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Doodle Grooming

A place to discuss grooming issues.

A chance to ask a professional groomer for advice.

A place to start discussions that will be of interest to the many fledgling groomers here. Be sure to add tags!

 

Members: 2080
Latest Activity: Aug 14, 2019

Coat types

Doodles come in three main coat types. Wool, fleece and hair. If you consider a woolly wool coat to be at one end of a scale and shedding coarse hair coats to be at the other end, your doodle could have a coat anywhere in-between. Not only that...it could be a combination of more than one type. Coats can also be very curly, somewhat curly, spiral curls, wavy or quite straight.

Hint for maintaining your favourite look.

You will find lots of pictures on this site of great looking doodles. Use them to take to your groomer to show what look you like or use them to follow for home grooming.


Coat Change from Puppy to Adult
Somewhere between 8 and 12 months doodles start growing their adult coats. Matte time! Since they don't shed, you need to comb the puppy coat out. This takes quite a bit of dedication and this stage can go on for several months. If you let your puppy mat at this time and resort to shaving, you STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM. You cannot shave it away. At some point, you must comb that puppy coat out. To make this stage easier, scissor the coat to about 2 inches in length so there is less to tangle. A seriously good way to reduce brushing is to buy a high speed blower. It produces cool air at high volume and really helps clean and untangle the coat.

Combing your doodle.
Use a steel comb. Start from one foot and brush..yes brush with a brush..the hair up. Then  start down at the foot again and brush down in layers, making sure to always get to see the skin in the area you are working on before you go on. After about and inch or two, comb where you brushed. If the comb won't go thru, start again. Work thru the whole coat in this fashion.
Make sure you hit all the areas.
inside, outside and back and front of legs
upper and lower chest
sides, back and under tail
top of head and neck all the way around
under ears, chin and face
If a wool dog is very matted, it can take 10 hours to demat. If you have a fleece coat that is in good shape, it should take an hour or less to brush and comb the whole dog thoroughly.
Worst trouble spots: in front of hind legs, armpits, under tail and neck

To Do List for regular maintenance.
1. brush and comb twice a week or when ever you feel mattes ..dampen after brushing
These things to be done every 4 to 6 weeks
2. trim hair from between eyes as required to keep it from poking into the eyes
3. shave belly
4. trim hair from around anus and on male or female parts to prevent messy mattes that can get infected from bacteria
5. clip nails
6. trim feet ...inside of feet, around toes and trim length so it just barely touches the ground.
7. trim hair above eyes so it does not obstruct sight
8. pull hair from inside ears and clean with ear cleaning solution
9. shave hair from base of ear to increase airflow into the ear 

Links to Grooming Information from this forum. 

coming

How to trim feet
You can trim feet with scissors or clippers. I prefer to use a combination of both. I first cup the dog's foot in my hand so the bottom is visible and keeping my scissors flat to the bottom of the foot, I trim all hair sticking beyond the foot. Next I take my clipper with a number 10 or 40 and trim inside between the large pad the the small toe pads. From the top of the foot looking down, I pull a hair back from toes and scissor hair from around nails and between toes. You can to this with a clipper too and make 'poodle toes'...not to be confused at all with poodle feet. You want the foot to have lots of volume from the top, but look clean underneath.

Discussion Forum

Nail Dremel

Started by Stacy. Last reply by Stacy Aug 14, 2019. 5 Replies

koda

Started by Rosalyn Ancrum. Last reply by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie Aug 7, 2019. 3 Replies

First grooming

Started by Rosalyn Ancrum. Last reply by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie Aug 2, 2019. 44 Replies

Snout grooming question

Started by Kate Rich. Last reply by Kate Rich Jul 11, 2019. 4 Replies

Greenville, SC groomer recs

Started by Nicole and Teddy. Last reply by Nicole and Teddy Jun 13, 2019. 2 Replies

First haircut ideas for shaggy puppy

Started by Kate Rich. Last reply by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie Jun 28, 2019. 8 Replies

Seasonal undercoat removal in long coat

Started by J and Riley (and Luna). Last reply by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle May 19, 2019. 55 Replies

Ear trimming

Started by Bill and Pepper. Last reply by ginny Apr 28, 2019. 4 Replies

Bridge of the nose

Started by Stacy. Last reply by J and Riley (and Luna) Jun 28, 2019. 16 Replies

regular barber clippers

Started by ginny. Last reply by Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie Mar 13, 2019. 5 Replies

Recommended Shampoos for Black Coats

Started by Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie. Last reply by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie Apr 3, 2019. 4 Replies

Grooming Table Recommendations

Started by Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie. Last reply by J and Riley (and Luna) Apr 25, 2019. 20 Replies

How long is too long?

