Suggested Length for First time Groom

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Bexter is 10 months old now, and has never been to the groomer yet.  I have been trimming his face, doing his nails & ears, and also his potty area.  However, it is sooo time.  I have put it off because I'm so nervous!  I found a groomer I think will be good who I heard through word of mouth.  This groomer is familiar with doodles.  Before I go on Monday, I was wondering if any of you have a suggestion as to the length.  He is probably like 6 inches long now.  I want him to be NOT SHAVED, and to basically look more like he did when he was younger.  I am thinking 2 inches.  Does this sound like a good length?  What length do you all get your dogs clipped/cut to?  Any pictures would be great too!  Thanks!

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I'm at the same stage here with Riley and will be interested to see what everyone says.  Riley is also 10 months old but hasn't really started to matt yet at all though I do notice more hair coming out when I brush him.  Has Bexter's adult coat started to come through yet? 

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Nicky,

I do think that Bexter's adult coat is coming in.  His roots look darker red than the rest of him, which is weird.  When I first brought him home, he was pretty dark red (although the lightest in his litter) and then he got lighter.  Now, it looks like he may be going darker again (which I love).  His hair is starting to mat, despite brushing him all the time and using Chris Christensen products all the time.  It got me concerned that it is probably time for a grooming.  I will definitely be taking before & after pics.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Riley is all sorts of different colors now so I'm not sure if he is going to matt up.  I brush him every day right down to the skin.  He is totally matt free but just very long hair.  I have combed every inch of him with a fine toothed bomb and also use the Les Poochs green brush . I have just finished a big groom on him this evening, followed by a bath followed by a tidy up.  It's taken about 4 hours with breaks and I'm exhausted!  I will be following Bexter's travels to the groomer very closely.  Please take before and after pics.  How would you describe his coat?  Riley is a soft fleece (that's how I would describe it) though I think it would be curlier if shorter.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Although I'm sure you have read all of this before in the grooming group, you need to be absolutely certain when you take him that he is matt free all the way down to his skin.  Can you take a comb and part his hair and comb it all the way to the skin?  If you can't, the groomer's first response is going to be to shave him.  So make sure you communicate with the groomer that you under no circumstances want him shaved.  I'm going to guess from looking at his xmas photos that he is much curlier under all that puppy fur.  I was one of those that hesitated forever to get the first haircut on our Sophie and I was thrilled when I finally did it.  If you are willing to pay for a couple groomings in order to get what you want, it might be worth saying take him down by 1/2, then if you like that you can go back to take him down a little more.  Sort of do it in baby steps.  However, at 2-3 inches I think it might have to be scissor cut as I'm not sure if there are clipper guards that will leave him 2-3 inches.

[Dos Doodles--Sam & Luke]

Hi Traci--

I hope you have a good groomer in your area that you trust.  If not yet, get some recommendations!  I've seen some groomers do really stupid things to others' dogs.  I've been spared that for Sam and Luke...but I've seen other people have some really awful results for their gorgeous doods.

It would be super helpful if you find someone who can scissor cut Bexter.  The groomers that I've been to that don't scissor cut can only leave hair about 1" long.  I don't know enough about grooming to know why o why they can't have a clipper guard that leaves hair longer, but they don't seem to.

I go to someone who scissor cuts my guys...or she'll use a clipper and comb to trim the ends off. That way I can leave their coats longer (which I really like).

If you have a groomer that will not work with your dog who may have some mats, but insists that they need to shave the dog instead....I would absolutely NOT go to that groomer.  It's their job to be able to the work with all kinds of coats, including Doodle coats. (IMHO) I recognize that some dogs are matted beyond repair and that their coats have to be cut way down or shaved.  But if you have to make sure your dog has not mats whatsoever, then that means the mats can be brushed out.  And that means the groomer doesn't have any excuse for not doing so, as well.  My two cents on that...

I'm super excited to see pictures of Bexter after he's all groomed.  I think leaving him with about 2" would be great...it's still winter and you don't want him to freeze!  Plus, he'll be adorable all trimmed up but still fluffy!  :-)

