"Standard" doodle cut

[Lindsay and Luna]

Hi! I'm new to grooming and doodles. We adopted Luna last Valentine's Day, and I've been grooming her since her first professional full groom, when they cut her beard and fluffy mop top off. I keep her pretty short, 3/4"-1". I know there is not really a specific cut for doodles, but I'm looking for suggestions to keep her looking more doodley. I seem to always end up grooming her face to look like a schnauzer, (maybe because I used to have one, although I didn't groom her myself). I need particular help with the beard/neck/sides of face. (Picture 2 is her now, about a month since her last groom. Her beard is now very goatee-looking.) ;) Thank you!

[Sue Ryzdynski]

We have found in a year and a half of doodle onership that the groomers we take our dog to seem to have specific looks in mind for doodles. We tried grooming ourselves, but, she won't hold real still and it's kinda dangerous. We finally found a groomer that does a decent job and our dog looks like most doodles.

They seem to keep her beard longer (which means we take her in more for touchups?) AND they do NOT (no one does) trim her ears close on the bottem, they leave 'em a bit longer. That seems to be the 'doodle' look!

We originally wanted her trimmed like a Golden Retriever, we even brought pictures, no one would. Groomers seem to have ides on how a doodle should look.

Now, we do try to brush her frequently, between groomings, as, she mats real easily. The best thing is to look at all kinds of doodle pictues and try to do what you like best.

Sue and Tess (the dog)

[Lindsay and Luna]

Thanks!

[Wanda Klomp]

I am a specialized Doodle groomer who teaches owners to groom them themselves in a fluffy way. Check my video and before and after photo's on my Doodle Comfort FB page for inspiration. You will love them :-) xxx

[Lindsay and Luna]

Thank you for sharing! Cute pictures!

[Bonnie and Kona]

I think you are doing a great job clipping Luna! I cut my doodles' beards off completely because the oldest one has such a sloppy mouth! It is always wet. The beard is definitely personal preference. 

 

[Lindsay and Luna]

Thank you! There have been a few times when I felt bad for her after I groomed her. I think they sense when they get a bad hairdo. Luckily she grows fast, though! Lol.

[Christy&Riley]

We had a bad groomer experience too so I've been doing it myself. I watched a video online and then the rest has been trial and error. I wonder if you leave the ears and sides of her muzzle longer if that would give you more if the look you want.

[Lindsay and Luna]

Yeah, I had to cut her ears short this summer, because when her adult coat started coming in one of her ears got badly matted. I'm trying to grow them out, but they seem to grow slow while the rest of her grows quickly. I have a hard time with her face. Sometimes when I leave the sides longer, it looks like she has a double chin, so I end up cutting it short. Hopefully I'll figure out the right balance soon! Thanks!

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

I'd recommend cutting her beard shorter and let the ears grow longer. She is a very
cute girl

[Lindsay and Luna]

Thank you! We're working on growing her ears back out, it's just taking longer than expected. I love the look where the beard is very rounded and seems to make a circle around the nose. (If that makes sense.) I have no idea how to do it though. I'm scared I'll ruin her pretty little face if I try.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Just experiment. It grows back. I'm still learning, Yogi is over 2 now.

[Christy&Riley]

The "just experiment, it grows back" has been my attitude for a few years now. I scissor cut Riley because I like it longer (and I'm honestly scared to use clippers). She doesn't hold still so her cuts are pretty ragged. The amusing thing is that people will compliment her haircut not knowing I do it myself. And, since people don't appear to notice, this has given me more confidence to just cut out the mattes verses trying to work them out. The uneven cut just adds character...that's what I tell Riley at least. :-)