Puppy Preparations
Grooming needs vary greatly among dog breeds. Some only need a bath and nail trim every once in a while, and others need daily brushing. If you are getting any type of “Doodle”, please be prepared to brush him very often to avoid painful matts and dramatic shave downs.
Now, there are two routes you could go with grooming: hire a professional or do it yourself. I’ll give you some tips for both.
Taking your puppy to the groomer
Grooming a dog on your own is time consuming and can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. Most people wisely choose to hire a professional to groom their dog. This is what we recommend doing.
Your first visit
Ask your groomer if they allow puppy training visits. These visits are usually pretty cheap and give the puppy an opportunity to see and experience the groomer’s in a calm, happy way. They probably won’t do any actual grooming, but will show the puppy the bath, table, and tools while giving him lots of love and rewards.
We highly recommend taking advantage of this kind of visit if it’s available at your groomers once your puppy is fully vaccinated. This will also be a great chance for you to ask your groomer any questions and get their professional recommendations for the best care for your puppy.
Timing
We tell most of our doodle puppy families to plan on taking their puppy to the groomer every 6-8 weeks. Your groomer may have a different schedule, so go with their advice before mine.
The amount of time in between groomings can be lengthened if you are diligent with brushing and don’t mind longer fur. If you’d prefer a shorter coat, such as in the summer months, you’ll need to go in more often.
Expectations
Most dog groomers can do amazing things to make your dog look and feel wonderful, however, they aren’t miracle workers. If your puppy’s coat is tangled and matted, they cannot fix it and it will have to be shaved off. It would take too long and be too painful to try to work through the matts.
So, please give your groomer the benefit of the doubt and set reasonable expectations for how you want your dog to look.
Creative cuts
Speaking of how your dog will look, be sure to describe in full detail the type of cut you want for him. Most dog breeds have a standard cut that your groomer will be able to accomplish, but if you have a mixed breed or want to stray from the standard, you’ll have to clearly communicate what you have envisioned.
It helps to have a few pictures of the type of cut and style you’d like to see your dog in.
Grooming at home
Unless you plan to take your dog to the groomer weekly, you’ll still have to take responsibility for a few grooming tasks at home, especially for doodle breeds.
Brushing is very important for these dogs!
Frequent brushing done well will be the difference between a happy dog with a healthy coat and a dog that gets shaved at the groomer.
Not brushing and allowing mats to build up can lead to skin irritation and infection.
My advice is to get into the habit of brushing your dog daily. Make it a part of your routine and if you do it well, it won’t take more than a few minutes each day. Brushing our dogs has become a relaxing and enjoyable activity for us and I’m sure it could be the same for you!
Another grooming task that you may need to do on your own is giving your dog a bath in between grooming visits. Baths should only be given as needed and don’t need to be a regular thing. In fact, it’s better to not bathe your dog at all than to do it wrong.
If you have to bathe your dog, be sure to use a quality shampoo and conditioner. Then, it’s best to blow dry your dog’s fur as soon as they are done with the bath, brushing as you dry to avoid tangles. Wet fur becomes easily matted and if not dried properly, you could end up with a mess of tangles very quickly.