Ways to Groom a Doodle

[Michael Gurley]

Hi guys! I was looking through the pictures, and all these doodles have different cuts! I keep my doodle really short because she acts like a piece of velcro and brings in all sorts of pine needles and leaves when she's got long fur.

 

Is there a "doodle" way to groom? Or is it really just anything goes? Post a picture of your favorite cut on your dog!

 

Here's Sunny after she got groomed yesterday:

 

[Michael Gurley]

Of course you didn't offend me! Except that I'm female lol so "he" didn't want to know anything, "she" did. Ha! I get that a lot though, so no worries.

I absolutely am not offended- I didn't even do the haircut myself. I like the cut, but she's such a puppy still, I've got lots of time to find just what I want for the rest of her life. I like the shaggy look, but Sunny is really a princess and prefers her coat shorter especially since it's so much cooler for her and she is inside except to go potty.

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

I think it depends on the type of hair. If they don't cut Rosey's head when they cut her short she would look like a Qtip. Hers sticks straight up like an afro, not nice and flowing like ms. graciedoodle:)

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I groom Cooper myself and I scissor cut. Here she is with her summer coat - about 1 1/2 inches long

and here she is at the moment, longer for the winter though she will get quite a bit longer before she has a summer cut again (I may trim inbetween and keep her around 6 inches)

I do keep her face/head pretty short - otherwise you cant see her eyes or collar and her beard gets stinky

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Kaytlin..how do you scissor cut? I have never been able to have someone tell me or give me a "visual" of how it is done. My clipper attachment comb goes to 1 1/4" and anything longer than than I don't know how to groom. Gracie is closing in on 2" now and if I were to want to keep her there I would have to scissor cut. How do you measure the hair to cut and maintain a consistent cut over the entire body?? I think I will pick my hairdresser's brain today since I have a haircut this afternoon!!!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

hahaha i wing it and hack it off! Im still amateur, and i dont get it too even, i like the shaggy look (thankfully).

I start off on her back - here it is generally shorter, then I trim her tummy - I do that shorter too, then I gradually do her sides - these are usually a little bit longer. Her legs tend to be the longest, but her feet are a bit shorter. Her head i trim every few weeks so its usually pretty short already. Her tail i hold up and trim little bits off at a time. I keep her chest pretty long as she has tight curls here so it looks short. The hardest part is trying to blend the sides to the legs and to keep her sani area timmed but not looking silly

for measuring I use thumb lengths (very technical i know).

I then leave it a few days, and trim off any extra sticking out bits as i notice them (which is usually quite a bit).

right now, her head is about an inch, the top of her back is about 2 1/2, her sides about 3, her tummy 2, her legs 3, her feet 2.

I tend to take a little off at a time, though sometimes I do get scissor happy! Cooper hates being groomed so I often do a little at a time over a few days. I find it easier to groom her before I brush or bathe her (which is harder on the scissors I know) but that way her fur falls naturally. She doesnt mat much so she only gets a brush once a month, so isnt fluffy at all.

[Donna K & Quincy]

Sunny is absolutely beautiful but I also think she needs a little poofier head. Here is a pic of the cut we get at the groomers and one of when I do him myself ( I am strictly amateur) I don't use clippers, they scare me I don't really like what they did with his ears at the groomer it looks like they put a bowl on his head and cut around it.

[Tamara & Giada]

WOW, that really looks cuddly! Great looking!!

[Michael Gurley]

She is gorgeous, isn't she? She's just a little princess.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri goes shorter in the summer and longer in the winter. Right now she is probably 2-3" and I am loving it. But she is fleecy and not as curly. Her matting is not as bad as many other doodles on here! So I can groom more easily.

[Meridith and Lola]

I have to get Lola groomed every 6 to 8 weeks or else she starts to matt. I always like it when it gets long and don't want to get it cut but then after I do, I love it! Here is a picture of a cut she just got - short on the body and but kept long on the face. The groomer calls it the puppy cut.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

That's an adorable cut.

[Meridith and Lola]

Thanks - I am loving it right now - he is so soft and cuddly. Our doodles have a very similar look.