All about Doodles!
Here at Fresh Mobile Dog Spa, we love working with Doodles! All of our groomers are experienced and proficient at styling a wide range of Doodle coat types and haircuts – We solemnly swear not to “Poodle your Doodle”… unless you ask us to, of course!
“Doodle” is a shorthand term to refer to any dog that is basically a poodle mix – whether that’s Labradoodles, Goldendoodles, Bernadoodles, Sheepadoodles, etc. Poodles have been crossed with other breeds to create a family pet in a variety of sizes and colors that are low or non-shedding (or so we hope!). But because they are technically mixed breed dogs, the coat texture and composition can vary considerably from doodle to doodle. Each type is suited to different haircare products, styling, and requires its own unique grooming schedule. The tradeoff for non-shedding breeds is budgeting time and money for regular professional grooming!
Recommended Grooming Schedule
For most of our Doodle clients, we recommend keeping their dog on a monthly schedule – that means getting a professional Bath & Tidy or full haircut every 4 weeks. This is especially important for those clients that prefer a longer, more fluffy coat or who do not always have time to diligently brush out their dog on a weekly basis. This ensures that their coat gets regularly cleansed, conditioned, and fully brushed out of any tangles or mats so we can keep your doodle healthy and cute!
We always strive to give our clients the haircut that they want for their dog, but we value the safety and comfort of our canine clients most of all. If your doodle’s coat has reached a stage of matting that cannot be brushed out without causing pain or discomfort, then we will have to clip the coat shorter to release the matting and allow a fresh grow-out.
Of course, if you’re more of a low-maintenance kind of pet-parent or just prefer a shorter cut, then that often allows you to go a bit longer between grooming appointments, assuming you maintain the high tangle risk areas like ears, tails, and legs with regular brushing.
Puppies
New Doodle puppy owners should schedule their puppy’s first professional groom shortly after they finish their vaccinations (usually this is around 16 weeks of age). Your Doodle is going to be groomed multiple times a year, if not every month, for the rest of their lives. It’s critically important that you start acclimating them to the process when they are still young puppies, to minimize fear or stress, and teach them to accept body handling and the grooming process so that they are well-behaved and confident. Grooming isn’t always the most exciting thing in the world for the dog, but we want them to at least be comfortable and maybe even enjoy the extra attention!
You don’t have to give your doodle puppy a full haircut the first several times they get groomed, but it’s important that they start to get comfortable with bathing, drying, being brushed, handled, and having their nails trimmed and ears cleaned. Then when it’s time for their first full haircut, they are already pros at the process! Keeping your puppy brushed and bathed regularly as they grow up also minimizes the matting disaster that can sometimes happen in late adolescence when they transition from their puppy coat to their adult coat. No one wants to celebrate their Doodle’s 1st birthday with a dog that looks unfortunately like a sheared sheep!
If this is your first non-shedding dog, we love to educate our clients on how to properly care for their coat – so if you would like any assistance learning which tools and techniques are best for maintaining your Doodle’s coat between grooms, we would be happy to take a few minutes to go over that with you!
We hope you enjoy our gallery of Doodle grooms to give you an idea of what we can do. Thank you for your trust and we look forward to meeting you and your ‘Dood. 🙂