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

The reason you can't use clippers and do a 2" length is because they do not make the comb attachments that are any larger than 1 1/4".  I would love to have a longer one and have researched and researched.  But I will tell you that if you use the 1 1/4" it will leave about a 1 1/2" coat.  The attachment sits on top of the blade so it is elevated and that way you gain the extra 1/4" or so.  Also, you must clip the direction the hair grows.  If you go against the growth then you are going to get a clip that is shorter than the number on the attachment.  I think scissor cutting is an amazing thing and haven't a clue how to do it.  I have tried on Gracie's legs and there is just no way I can measure and keep it all even and the same length.  As for the mats...I will have to say that mats are a HUGE problem when grooming.  If you don't have every one of them out then the clippers will take a dive right into them and hurt the dog.  Also, the comb attachment will pop off and you will take a divot out of the hair that way.  It becomes very painful for the Doodle.  I have a neighbor who never brushes her Doodle who is an F1B so curlier and more easily matted.  This poor Doodle has to be shaved down because she is so bad.  I totally understand it too.  I tried to work on her and I will tell you right now, if I were to take the time to carefully try to get out every mat with my fingers which is the only way, I would be spending over 10 hours doing it and it also becomes very painful for the Doodle.  Mats are nothing to brush off lightly.  They are a nightmare.  I am not talking the typical ones they get behind the ears or in the arm pits.  These you can cut out or finger massage them out but it still takes time. All I can say, until you have totally neglected your Doodle's coat and then tried to groom it yourself...only then will you be able to really appreciate the groomer and how much work a coat that is not well cared for really is!

[Dos Doodles--Sam & Luke]

Hi Nancie--

Thanks for the info on the clipper guards.  I've guessed that they are not made longer so that a longer coat can be preserved with a bigger guard.  I haven't done any research to that end...so thanks for the answer to that.  And I agree that some matting is irretrievable...wouldn't want to hurt a doodle just to keep the coat long.  I'm just saying that some of the folks I've talked to have had their dogs shaved by groomers who seem to do it as a matter of course and who don't care to try to get the tangles/mats out that are there.  

You know, it never occurred to me about mats down at the skin.  UGH!  I don't think I let my dogs get that far without a good brush out.  I've also not let them get to 6" (the matting was more than I could keep up with!), so you are right I don't have experience with coats that long.  It's a temptation to let Sam's grow out that much...but I don't know if I could tend to it.

So I agree with everything you are saying...I guess I'm working from the standpoint of a doodle coat that needs some work, but isn't entirely neglected and basically impossible to fix without hours upon hours of labor.  I've seen some folks take their dogs in and get some really weird results---the shaved snout, strange face cutting, or the automatic shave, regardless of how well maintained the coat.  Make sure you get a groomer who won't do that.  :-)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

The reason that I always like to suggest that a person have their doodle completely combed out, particularly if they are a new doodle owner, is that many people don't even realize that down at the skin their doodle is completely matted to the skin until the groomer points it out or worse yet hands their doodle back to them shaved down.  When a doodle has a 6" coat, that is a lot of hair to get the brush through and if you don't realize what can happen, you think you are brushing and you really aren't. 

[Dos Doodles--Sam & Luke]

Yikes!  I'd love to have Sam's coat that long...but I don't think I could keep up with that!  :-/  It would be awesome, tho!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

There are a lot of other things you need to tell the groomer as well.  The best thing you can do is take pictures of Doodles who's haircuts you like and seem to have the same type hair.  So much depends on wavy, curly, fine, coarse, wooly, etc.  I don't want the bridge of the nose between the eyes shaved.  Trimmed is ok but no face shaving whatsoever.  Beard or not but tell them which it is.  Moustasche or cleaned up just to the lip line.  On the sanitary make darn sure they do not shave it and make him look like he has a baboon butt!  Believe me it happens.  Gracie got it once and also the entire inside of the back legs so all you saw was a totally naked Doodle from the rear with everything showing...definitely not the way to do a Doodle.  Round the feet and no toe cleavage!!!  Try to tell them you do not want a razor blade put against any part of his skin.  It can cause razor burn or even nicks and they you have to deal with that for about a week.  When I groom Gracie I always use a comb guard.  I just use the smallest one there is.  Their little tummies are so delicate and in Gracie's case she gets fuzzy little knots that I usually trim off with manicure scissors.  If Bexter has a beautiful tail don't let them clip it or scissor it.  It depends on the type Doodle but Gracie has a beautiful Golden Retriever plume of a tail and it has never been cut.  That is the only part of her that is not Doodle!!!  If Bexter has long eyelashes tell them to not cut them.  It is hard sometimes to save them because the dog can move so quickly and in one snip they are gone.  But they will grow back.  Some groomers automatically trim them.  So, just be very specific about the things you  do NOT want to have them do and make very sure they understand it.  Good Luck and post before and after pictures.

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

Great tips Nancy.

[Jess and Pippin]

Hi Traci.  Pippin is 14 months and has been groomed a couple of times now.   I've got pix on my page - having some issues with the computer otherwise I'd add some here  :(   I like him trimmed to about 2 inches, which is a shock when he starts out at 4 inches!  His coat is changing again, and I'm taking him for a groom in the next couple of weeks.  He's a matting maniac right now and I can't stay on top of the mats, so i think I'm going to go a bit shorter this time.  He feels like velvet when he is short and I really like that look too.  The trick seems to be to keep the legs a bit "thicker" and fuller.