Communicating with your groomer for an ideal experience

[Crystal]

Communication is key to a successful professional grooming experience

First and for most to a ensure a successful grooming with a professional groomer a doodle owner MUST care for their friends coat at home. This means brushing your doodle a minimum of 2x a week or more if you dog is super fleecy or combination coated and prone to matting. Brushing should be done in sections parting the coat as you go (called line brushing) brushing all the way to the skin. You can use a pin brush if you really keep up on your brushing or a slicker brush (les pooch are worth the $$) if you are a little more lax. Use a metal comb to check for tangles before moving on to the next section. A mat breaker is useful for the stray mat that begins to form, though it is preferable to avoid mats at all cost since mats are very painful to your dog and even more painful to try to brush out once the situation is out of control...humanity before vanity always! I always recommend that my clients never brush their doodles dry and dirty as this will damage the hair and make it even more prone to mating. Use a good quality conditioning spray to wet the fur before brushing. I use mane and tail and cowboy magic on my very full coated Spoo. Doodles should be bathed every week to two weeks to keep their coat in tip top shape. Most doodle parents prefer their pups in a full luxurious coat, which I looove btw, but this long coat requires extra care. If the long shaggy look is something you would like to maintain I would highly recommend investing in a high quality dog shampoo and conditioner (I like Espree silky show shampoo and conditioner..its all natural!) and also a high velocity force dryer, a grooming table with arm and groomers loop is a worthy investment also and will save your back. As long as you make sure to rinse all the shampoo out you should not have a problem with the skin drying out or skin issues. It is an old wives tale that a dog should not be bathed once a week.

Ok, so now that you have your gorgeous doodle on an amazing at home routine and home clipping is not for you its time for a professional grooming. Not all groomers are created equal and you should check out this link on finding a good groomer regardless of the breed you intend to have groomed http://www.bichonfriseusa.com/articles/choosinggroomer.htm. Of course if you know someone who has a great looking doodle ask them where they had that pup groomed.

So, you found the groomer who you are about to intrust with your pup and all that NOT MATED hair now let's talk cut. From a groomers point of view you MUST understand that since doodles do not have a breed standard clip and everyone who calls these awesome dogs family has a different picture in their mind of what their fluffy buddy should look like post groom things can get pretty hairy (pun intended). Simply telling your groomer "We don't want him to look like a poodle" is not only offensive as many groomers own poodles, but also vague. When you say "don't make him/her look like a poodle" we hear don't give him clean feet and a clean face (clean= shaved). I have seen so many pictures that upset/angry doodle parents have posted  who are on the verge of pause for drama....tears!!! that claim the groomer made their dog look like a poodle, when in fact to me they look like a well groomed doodle to most groomers. So the lesson here is be specific! If you don't want any hair taken off the nose or the eyes shelled with clippers, say so. If you don't want tight feet, say so. Even better then being specific and dare I say imperative receiving the groom your dood deserves is to bring pictures of doodles in clips you love. The pictured dog needs to have a similar coat texture to your own sweet pup. Pictures pictures pictures!!! If a loving doodle parent brings their pup in to see me and simply tells me not to make their pup look like a poodle they may not get a groom that they love or even like or... pause for drama...may even cause one to forget that hair grows back and bring on......tears! But, if you bring me a non mated pup, pics of a similar dog I will give you a clip that will make you grin every time and so will any competent professional artist who calls them self a groomer.

A word on matts. There are two things I hate more than anything when it comes to grooming doodles and those two things are as follows #1 disappointing a client with a groom that did not meet their expectations due to poor communication (conversely a groom well done makes my day) and #2 breaking the news to a long coated doodle mom or dad that their doodle is in fact mated and will need to be shaved. I HATE shaving fluffy dogs. I lLOVE LOVE LOVE fluffy dogs. I have a Spoo with hair out the wazoo because I love how fluffy dogs look and feel and also all the great clips I can do on them. I hate seeing the sadness in the owners eyes when they pick up a bald pup and I hate that I had to be the one to do it. With this said I also will not torture any dog for the look of a coat again humanity before vanity. I have had to shave down my own dogs when coat change or other circumstances made it necessary. Mats are bad for the skin when left in and painful (tortuous) when asked to be removed, especially in a single session. Any groomer who enjoys shaving dogs is not one I would want touching my pet, but on the other hand any groomer who is willing to put your dog through a lengthy and very painful (screaming, brush burned raw skin) de-mating process is also someone who would never ever EVER put even one hand on my dogs. If a groomer ever informs you your dog will need to be shaved and you are worried that this is not true I would advise you to get a second or even third opinion from other reputable groomers or vets to ease your mind and then request your groomer use the longest length required to get the dog done. A good groomer (one you already love and trust) will know and use proper de-mating techniques for safety. Razor burn and nicks/cuts ARE NOT part of the grooming experience even on a mated dog. 