Started by J and Riley (and Luna). Last reply by J and Riley (and Luna) Feb 16, 2019. 12 Replies

bath hose set up

Started by ginny. Last reply by Connie Feb 12, 2019. 6 Replies

question regarding grooming - what to request for our puppy?

Started by Ellen. Last reply by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie Feb 5, 2019. 5 Replies

Naples FL. Groomer search

Started by Lorraine Kostinas. Last reply by Karin Frydman Feb 3, 2019. 1 Reply

clipping around puppy's eyes

Started by ginny. Last reply by Connie Feb 4, 2019. 10 Replies

Is it the color?

Started by Stacy. Last reply by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie Feb 3, 2019. 9 Replies

Comment Wall

Comment

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Comment by Diane, Hurley and Sidney on August 26, 2015 at 6:38pm

Chopper looks cute!!!!!   I realize I forgot to post a picture of Hurley in his new shorter coat.  Chopper is probably enjoying his new look.

Comment by Kimberly Cook on August 26, 2015 at 4:01pm

I had dreams of Chopper being a long hair doodle but those dreams faded when I realized how quickly he matted up and how hard it was to keep up with the intense grooming. Like Diane mentioned it was not fun for either of us. We have since been through 4 groomers before I lucked upon one near me that is experienced in doodle cuts. I noticed a beautifully groomed doodle at the dog park and asked (actually yelled :$) who was the groomer of that doodle. She was only 8 miles from us in Ashburn Va. :D

Comment by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie on July 16, 2015 at 10:11pm

Wow, F.  She really does resemble Calla.

Comment by Joyce on July 16, 2015 at 5:54am

@F. Calla - I agree, they could be siblings! 

Comment by F, Calla & Luca on July 16, 2015 at 2:54am

@ Joyce, your doodle looks great and resembles my Luca so very much.

Comment by Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa on July 15, 2015 at 6:05pm

Roxanne, most likely he won't need to be groomed at all if he is a shedder. Just regular baths and nail trimmings. 

Comment by Roxanne Yen on July 15, 2015 at 5:11pm
I have a smoothed faced doodle or "open face", he is 4 months old . Right now he looks like a golden retriever with a slightly longer nose. Will he need to be groomed as much as the doodly looking pups...?
Comment by Diane, Hurley and Sidney on July 15, 2015 at 2:44pm
I kept Huley's wavy fleece long until. This summer. He is 3 1/2 years old. When he went through the coat change I faithfully brushed him every night. But as his coat got longer it became obvious the brushing and combing was not as pleasant an experience for him any more. So I asked his groomer to trim his coat back and he seems a lot happier. He is just as cute just shorter except around the face, ears, beard and tail. She did a very nice job of blending. I'll post some pictures first chance I get.
Comment by Joyce on July 15, 2015 at 12:24pm

So here are two pics of our girl.  In march everything was great, no matts, nice long fleece.  Then about a month ago, almost overnight, matts started appearing.  We could not get ahead of it and finally did a 911 to the groomer.  She is VERY kind and understanding and said that is what happens when their adult coats begins to come in.  It cannot be avoided, going shorter is the solution.  I really loved her long hair look, but the matts did me in.  Our breeder had warned me..."you better get that coat shortened before it matts"  So off it came.  My first reaction was, she looks like a boy!  The groomer pointed out ...she still has her long lashes!

I am a believer, cut if off and then once the adult coat is established I can made up my mind about length.

Comment by Joyce on July 15, 2015 at 12:21pm

 

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