First grooming trip!

[Jeanine Bandini]

Wally goes for his first grooming visit today. I have found a place that is by appointment only (they are not put in crates all day) so wish me luck! Thanks to all of you, I am well armed! I will post before and after pictures when he gets home! Here is the current list of DON'TS: shave eyelashes, shave nose, shave head, shave tail (basically dont poodle my doodle) Any other suggestions?

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Do they use clippers or are they going to scissor cut him?  have you decided what length you want his body?  I would recommend taking pictures in with you.

[BRADY GOOSE MOORE (Mini Doodle]

Ohhh..... I hope it goes well.  Looking forward to the photos!

[Susan and Sasha]

Absolutely take pictures with you...and explain what you want.

Also talk about what she/he will do if they find mats...

Sometimes they will have to go shorter if they find mats...and that can't be helped...BUT...you can have them call you Before they do anything...or better yet...talk that through before you leave so you will know what will be done if they do find any mats.

I always groom Sasha myself (scissor cut) but after a summer of swimming in the lake everyday...and we were on vacation and left her with my brother for two weeks... who Did Not brush or comb her as I always do...well...I had to take her for an End Of Summer Cut!

They had to take her down really short...and that was fine with me...understanding "why"...

The only thing that I wish they didn't cut were her Beautiful Long  Lashes!!  Don't know why they cut them??

Oh how I miss those lashes...(smile)

Sasha doesn't look very Doodley at the moment...but I think she still looks beautiful...and their coat grows back So quickly!

I'm sure Wally will look Great...and remember...even if he doesn't look exactly like you want...greet him like he's The Most Handsome Dood In The World!  They really do pick up on that!  (smile)

Wishing you the Best of Luck with Wally's first Grooming...

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I hope Wally's first grooming experience goes well! I agree with all the suggestions already made and don't have anything to add really just wanted to give moral support! LOL!

[Carol Brand]

I think what most Doodle owners want is a Portuguese Water Dog trim with a full tail and perhaps a bit longer ear.  This will give you a manageable body length with a fuller leg (make sure you brush those legs or you will be looking at a shave down next time).   Here are some pictures:

 

And could you guys stop saying Don't Poodle my Doodle?  Poodles can be trimmed in a variety of ways.  This dog is a Poodle:

 

[Jeanine Bandini]

Didn't mean to offend. Have never seen a poodle look so good before!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Carol I think that many of us outside of the Poodle world think of something like this as a more typical poodle cut. It's the one we don't want our doodles to have. Particularly the shaved face and feet (although some DK'er do):

 

[BRADY GOOSE MOORE (Mini Doodle]

This fluffy guy is so gorgeous and looks like the 3 standard Poodles I have had in the past.   Don't 'poodle my doodle' is something a groomer would understand as the shaved face, feet, and partial tail is the most common poodle cut.   Always with my standard poodles, I had to be SURE to request the 'puppy cut' or I would be shocked to find him shaved in areas I didn't want.   Most people would not know the apricot guy here is a poodle - for that very reason - he doesn't look like the typical poodles we are used to seeing - hence to achieve the beautiful round fullnes this poodle has, you might have had to also say  DON"T  POODLE  MY  POODLE !!!!!   Its all really personal preference.   I don't intend to let Brady's face hair get so long that it parts over the nose and hangs down the sides of his mouth (alot of Doodles seem to have this look) - perhaps I like the 'FLUFFY' poodle look in the end.   Must be very confusing for groomers - perhaps we should all take a photo of what we want!

[BRADY GOOSE MOORE (Mini Doodle]

On second thought ~  perhaps we all NEED to say to groomers   DOODLE  MY POODLE!

[Jeanine Bandini]

Here he is before and after. I think they did a great job not taking too much off. I think the only way you can tell the after picture is the halloween scarf they put on him!  I am very disappointed that he did have matts (that I didnt get) and am committed to getting them all next time!  The groomer said he was already changing coats (he is just 6 months old) and it will be hard to stay on top of it! Anyone have a good firm slicker brush they love?

 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I think he looks great! You're right that there isn't a lot of difference but I can see it in his muzzle and feet for sure. A good first session for him too so as not to overwhelm him about the whole grooming idea!!  Do you  belong to the Grooming Group? There is a lot of info there about grooming tools. It kind of depends on his coat type what will work best for him. You could search for "brush" under the Grooming group and you will probably get lots of info.

[Jeanine Bandini]

Thanks! Yes, probably going to go with the les pooch brush!