Whether you choose to groom your goldendoodle yourself or have your dog professionally groomed, there are a few basic skills that every doodle owner should acquire.
Basic tools that you should have on hand are a slicker brush, a steel comb and nail clippers. These are the most important tools for basic every day maintenance. Your dog will need regular brushing and nail trims in between full groomings.
BASIC GROOMING TOOLS
You will want to gather the necessary tools to keep your Goldendoodle looking his best. These items may be purchased at your local pet store or online.
- Dog clippers with detachable blade. Generally a #10 blade is included when you purchase your clippers. If not, purchase a #10 blade for trimming your doodles bottom, belly and under the ears.
- Clipper coolant spray
- Clipper comb extension set
- Steel comb
- Scissors- blunt tipped is best for the safety of your doodle
- Thinning shears
- Towels
Brushing your Goldendoodle
If you prefer your doodle in a longer coat, brushing is the key to keeping the coat looking good, especially if your doodle has a curly coat. Your slicker brush is great to fluff your doodle's outer coat. A quick run over with a slicker will make your dog's coat look fluffy and soft. You will be able to find all your dog's mats with your slicker, but it is not good at removing them. This is where your metal comb and grooming rake may work well with wavier coated doodles. If you come across a mat, use a pair of thinning shears or blunt tipped scissors to help remove it. You may also want to try a detangler. It's easiest to untangle mats when they are small.
A doodle that is covered in mates requires a completely shaved down dog, regardless of whether you prefer that look or not. I realize sometimes folks feel that the groomer takes the easy way out by shaving a doodle instead of detangling the doodle. However, the groomer is looking out for your dog's best interest. It is a painful experience for your dog to have many knots detangled and your dog will learn to hate going to the groomer. You want the grooming experience to be a fun experience for your dog! If your dog has to be shaved down, make the resolution to keep up with the brushing so you don't have to shave him down the next time.
Trimming around the eyes
Most everyone loves the traditional look of the doodle's shaggy face. It's the goldendoodle trademark! However, it is imperative that you trim the hair around the eyes for your dog's eye health. Tufts of hair in front of the eye can block your dog's vision and possibly irritate the eyes. You can use your thinning shears around the eyes because they help to cut away unwanted hairs without leaving a tell tale line. Your blunt tipped scissors will also help.
The Sanitary Clip
You will notice that certain areas of your doodle need grooming more often than others. Hair starts to block the vision. They tend to get little cling-ons on the rear end. However, if you like the longer hair look, you aren't ready at this point to have a full haircut. There are a few grooming steps you can take at home to help keep your doodle clean and tidy in between grooming appointments.
A sturdy pair of dog clippers is a worthwhile investment. You can use the #10 blade to clip under the belly, rear end and under the belly. These in-between trims will decrease the frequency of your doodle's grooming appointments. Doodles thick coats benefit from clippers designed specifically for grooming dogs. Your investment will quickly pay for itself. The clippers you use on your own head will overheat and wear out quickly trimming your doodle's coat.
Ear Care
It's a good idea to check your dog's ears regularly. The ears should be clean and pink inside with no sensitivity to touch and no noticeable odor. A small amount of brown color wax is normal and doodles have hair growing on the inside of their ears.
With doodles, it is important that you keep the inside ear hair clipped or plucked. Excessive hair in the ear canal prevents air flow and traps moisture and creates a wet environment which will cause ear infections. Keeping the dogs ears dry is very important. Take the time after your dog goes swimming to completely dry the inside of the ears.
Remember, the best dog ear care is prevention. Keeping the ears dry is the #1 defense against most ear infections. Trim or pluck the ear hair and only clean the ears when necessary.