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.

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

Hmmmm, guess I have to admit that I, too, am torn between the "long and short" of it. Ditzi is usually kept about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, except her face which has been kept poodly short up until her last haircut. Her snout is no longer looking like that of a poodle as she has gained weight and is looking more like a retriever in shape. She really looks adorable with all
the fluff around her face, but she does tend to slobber water when she drinks. She did not slobber when she had the
"poodle face". She also likes to run to the kitchen rug and wipe her mouth off after eating which she also did not do
when her face was shaved. Very interesting, I think. When she is "all dressed up", newly groomed, she actually
behaves more like a lady than she does when she is grown out and fluffy looking. We should have dressed her up as a
clown for Halloween as that is the way she behaves! : )

[9pavxfihcp80]

I'm a # 2. We brush our doods often and have them groomed every 3 months. Our middle dood, Cooper, is a Pet Partner, so we bathe him weekly and the others at least once a month. Shorter is just more practical and just as pretty as long as they are brushed.

[Debra Ference-Luongo]

I am a number 2 person. We now standing appointments for Edgar. Haircut every 3 months with a monthly bath. Otherwise he ends up with mud mats that end up running amok.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Let's add another category. #6 Intentionally mat the dog. I know Spud is unique on his coat. Since I have never owned a dog with hair longer than 1/16th of an inch I did not know what people meant when they petted Spud and told me his hair was... Unexplainable. Of course I come on here and can't cry enough about my dogs coat the is... Unexplainable. A fine network of gauze- like fibers lose to the skin.

So yes, I am now going to intentionally mat my dog to prevent unorganized mating known as cording. Hahahah yeah I know, but I've tried everything else.

[shelly]

Joanne! I saw that and I LOVED it.... I think it was with Portuguese Water dogs - it's so cool! I watched a video on it and seriously thought about it. But I LOVE Bob Marley too! LOL Let me know how that works out!
But I heard you had to be careful it doesn't grow mold?????

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Oh Spud has already grown MOLD! Yes, drying is ..... a huge problem. I read for 9 hours today just on Cording. The thing that convinced me was this statement, " If the dog mats naturally, then naturally let him mat. Stop brushing out mother nature" Another statement was, anyone who brushes a dog who has this coat is a Masochist! I think Spud growls that at me constantly.

So now, I get to sit here and twirl his curls. No brush is supposed to be used :)

Shelly, if you find the video--I NEED GRAPHICS! HELP

[shelly]

Here you go, Joanne.... Good luck! Perhaps you've found a new specialty!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WxnvqZ8meY

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Thank YOU. Much different than reading. I wish it had sound. Did yours have sound?

She was kind of mean and the dog was stressed. I do recognize the coat she called FELTING--NOT Matting.

I was also told be careful the first 6 months because they look so horrible people will call the ASPCA on you to make sure your dog is not being neglected LOL

Looks like there are more videos.

Never mind... I HAVE SOUND

[shelly]

Did you forget to put up the volume, Silly???? LOL
Yes there are a few.... I thought she was a bit too rough too! MAN! But the idea was there...good luck. Six months?! Wow!....Keep Spud under wraps for the first few months ~ LOL

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Shelly, I think this is the answer... this certainly is the coat I describe. The groomers called it FELT--when the hair gets long enough it bunches and separates. The dog's coat has long lines of separation. They LOVE this. That is the time to start the cording. We are not there yet in his coat ( about a month to go from my experience ) but they described him to a tea and think this is great. In our doodle world we see this as HORRIBLE!

His legs and tail are silky though and they see this as bad. A coat to be shaved and discarded if found in a Sheep.

With these dogs it takes YEARS to do the process. UGH. But it takes years to keep a doodle coat clipped in my life.

I see Starlit grabbing those locks and ripping them right off his head !