| GOLDENDOODLE GROOMING |
| .. AND SOME PEOPLE ARE A LITTLE MORE CREATIVE THAN OTHERS.... |
| The goldendoodle's coat is the first thing everyone is attracted to. It does require attention, proper brushing, and trimming. How you wish to keep your dog's coat -- short, long, in between - is up to you and depends on several factors. Your dog's coat type - flatter, wavy, curlier - can have a bearing on your preference, as well as your lifestyle. A long, flowing coat is beautiful but not very practical if your dog spends a lot of time at the lake or hiking in the mountains. The longer the coat, the more time you will need to devote to keeping it free of mats, so your available time will also play a part in your preference. Your budget will play a big part in how you choose to maintain your doodle's coat. Grooming costs will vary from groomer to groomer, and, unfortunately, so will skill and expertise. We have provided some photos for you to see some of the different cuts that our doodles sport. You'll find that you like some more than others. A shorter puppy cut doesn't mean your doodle can't remain beautiful and shaggy-dog looking. Usually when you see a doodle that looks "too poodly" for your taste, it is the result of (or help from) a bad haircut. Yes, some coats are tighter curled than others, but they can still be groomed to retain your doodle's "doodleness". Groomers unfamiliar with how to groom a doodle (or owners unaware that they are not at the groomer's mercy) will often send their doodle customers home with a poodle cut or a schnauzer cut - if you're going to get a bad doodlecut, at least hope you get a schnuazer cut over the poodle. You may wish to print the photo(s) of the doodle look you like and take to your groomer. You have the right to tell your groomer what you expect and to tell him/her not to deviate. Ideally, your doodle's face should not be shaved or cut close - just trimmed over the eyes, around the eyes, and the face trimmed nicely - you may wish to keep the beard and/or muzzle trimmed to stop the "sponge effect" that your doodle will have no choice but to perpetuate if allowed to remain long in muzzle, drink water, then come to you for a scratch behind the ears - in other words, you WILL get wet. The ears should NEVER be shaved or cut other than a nice trim at the ends. Proper brushing will ensure that you do not have mats that are eventually deemed to be dealt with only by scissors. Feet should remain neat and trimmed but shaving is for poodles. And that tail - that gorgeous, full, bushy tail - yes, the one that hits babies in the face and knocks stuff off your coffee table - should never be cut or shaved, just trimmed. A sanitary cut should always be used for your doodle's "private areas" to ensure feces and urine do not remain with your dog after potty breaks. Brush first, then bathe. Always wash your dog with a gentle shampoo followed by a good conditioner and then RINSE, RINSE, RINSE. Just when you determine you are finished, RINSE again. We always use baby shampoo around the face. Keep your dogs' ears dry to avoid yeast infections. We use SHAKLEE BASIC-H when we bathe our dogs. It kills fleas instantly. CLICK HERE TO ORDER. Using a dryer on your dog is something you need to start at an early age and NEVER use the hot setting. The best investment you can make for your doodle's coat is the RIGHT BRUSH. Most brushes are designed to either brush only the top coat (a slicker brush), or are for getting the undercoat (de-fruminator, etc.). The absolute best brush you can get for your doodle - despite the type of coat your doodle has - is also about the most expensive brush you can get -- but IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY. I resisted for years paying for the brush, and easily spent the cost many times over in cheaper brushes that didn't work and trips to the groomers that ended up in shaving my dog's coat and starting over. The Les Poochs brush ranges in price depending upon the size and type but will be about $85.00. Yes, I said Eighty-Five Dollars. I can only tell you that other than finding the right breeder and the right vet and the best food, there is no other purchase more important or cost-effective in the long run. We purchase ours from the Doodle Country store (link). I tried to find them cheaper elsewhere but became concerned that in my quest to save $10 or $15, I might be purchasing a non-authentic brush, so I choose to do business with the Doodle Country Store, a business I trust. For the do-it-yourselfer-groomer, the Les Poochs brush is almost all you will need. A good pair of scissors and perhaps an electric dog grooming shaver if you are up to the challenge - but the brush is the most important step in keeping your doodle's coat in top condition. |
| These three pictures (above) are all the same dog, Dan Sedovic, one of our amazing service dogs. See how a haircut can really change a doodle's looks.... |
| Duke (above & left rump) & Dell (above & right rump) each got a little "sumpin' specshl" on their rumps from their fun-luvin' mama, Di! |
| The Canadian doods sport the perfect cut for the snow -- doods in snow = snow balls that can require a warm bath to dissolve |
| RIP, Maddie the boxer - she loved her doods |
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