In closing once you've found your dream groomer who helps your pup to look and feel like a million bucks tip them, compliment them, send every doodle you know or see their way, take care of that awesome doodle coat at home so they have a great canvas if you will to create with and don't be hard on them if that coat gets away from you (happens to the best of us) and has to be taken down short. A good groomer will always do what's best for your dog while bringing... pause for drama... tears of joy to your eyes!

I hope this has been informative for you all. I am really enjoying this site as it is helping me get an even better grasp of how doodle people like their doodles clipped. Happy grooming and keep on keeping those gorgeous doodles looking so darn cute! 

[Carolyn Shusterman]

Crystal, Hershey is a multigen ALD and she dosn't get a bath but once every 3 months.  When I take her to the dog park she sometimes gets dirty but her silky coat just shakes out.  I have read that bathing the ALD as often as you suggest is very drying to the natural oils in their skin and hair.  Hershey dosen't have any 'doggie odor'.  I do brush her with the 'parting' method you suggest every week or so.  Maybe it's the silky hair that shuns dirt, she sleeps with us on a white bedspread that I do wash when she comes and jumps on our bed with muddy paws.

So true about the mats.  Hershey had a really bad one when she was going through her coat change.  I had to use manicure scissors to cut just a few hairs at a time to remove the mat without removing her skin.

[Crystal]

Every dog is different. Dogs that mat easily benefit from more frequent washings. Using proper shampoos and washing techniques will prevent drying out. I always tell people to do what works best for their dog. It sounds like Hershey has a very manageable coat, lucky you! Hershey is beyond gorgeous btw! What a beauty.

[Carolyn Shusterman]

Hershey sends kisses, thank you for the kind words.

[Doug, Micki, Dawson & Mya]

Excellent article Crystal! As a former breeder/handler of Afghan Hounds in the 90's, I can relate to the matting issues. I remember spending long hours before a dog show picking apart mats with an old fashioned hat pin. And it is all coming back to me, now that I have an  8 month old doodle beginning to go through his "change"!

[BG and Gavin]

Thanks for taking the time to write this informative article.  Humanity before vanity - love this line.  I too bathe Gavin less than you suggested.  I don't have the energy to do it more than once every six weeks or so.  We do some spot cleaning on the side including face/paws/privates.  No doggie smell here either.  Luckily after the coat change, Gavin rarely gets any mats.

[Doug, Micki, Dawson & Mya]

Crystal, I saw in your article that you use Cowboy Magic. Does it come in a spray, or do you have a formula for thinning it down to put in a spray bottle?

[Helen & Kirby]

Yes Cowboy Magic now comes in a spray.  I use it a lot!!

[Helen & Kirby]

Hi Crystal

I've been thinking about your post.  My dog mats very easily even tho I brush her nearly everyday.  I always brush her when her hair is dry - I didn't know that you should brush/comb them only when wet.  I do have detangler, coat conditioner and Cowboy Magic.  She was recently shaved down, her fur is always like trying to comb through cotton candy. I'm wondering if I've damaged her hair with all the hours of dry brushing.  Now that I have a clean slate, I will try and do only the wet combing/brushing.  After this last grooming(shaving) she got an infection in her anal glands somehow. 

[Crystal]

I would avoid letting your groomer express her glands due to the fact that many people do it incorrectly which can lead to trouble. A dog the size of most doodles should be able to express their own glads when they use the potty. I add 2 tea spoons of pumpkin (canned pumpkin with out any spices. pumpkin is the only ingredient)  to my dogs food everyday. The extra fiber keeps their stool firm enough to express her own glands. Even my two smaller guys express their own glands with out problems.

[Helen & Kirby]

She usually, and still, has 'great' stools and never needs help expressing her glands.  I've been to the vet, and she is on anti-biotics, but this will be a long process.  I've had to put the cone on her head to keep her from licking the area.  Will go back to the vet tomorrow.

[Crystal]

I hope your pup geels better soo

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

In one of the groups someone recommended Mane & Tail Detangler Spray.   The information Crystal has provided has been so very helpful to me. While I do have a groomer I trust and who does a wonder job of grooming Hurley it has been very helpful to better understand the process from a groomers perspective.  I truly learned a lot.