Swimming doodles and their coats

[Kim Chobanian]

I am looking for advice. My doodle goes in our pool every day. I am good with the brushing but now after swimming I towel dry her. So she got matted and the groomer shaved her. My question is should I just shave her at the beginning of summer? Or was there something I could have done to prevent this? 

And the other thing is what is up with the bushy tail and shaved body?

It was very easy to dry her off and she is not dragging all sorts of dirt in the house.

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

I had the same thing happen to Rosey and she had to get cut really short. The more Rosey swam the worse it got. We don't have mats now that her hair is short, but I did buy some detangler conditioner and also brush her after she has been wet and that works pretty good. All the sun exposure has also lightened her coat, I am hoping she darkens back up this fall. There are other de-mat products but haven't tried them. Rosey has bushy tail and short hair. She looks like a giant squirrel but thats okay, i still love her;)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I think if I had one that swam every day, would have to have her clipped short (but the tail and head would still be doodly). Couldn't give those up. Only way I know to help is to brush her out before she gets in the pool (just like you do for a bath) and then towel dry and brush out afterwards as well. Gonna be a lot of brushing.

[Chuck Holliman]

Rusty is in the pool everyday to keep cool and exercise; it is much easier on him swimming than walking on his remaining hind leg. We were keeping his coat to a "summer cut" to help keep him cooler from his reaction to the Chemo and that has worked out very well. When the coat starts growing out he gets mats in his ears. We also bathe Rusty once a week using a shampoo/conditioner which helps with the curls. Rusty has also bleached out several shades between the sun and his Chemo. He is no longer red, other than his ears, and is more blond; this happened last summer and his color came back when he stopped going in the pool.

Chuck & Rusty

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

Hunter swims about 3 to 4 times a week but she swims in a lake, not a pool. She would matte no matter how much I brushed and dried her. I had her cut really short - except for the big busy tail and her head! It has really made a huge difference, never matte's and she dries really fast. I personally had to shave Hunter once at the beginning of the summer and again just over the weekend.

[Zoe, Benny and Tyler]

Tyler also swims daily and I try to not towel dry him afterwards because the rubbing is only creating the mats. When he swims during our walks I just leave him as he is and until we are back home he got dried up enough that he can enter the house. I put a towel on the couch so that he can lay on there.
When we are on the boat and he swims I wrap him into a towel afterwards but don't do anything else. Usually the towel stays on long enough to soak enough water. I also bought (sounds silly but it works great) a rope for him which I put on sometimes. The advantage is that he can run around in it and won't loose it like a towel which I wrapped around him.
He does mat more when he swims and therefore I do brush more during the summer. The last two weeks the weather wasn't that good so he didn't swim daily and I had to brush him only once a week. When he swims daily I brush twice a week - but really thoroughly and brushing layer by layer of his coat. In the evening when he cuddles with me on the couch I always search for mats and he won't even realize that I am detangling them while cuddling :).
I love the shaggy long coat and I would do everything to prevent shaving although I definitely need to agree that a short coat is more practicable as it also takes at least 2 hours until Tyler is fully dry again after each swim.

[Lesley, Wellington & Bingley]

Bushy tail and shaved body???? And the problem with that is....? Are you saying I look silly!? lol

Mum says it's very practical - when Im dry it's a mobile feather duster, when Im wet it's my rudder =) (yes Welly - well said!)

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I have two doods who swim everyday May through October. I do keep them clipped short except for heads and tails. I do it mainly so that they dry quickly and can come in the house damp instead of soaking wet. Also the brushing necessary to keep either of them mat free ( they both have very curly, thick hair) is just too much for all of us. In the winter it is easier to keep them about two inches long in the body of their coat as it is not wet all the time.