new double doodle, and advice

[Debbie Guthrie]

We just got our first Double Doodle for my Mom. She is 9 weeks old, brown in color and green eyed. She is a doll!! We have NO clue about grooming these dogs, etc. Just wondering about pros and cons with the DD. She is really really smart! House training is okay if I remember to take her out. She has used the dog door, but only to come in with the other dogs. Just needed some advice.

Thanks so much!

Debbie

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Grooming is going to depend on what kind of coat she has, and at this young age, that may be hard to determine. I would join the Grooming Group, lots of excellent advice there on all aspects of grooming: http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/doodlegrooming

You are also going to want to educate yourself on ear care, cleaning and maintenance, as poodles and poodle-mixes are prone to ear infections and need more ear maintenance than dogs who shed.

 

[F, Calla & Luca]

All true.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

What Karen said.  A doodle is a doodle.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

you really should have educated yourself BEFORE getting a doodle as they require ALOT of grooming, which can be expensive - either buying your own equipment (which is cheaper in the long run) or going to a groomer

[Shannon and Finn]

Definitely recommend the grooming group and training group and puppy madness group. Lots of info there for all your questions and a good place to start. Would also start with acclimating her to being brushed and consistency with potty training since she is so young. Even if you decide to take her to a groomer instead of grooming yourself she will need regular coat maintenance to prevent matting, it happens quickly. I don't see any cons with a DD just some specific grooming things you will want to be aware of. Dogs are dogs and doodles are doodles!

[Willow and J]

I assume that you'd have to take her to the groomer first several times anyway. And finding a groomer that you like could be difficult too. There are lots of postings on grooming issues, and as Karen already pointed out, there's a group at DK specifically on grooming.

I took Willow in for first grooming around 4 months after her rabies shot. I still laugh at her picture from that session - she turned into a puff ball. :) Around 10 month of age, the coat changes. In our case, we didn't see see shedding much, and the coat stayed soft afterwards, but there were lots of mats during the transition. Willow hates brushing, so she got a shorthair cut (not shaved, but about 1/2 inch length) around 10 month, and we keep her coat short. I sometimes miss long puffy coat when I see many doodles on DK with nicely brushed shiny glamourous coat, but alas, that's not going to happen with Willow. But she's pretty nonetheless! 

I use small round tip scissors to trim around her eyes every 10 days or so that she can see better, and I take out mats when I see them. I brush her face and tail, but the rest of her body has pretty short hair. I still run through her body with a pin brush or steel comb when I brush her tail and face (until Willow runs away from me.)

Enjoy your doodle!

[Moe]

Congrats on your new doodle. Mine is brown, she had blue green eyes until about 12 weeks then they turned a beautiful yellow color. I bought an inexpensive kitchen timer and set it for every 20 minutes for the first few weeks. It is amazing how time gets away from you if you're not careful. Post photos of the new little addition.