7 reasons why your Doodle is better off with a medium sized groomed coat

[Wanda Klomp]

If I browse pictures on Facebook, and listen to the experiences of my grooming customers and the owners that participate in my Labradoodle self grooming workshops, it's undeniable that most people wait too long before they visit the groomer.

The result: tangles, felt and a bare-shaven Doodle a few times a year, whilst looking like a Bearded Collie the rest of the year.

I know, most dog owners love a long coat.

The longer, the better, right?

Well, let's see if that statement holds up.

Because when you think about it, it doesn't make any sense.

Because the longer the coat:

1. The more junk and sand your Doodle carries with it in its coat (and in to your house)
2. The harder it is to reach the under layer of the coat and the skin during brushing (where most tangles reside)
3. The duller it will look, because long hair is dead hair and therefore very porous
4. The dirtier the coat from all the dust it retains
5. The slower and older your Doodle will look, because you can no longer see the limbs and cannot tell the head from the neck, among other things (like a very full, long, excrement retaining butt)
6. The less energetic your Doodle becomes, given how heavy and hot a long coat is.
7. The less hygenic your Labradoodle is, because it keeps peeing against its fur and retains food leftovers in its beard.

So wanting to keep your Labradoodle coat as long as possible makes it even more difficult for you to maintain.

I know. Some breeders have their dogs running about with long hair and so you're bound to think "wow, how pretty, let's do that"! 
You'd even want to see your sweetheart with dreadlocks, right?

But have you ever touched a dog with dreadlocks? Or stuck your nose in the coat?

The truth of the matter is that most long haired dogs are tangled and probably even felted.

And their coat feels greasy and dirty, and perhaps even smell.

Long coats are dead coats, that's why people invented grooming.

Because just like we need our hair cut every 6 weeks, your Doodle needs to have it cut every 8 weeks to keep it healthy, shiny and tangle free.

Tell me: when your tiny Doodle was still a pup, didn't you find her super cute?

And did she have a long coat then? Or was she that cute because her fuzzy little coat was tightly wrapped around her body and you could easily make out her head, neck, bum and legs? (that made her who she was?)

Many dog owners fear that when they visit the groomer, they get a near enough bare-shaven Doodle back.

Not unlikely when the coat has felted and/or the groomer doesn't know how to groom a Labradoodle properly fluffy.

But a groomer who knows her coats will do her outmost best to get your Labradoodle looking like a pup again.

After all, a dog has to look nicer after grooming, not uglier.

It has to look more like itself, not less.

Dog owners who visit me or do my self grooming workshops, are always pleasantly surprised with the result, because their Doodle or Water dog looks more like a dog again: lively with a young, puppy-like look and a beaming, soft fluffy coat at exactly the right length.

That sounds a lot better than looking like a mop.

Or like a rat, or a poodle.

I often catch my customers being afraid of this after they have been reading up on negative grooming experiences on the internet.

The Doodle fora and Facebook groups are full of them.

But if you're so scared of having your precious Doodle comie from the groomer, looking like a rat or a poodle.

Why not just learn to groom your Labradoodle or Golden Doodle yourself?

That way you can choose your own good-looking medium coat length, giving you the best of both worlds (having your Doodle looking its best, while easily being able to maintain the coat).

Happy grooming!

Lots of Doodle love,

Wanda & Joy

 

[Wanda Klomp]

A puppy cut is a fluffy look, hand scissor cut with only thinning scissors Joann Valerio. You can do this when they are older too. There are a lot of examples on my DoodleComfort facebook page if you want to see more :-) xxx

[Joann Valerio]

Curious... What does a "puppy cut" look like and can you have your Doodle groomed in a pupoy cut
as they get older?

[cheryl & oliver]

I prefer Oliver at mid length, he does mat if not brushed, so it is much easier to keep him shorter...I love my groomer, Oliver loves him, and they treat him like he is the "King" of the shop...He loves getting groomed, and would love to go every week, lol, but once a month or max every 5 weeks, he goes for his bath, and grooming...He looks so great after a grooming, and he knows it, he prances around, so funny to watch...

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

My Gracie just has a wiry coat. She looks real scraggly when it's starts growing too long, so we keep it short. Plus she sheds, so although it doesn't keep the shedding down at least the shedded hair isn't super long.
I would like it a little longer, but she looks better with shorter hair.
This is a very well written blog!

[Ginny Nightingale]

As a groomer of doodles (just a small business in my home and yes, only doodles--oh and two Portuguese water dogs) I agree wholeheartedly with this! And I have to add #8--the less likely you are to discover injuries or infections. I have had several doodles come to me with long, matted coats--as I removed the many mats and dead dirty hair, I have discovered abscesses on the face, back and tail--(on different dogs) that the owners never noticed--one dog had to go directly to the vet from my house--the abscess on the cheek was golf-ball sized!! So, long coats are pretty if you will work hard to maintain them, keep them clean and mat-free and are always thoroughly checking your dog for issues.