Grooming

[shelly]

Boy. I'm full of questions tonight! When you get your doodle groomed.. do you leave the hair on the chin longer or do you keep it tight to the chin?

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

I am going by the Australian Labradoodle breed standard, which does have a true breed standard that is published, it has been around almost as long as the breed.

The head should be cut round, leaving a full beard, mustache and visor but not blocking the vision. The length of the hair should be determined by the amount of hair left on top of the head. When looking at the head you should see 2 full circles; 1 that is the entire head, the other just being the muzzle / beard and mustache. The beard should make up the bottom half of the larger circle. Ears should be cut to end of leather. Hair above ears should not be notched out; ears should not be left long.

Shelly the picture of your dog that you have as your current profile picture is perfect. You could play around with the length of the entire head cut but honestly when you start cutting down the muzzle and beard they look like poodles and not very attractive.

As for as the stinky beards???? All of my dogs are long and none are stinky. I am diligent about weekly brushing and only bathe about 2 times a year.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I think there is a happy medium between shaving and leaving a long beard. On your page the dogs are in the happy medium range I think. BTW, I loved the family picture with the giant pumpkins. Here is how I trim my dogs, whose faces are wet in this picture, and they never smell. I too only bathe 2 times a year. Glad to have company in that, I was beginning to feel like the only one since so many people are bathing up to once a week.

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

Lovely dogs! The pics you see on my page are post groom~ this is as short as mine ever get.

Thanks... the pumpkin pic was taken last year, I would have loved to do another this year but October blew by too fast.

I love rose nosed dogs! The one in the back reminds me of a boy we have who lives up in MN... The only advice I would give your groomer in doing their heads is to leave the hair on top of the head just above the ears so that it falls onto the ear just a bit, she/he notched them out they way poodles are done. Our groomer does a Bichon head on our dogs~ I know it sounds foo foo but it doest have to be super long and all puffed out. Our groomer recently won a state wide competition using one of our dogs!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I will tell myself this :) and look more closely at your pics. I don't think I actually notched them out but mostly what I try to do is keep their eyes visible. I love the rose noses especially because I love those green eyes. Some breeders have dogs with invisible eyes covered with hair and i think that hides the best, most expressive part of the dogs.

[shelly]

Wow! So much to do! Thanks - for the help with our doodle... It was great to refer to my picture. Do you only really bathe only TWO times a YEAR??? I am constantly wiping her beard with a wet cloth after she eats dinner. She doesn't really get too smelly.
I agree with you, one time she got groomed and I just wanted to cry! Wait - I DID CRY!!!! She looked like a little balck lamb or goat. They even cut her feet so they looked like poodle toes, and I just LOVE the full feathery look of her feet. Needless to say - I have NEVER gone back to them!
Thanks again! Shelly

[F, Calla & Luca]

I really bathe the dogs only two times a year. Of course there are times for spot washes of faces or bottoms. Most mud, etc. just disappears when it dries or is brushed off. People comment on the fact that the dogs don't smell.

[Disty]

Bosco actually seems to prefer his beard short - as well as the rest of him. When it grows out, he pulls at it even if it's brushed. And long hair seems to make him itch... So - he doesn't look very doodly (he's not curly anyway - he's wavy), but we still love him.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

I have tried it both ways and just trimmed Garcie Doodle's chin up tighter. She looks so much better. I think the girls need to have it shorter for sure. If it is long they start getting a heavy looking face which is more boyish looking. It really is a personal preference. Gracie is 2 1/2 and we are still fine tuning her cuts and trims!!

[shelly]

That's so funny... I just said that I think her beard makes her look like a boy. Not many people who don't have dogs, get that.. to them: a dog is a dog is a dog.... silly people LOL