Grooming Day

[Ann & Reggie]

Reggie is one big mat and is having a shave down tomorrow ( by a groomer).. He is 16 months and his last one was last summer, with a trim in January. He looks like a sheep with very dense fur that is curly at the roots. I can't fight the long coat any more so need advice on the look to aim for so it will grow in cute and fluffy. Should the face, head and tail be left longer and if so, what look should I aim for so he does not look like a poodle. His head, face and ears are not matted. Thanks..I love the scuffy look but resigned to a different manageable look from now on.

Thanks

[Ann & Reggie]

Thanks everyone for your comments and suppport. Reggie is a new man..skinny with hardly any hair but the good news is there is nothing to brush. I will send pics later but he feels and looks like a velvet lab. I learned my lesson and will never go this long again and try to grow a long bushy coat. All your pics have been very helpful and I printed the out to inspire me to keep him trimmed.

[Becky and Bella]

We're anxious to see his pictures!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Yes, please post Reggie's photos of his new hair cut!!!!

[Ann & Reggie]

I just posted the before and after pics. If you click on our names you will see them. Not sure if I posted right. He feels like a velvet lab....not even long enough to brush but he was one big mat and his coat came off in one piece. Happy I can start over and wait for the body to match the head. I learned my lesson...no more long bushy coat.

[Ann & Reggie]

When do they have their adult coat?How is it different than the puppy coat? Does it mat as easily? Color change?
Thanks..lots of questions.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ann click here and join the doodle grooming group:

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/doodlegrooming

There is so much information to help you with grooming your doodle. But to briefly answer, Not all doodles mat - ever, but many do, especially when their coats change from puppy to adult. The adult coat can be the same or straighter, curlier, coarser, softer..... In other words it may be lots different or only marginally different. They may, may not, or may mat less with the adult coat. This is about as clear as mud, I know. The reds and chocolate colors most often fade. Apricots may become cream.

[Louise and Toby]

Okay, all of your doodles look great with their new "do's"!
Toby was groomed yesterday. He had NO mats! Yay! But that is because I bathed him and brushed him out on Tuesday/Wednsday.
So he looks about 20 pounds lighter as his fur is so thick it just sticks out. But we have a REAL problem with the poodle looking ears. I wonder how Bella's groomer cuts her ears. And I wonder if Toby would look okay that way. What can I do to get rid of all this fluff???? Thanks!
Before pics

[Louise and Toby]

After pics

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

The poof I can help you with - spritz him with water and scrunch. He looks really good except for the ears.
The ears are cut wrong. I would go to the groomer group and print up the advice for groomers as to how to cut. But I would print up a picture of a doodle that looks kind like yours but with the head done as you wanted it and take it back and ask the groomer to fix the ears. If she wants your business, she will be glad to do a little touch up. I think is a quick fix for those who know how.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

I can see exactly what they did wrong with the poofer and ears. They have defined each separately. Now, this is just in my opinion, the poofer should sort of fall over on the sides into the ears or "blend into" the ears. It should actually sort of fall over the sides on to the ears to become one. His ears are just way too puffy and "out there" and the poofer is a tight little ball. If they thin out the ears and spend a little more time blending where the ears attach you might be OK. Basically though, the poofer needs to grow out and as it falls down on the sides, blend into the ears. It is a hard call. This is something I am still working with every time I groom Gracie Doodle myself. Also, it looks like they took too much off his snout. It is looking a bit Poodlish. I think the snouts need to be short but fluffy and you shouldn't see the skin beneath. Again...just my opinion. Otherwise, Toby's body looks fantastic and the tail...oh what a gorgeous tail!!! I think the groomer is doing a great job on the body but needs a little more advice on the head. Go thorough a bunch of different DK photos and find Doodles that look like they have the same hair as Toby and cut that you like and then print them out. Toby is a very handsome boy!!!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

I can tell by the looks of Toby that he is a Goldendoodle. I just went and looked at his page and photos. There are some great ones of him that you might want to print out and take to the groomers. Gracie Doodle is an F1 Golden and Toby is an F1B so he is a little curlier than Gracie. His poofer looks thicker and curlier. Gracie's is always sort of like a bad hair day. It is very soft and wavy and won't stand up. Because of that I have to really work on the blending of the poofer to the ears. Again, if you take Toby back to the groomers and ask for the ears to be a little more blended and thinned out it might help. Good Luck. If you do, please post the final cut...