Grooming Your Labradoodle
FACE: The face tends to give groomers the most trouble. We suggest you tell them you would like the "teddy bear" cut for the head. It's a bit nicer if they don't shave down the head area. Do not cut eyelashes!
BODY AND LEGS: We prefer for the groomer to use the longest blade available for the coat. A three-fourths inch blade (don't go shorter than one-half inch) will keep your dog's coat nice and full, but give a smooth consistent length all over. This includes the legs.
FEET: The feet will need a "slipper" cut to achieve the floppy, full leg look.
TAIL: The tail needs to be de-matted and trimmed.
PRIVATE PARTS AND EARS: Always have the groomer do a hygiene trim to keep your dog's private parts and ears. It is also important to have the hair removed from inside the dog's ears.
NAILS: Nails need to be trimmed every 2 to 4 weeks.
TIPS: Expose your puppy to grooming early. You can do this by brushing them and bathing them regularly in the first couple of months. This will make it easier on the groomer when your puppy goes. You can take them to the groomer once they've had all of their vaccinations at around 4 months of age.
PUPPY COAT TRANSITION TO ADULT COAT: Since the Australian Labradoodle is low to non-shedding, when they lose their puppy coat, it just weaves into the adult coat coming in, causing an undercoat of matting. The top will look normal, but underneath will be one layer of matte and will mean your dog will need a shave down. To prevent this, we recommend weekly brushing from 9-11 months of age with a de-shedding brush, like the Furminator, recommended on the Shopping List. When you notice a lot of hair is coming into the brush, you will know they are losing their coat, so continue brushing regularly until you notice the amount of hair decreases.