Does she need a haircut?

[Sally M]

I've never had a dog that had long hair that needs cutting. Our other two dogs have short hair so this is new to me. Penny's hair is driving me crazy, 'cause I'm used to short hair and not long. My question...do you think Penny needs a trim? Her hair is extremely thick and it's starting to mat a little.
She looks unkept to me and very scruffy. But I don't want her to lose that "doodle look". I did manage to trim a bit of her hair that was near her eyes. Below is a photo link. (I'm on an iPad and don't know how to embed a photo into this discussion).

[Sally M]

I thought they were both Doodles. The "scruffy" looks good on them. But I haven't decided if I want that look or not. Your two are adorable! Great picture. I didn't know Santa wore a digital watch. LOL!

[Ginny Nightingale]

You have gotten good advice but I will add, as someone who grooms doodles exclusively, including my three, that you should get rid of the slicker brush or use it only for those sticky things from the yard--it is only getting to the first inch and the rest underneath is going to mat--when you take her to be groomed, most groomers will not take the time to get thru all those mats (and it is painful for the dog!) so they will shave her and be done with it--that has happened more than once to many doodle kisses members!
My recommendation is the activet brush,  it is expensive--BUT you will never need to buy another one and will have it for the life of your dog, so it is worth it if you can afford it. Also, for much less money, you need to get s steel comb. One that has an end with the teeth closer together--when that end goes thru the hair, you have finally gotten all the knots out. Start with the wider teeth after brushing. Doodle grooming takes time, so it you do not want to pay a groomer and want to do it yourself, you have to put in the time to maintain the coat.  You could do a lot of the grooming with a comb and scissors and just take her for the full groom every four months if that helps with your budget. And don't forget the nails! Groomers will trim them--will you be doing that in between grooming?

One thing to keep in mind is that any mats will solidify when the dog is bathed...if you do not get the mats out before a bath, they will need to be shaved or cut out--they are like cement! It looks like Penny has a softer coat, which will change as she matures, and may mat less. But for now, you need to keep up with it--especially in the next 6-12 months as she transitions to an adult coat. Good luck!

[Sally M]

Thanks. I've only used the slicker brush once and that's when something sticky was stuck in Penny's hair. I used it strictly on her hair, holding the base of her hair (so it didn't pull her) and only going after the sticky mess. I got it out w/o too much trouble. Those slickers are nasty but they do the job when something is really stuck in the hair. Penny got groomed this evening. It was apparently traumatic for her. So I'm wondering how she might react to an entire haircut. Yikes! (Maybe for that reason alone, I may have to do it. She did very good when I trimmed her curly hair around her eyes).