New Puppy owner and need some advice on tools

[Alli and Barkley]

Hi all!  This is Barkley

He is 6 weeks in these pics, and coming home with us in two days!!  I have no clue how to begin to guess what type of coat he currently has (more pics of him on my profile page), and what type of coat he will have when older.

So- What type of grooming supplies do I need for his puppy stage?  Shampoo?  Toothbrush/paste?  Ear stuff?  

 

I have bought all the other essentials and I am stumped as to what I need for grooming purposes.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Daelene & Molly]

Yep, my DH was also hoping that Molly would be bigger, but we are guesstimating her to be about 40-50 lbs.  When do you get to pick him up? 

[Donna K & Quincy]

OMD, those are indeed some big paws, if he grows into them he is going to be a big boy. He is really adorable! I wouldn't worry about grooming tools just yet, when you figure out what his coat is going to be then you can get the right ones. Just use some kind of brush to skim over him so that he is used to being brushed by the time you actually need to do it. Make sure his ears are cleaned and get him used to you poking around his ears. You can just brush his teeth with water, you don't really need toothpaste.

 

[Alli and Barkley]

That was great advice!  Thank you.  So silly but- can I use any type of toothbrush, or do they make doggy ones?

[Deb, Connor & Simon]

Ask the breeder to give you an idea of the type of coat Barkley has (it looks like wavy fleece to me, but doodles go through a lot of coat changes during the first year). Ear stuff I use is Vet's Best Wash & Dry available at PetsMart. Unless there's an itchy problem, I just use the Wash part on a soft cotton pad like you take make-up off with and wipe out the ear. It's tea tree oil, aloe, chamomile. A non-static metal comb with wider teeth on one end/closer together on other end is the best tool you can have. Just comb him once a day for short periods of time and give him little treats (like Zuke's Mini-Naturals) as you comb him and tell him he's a good boy. Mild shampoo made for dogs/puppies is good especially because it is non-sting for the baby's eyes.

Congrats - Barkley is precious! That little face is just beggin' to be smothered with kisses! :-)

 

 

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Alli, these are gorgeous pictures and looking at the  size of his paws he is, I think, going to be a big boy LOL  : )

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Oh My! Barkley you are one cute Doodle! Seeing his sweet little face makes me want another one.

Sophie is 5 months and I'm just startng to use ear stuff. I've always just wiped inside with a tissue. I use oatmeal shampoo and conditioner when I bathe her. Bath time is still a giant ordeal though. :( ... I need to practice brushing her but the instructions on this site are helpful. I just used an old hair brush for the first few months. My breeder said to get a slicker brush but I havent got one yet, not even sure what that is. I'm just using a regular brush and comb. I'm also starting to learn how to trim around her eyes, but it is tough because she is so squirmy. She ended up with crooked bangs :) So I took her to the groomer the other day and the groomer said she was nipping and biting a lot so I need to work on that. Doodle grooming is a lot more complicated that I had ever imagined lol!!!

 

Before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After

 

[Kate C Pappas]

He is ADORABLE! Barb would know what kind of coat he has. I wrote a blog on how *I* groom Yarra who is almost 5. I just added pictures of my tools and supplies. Maybe it will help. I"m not a professional groomer (like Barb) and I've learned everything by trial and error (lots of errors LOL) but the more you read from different people, the more you learn. Can't wait to see more pictures of Barkley.

My blog: http://www.doodlekisses.com/profiles/blogs/how-i-groom-yarra-the-qu...

Congratulations!