GROOMING Bathing, brushing, nail trimming, ear cleaning and after bath sprays.

Will my dog need professional grooming or a haircut? Here's your answer.... F1 Labradoodles....not usually, unless they have acquired a longer than usual F1 coat. They will need a good bath and brushing every so often, which you can easily do at home. F1B Labradoodles...YES, they need professional grooming probably every 2-3 months depending on their adult coats, or longer if you brush them in between. You can get them a "puppy cut" as us groomers call it, where they are cut to a length that they were when they were younger, before their hair grew long. This would probably be half off, it would have the same look as before, same length all over but shorter. Then we like to do a teddy bear face, which is where you trim the beard with the same blade guard as you did the body. This leaves the beard full but cleans it up a bit. Then you round the bangs so they are not hanging in the dogs face. This is just an idea, you could also have your dog shaved down for Summer, many people do this......I shave my labs. This keeps them cooler in the Summer and by the time Fall comes their hair is back and they will be warm again.  F1 Goldendoodles, YES....they need pretty much exactly the same hair care as do F1B Labradoodles. F1 Goldendoodles hair tends to be a little softer so it may not matt as quickly as a F1B labradoodles does. They all should be brushed 3 times per week just to get the dead hair out and keep them looking pretty! If you choose not to get your F1B or F1 Goldendoodle trimmed because you like the full hair look and you aren't brushing them at home, you should get them to the groomer every 4-6 weeks for a bath and brushout. If you don't the matting will get so bad when you do take them to the groomer they will have to be shaved. ***WARNING*** Snow and Rain cause matting beyond belief. If your dog has long hair and they get wet they should be thoroughly brushed once they are dry.

Grooming Supplies

If you'd like to groom your dog yourself you will benefit if you have these supplies. Learn what they are and how to use them below.

Nail clippers, I prefer these scissor style ones. The easiest way to trim your dogs nails are to flip their paw backwards, behind them. Trim off all the white part of the nail, if you cut to short the quik will bleed...no big deal, if you put some flour on it it will clot the blood in no time. Don't make a big deal about it if you do cut to short, it will make your dog scared next time.

This is called a rake, it is best for longer haired breeds like F1B's and Goldendoodles. You can get this at Target or Walmart for $5. These are great because they get right to the skin, if your dog has a mat just hold the mat away from the dogs skin and pick at it with the rake, in no time it will be gone.

Scissors can be handy to trim the eyebrows, pads or the rear end. Please be careful, if your dog is wiggly you may want to have someone hold them.

This is called a slicker brush, it is great for everyday brushing. It has a short curved metal face. It puffs the coat up and is great for small mats. When you are brushing if you come to a mat it will sound crunchy, continue brushing unitl the crunchy sound is gone. Brush your dog all over, don't forget the armpits. The most matted spots on a dog are the armpits, where the collar lays and behind their ears. Brush everyday to make it easier on you and your pet or at least 3x per week..

Ear cleaner, you can by this at pet stores or use 50/50 alcohol vinegar mix. Squeeze it into the ear and rub the ear a bit, then take your cotton ball and gently wipe the dirt away, repeat until clean.You could also moisten the cotton ball instead of putting the cleaner right in the ear.

After bath colognes are a great way to freshen between groomings or if your dog gets dirty. They probably aren't a good idea if you or your dog has allergies though. You can find these in the pet aisle at most stores.