When was your doodle's first trim/clip? When does adult fur start coming in?

[Abby Christos]

Bob's hair is starting to get a little mangy looking but I'm definitely not ready to cut it. It's not really curling - there are just random patches of hair sticking straight out. It's pretty funny (looking) actually. He has very curly hair on his ears and he's only 3 months, so I'm sure his coat will look different a few months from now.

Just curious - at what age did your doodle have it's first cut? When did you start noticing a difference between puppy hair and adult hair?

[Robin & Josie]

Can't respond to your second question cause we're not there yet at almost 5 months. However, I brought Josie in for a bath. trim, nail clip, sanitary area clip, ear pluck etc. about a month ago (one week short of 4 mos). Although she didn't really "need" the trim (except around the eyes), I wanted her to have the experience of the scissors, grooming table etc., as early as possible.

For what it's worth, I also think it's important to brush/comb her a lot, play with her paws, her ears, her teeth, etc, so she will be used to and comfortable with, being handled all over. We didn't do this with our previous dog and brushing her easily-matted coat and brushing her teeth, became an ordeal.

[Ginny Nightingale]

absolutely right !!

[Diane, Baker & Oskar]

Some groomers will do a 'puppy cut' on their faces & a sanitary trim & general 'clean up' when they are really little for far less than an actual grooming.

We had Baker & Oskar trimmed before 6 months because they needed it...you'll know when it's time...they can't see, the nails need clipping, kind of a shaggy mess :)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We began using a groomer when we got Ned at 3 1/2 months.  This was so that he would get used to being groomed.  She didn't cut much at first.  He started matting at 6 months.

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

Libby got her first grooming/hair cut after she had all her puppy vaccinations!  We started noticing her coat changing at about ten months, but she is two and at times it is still changing.  

[Ginny Nightingale]

I usually groom pups at 4 months with a trim and some handling to get them used to me and then they get the big kid cut at 6 months, where they actually have a more doodle-y shape when I am done--the coat will start to change then and you might see curlier hair underneath the straighter puppy coat--they change over the course of a year or so from that point on and might mat more during that time as they "blow the puppy coat"...

See these before and after pics of a puppy at 5 1/2 months who never had more than an eye trim and after his first real grooming...his owners didn't recognize him!

[Abby Christos]

Thanks for the great advice! That dog looks 20 lbs lighter! Amazing job!

[Kary, Sparty & Stella]

Adorable!!

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Ahh... what a sweet face!

[Sally S Miles]

We had that same combo of fluffy and curly that Ginny showed -  by the time we had her spayed she was ready for a cut at seven months and probably could have used it sooner.  Her puppy coat started blowing and the tangles started, it got harder and harder to get through the mass.

Get her used to groomer now till be easier - - mine was great at grooming for me, we have a routing, but groomers do it differently and even if no cut needed it's good practice.  I love that full coat look, but happily trade it for the easy comb out and visibility of her structure.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Both my doodles had their first full grooms right around 5-6 months. Oscars hair grew so fast, I trimmed around his eyes on a weekly basis. As to the question about adult coat, Lucy's seemed to change in texture up to 1-1/2 years. Oscar went from soft waves to soft curls by his 1st groom at 5 months (the clipper cut revealed the curls). Since he's only 11-1/2 mos., its hard to know if his coat will continue to change. He doesn't seem to be matting as bad as he was just a couple months ago, so maybe he's about through it.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Quince had a face trim and scissor cut on his coat at about 6 months and then he matted and had to be shaved pretty close at 11 months. that was early June and I just had him back for a sani and face trim.  he is growing in really nice.  I have always bathed him in between myself.  we have a walk in shower and I bring in a small stool to save my back.  he just sits there and endures it!  it's drying him that is the real pain.  it takes many towels and many hours!  summer I take out the leaf blower and we have fun running around with him chasing the air and trying to bit it.  winters are trickier-I want to get a high speed blower for this winter.