marley look. Corded may be the way to go.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I would love it..... when he was a pup his hair was corded. Now it is the thickest cotton type of material. Actual material. UNREAL. Anyone who has met him when he is longer like this just touches and touches and says, " Oh my"

If I groom him, it is worse.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Honestly Joanne I know of what you speak - hence Daisy's body is so much shorter than her legs/face.

[Adina P]

5) My doodles are shedding non-matters so ...Boca (like Thule) will NEVER be shaved except for surgery type things. And Rosco is allowed to be shaggy as he wants to be except a couple times over the summer. I trim his face more often. The groomer only bathes him and gives him a sanitary trim.

For me the shaggy dog look is the main reason I wanted a doodle so I don't trim on a regular basis. But then again mine have wash and wear coats..who knows how I'd do if I had to put WORK into their grooming on a regular basis. I do LOVE how soft Rosco is after he's down to 1.5 inches or so.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I love the shaggy look of doodles so Im #1

In the summer, when it gets hot I cut her down to about 2 or 3 inches - i just cant cut her any shorter. She gets cut once then its left to grow out

When she was going through the coat change I cut her down to 3 inches and brushed brushed brushed.

Now, we can go almost a month before she starts to mat (and shes non shedding), though I trim her face 2 or 3 times a month so I can see her eyes (just!)

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I am a # 2 and #3 as I cut him down to 1/2 inch when he gets close to about 2 inches. He doesn't matt hardly at all, but I stay on top of that with regular combing. I also trim with scissors between grooming with the clippers all over, so does that make me a #1 too? I like Murphy' s hair shorter. He looks chubby and gets a little frizzy if he grows too long and it's just too much to deal with. Besides, he is so soft after a fresh cut and he acts like he is happier with it shorter.
As for Bella, the puppy,,her grooming is yet to be determined, but it will probably be on the short side as well.

[Pat and Traveler]

Right now I'm sort of a #1, but that's about to change. Traveler is a year old, I think he's going through a coat change and the matts are just getting to be too much for us. He's a fuzz ball, with fur about 4-5 inches long, very poofy and soft and fine, with that cotton-type fuzz next to his skin that matts if you breathe on it. His legs are matted and I'd be willing to cut the matts out but he hates the scissors--and I'm talking the little blunt-pointed ones. Anyhow, I have an appointment this week with a mobile pet grooming service and will see what the groomer has to say--and do. I'm hoping to post some before and after photos.

[Bonnie and Kona]

I'm a 2. Kona gets mats when he gets to be 3-4 inches long even though I brush him almost every day when his coat is long. I can go several days without brushing when it is 2 inches long. He goes to a groomer for the big cut. I trim his face and feet as it grows long. Owen is only 10 weeks.

[Christi Cooksey]

Let it grow and the knots I find impossible to work out, I cut them out. She is furry enough that you can't tell.

[Carole (*Koda*Monty*Bindi)]

With Rosie we are #1 all the way(we've had her nine months). She's our F1 (non shed) and loves to be brushed and is super easy to keep trimmed (around the face, feet and ears) when needed. Her biggest trimming is her eyelashes as they are endless!! She looks like a giant teddy bear and we adore her this way. Come summer she'll be trimmed down a bit to manage the heat.

With Gaston-Cramer (who turned two in September) we have become #2/3 all the way. He is our F1B and hates to be brushed and gets into everything he possible can! LOL We actually love this look for him and works for his "lifestyle".