#2Doods A to Z: GROOMING

Saturday, April 7, 2018

GROOMING

Ah, the life of Goldendoodles, grooming needs. Most people want a doodle because they believe they won't shed. Well, yes and no. It depends on their heritage and they can still be throwbacks. Cooper is an F1B, or a second generation Goldendoodle. His fur (um, hair) is like a Poodles - very curly.

The good: He doesn't shed.

The bad: He has to be clipped every 4-6 weeks.

Murphy is a different mix and his fur is still to be determined. His puppy coat did shed whereas Cooper's didn't seem to. His fur is coarser and very thick. He seems to have the Collie undercoat as well. Spring and warmer weather is coming and we will see how much shedding we have to deal with.

Fresh from the groomers... Cooper (left) at 9 months and Murphy (right) at 6 months

Cooper get clipped shorter to last longer but still retain the Doodle face.
Murphy, in this photo, was still getting a puppy cut

Both pups started formal grooming at five months old, just bathing and trimming face, feet and hiney. That got them used to it. They get brushed at least every other day, sometimes less for Murphy since he is less prone to matting. Grooming isn't cheap. We've done baths but not getting into clipping them. We'll leave that for the professionals.

We use several products that are necessities. The first is a slicker brush recommended by Cooper's breeder. It has extra-long bristles to get through the thick curls on the doodle fur.

Next is a finishing comb, often called a Greyhound comb (no idea why).

When Murphy was shedding his puppy coat, we picked up a self-cleaning rake or deshedding tool. It helped a LOT.

The final item is Cowboy Magic Detangler and Shine - works wonders! Of course there have been puppy wipes, no-tears shampoo and an assortment of other sundries. Oh, and cheap beach towels! A must have for pups coming in from outside in rainy, muddy, snowy weather!

Doodle on!

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11 comments:

DCApril 7, 2018 at 7:22 AM
Have you found a dood trailer to pull behind the Harley trike yet?
AnonymousApril 7, 2018 at 4:08 PM
That's lot of grooming, definitely don't sound like low maintenance. But so cute! :)
Emily in EcuadorApril 8, 2018 at 8:42 PM
Good thing you knew going in that they were not low maintenance. What a great resource you are creating this month for future Doodle parents!
Zannie RoseApril 9, 2018 at 4:32 AM
this breed seems to be gaining in popularity. someone in Rock Choir got one as a pup. Dogs are popular on my local beach too. I love their joy of life.
Yolanda RenéeApril 9, 2018 at 2:25 PM
Beautiful, love the information. I can't believe you're doing two blogs for the A to Z! Wow!
MarcyApril 10, 2018 at 1:31 AM
Such an adorable photo of the Doodles! We used a finishing comb most of the time to groom our cat, and she really loved being brushed with it. I'm not sure I would have the dedication to do the grooming for a Labradoodle.