How to Groom a Labradoodle: 10 Vet-Approved Tips & Tricks
Some Labradoodles shed more than others, but they all need to have their coat trimmed to keep it from growing out too much. But while this gives you the opportunity for pretty haircuts, if you’re taking them to a professional, it can be an expense that you don’t want to add to your monthly budget.
That’s one reason that so many owners decide to groom their dogs themselves. But before you start, you’ll want to check out the following 10 tips and tricks in this Labradoodle grooming guide to help your experience go as smoothly as possible.
The 10 Tips on How to Groom a Labradoodle
1. Take Your Time
We all have busy lives, and sometimes, giving your pup a haircut can just seem like another chore to knock off the list. While you want to get it done and move on to the next thing, accidents happen when you’re trying to rush through this task.
When you’re getting ready to cut your Labradoodle hair, we recommend allotting at least 2 hours from start to finish, and if it’s your first time, you might want to play it safe by adding another hour. That might seem excessive, but once you factor in brushing, bathing, cutting, and cleaning up afterward, it’s an intense time requirement!
2. Get a High-Quality Brush
When you’re cutting your dog’s hair, you don’t want to find knots and mats that you missed when you brushed them out.1 Not only does a high-quality brush help ensure you don’t miss any spots, but it also helps get the knots and mats out without completely pulling the hair out. A big slicker brush is ideal to remove mats and dead hair.
Consider it a one-time investment that will make it a lot easier to cut your Labradoodle fur and get the results you want.
3. Get the Right Tools
Not only do you want the right brush, but you also want to invest in high-quality clippers and all the other tools you’ll need to cut your pet’s hair. These include steel comb, shears, de-shedder tools, a blade-cleaning solution, and anything else you deem necessary.
Moreover, consider your dog’s temperament when deciding what you need. If your dog is likely to try to run away during the clipping process, you might need to invest in some sort of retaining tool to keep them in place while cutting their fur.
4. Bathe Your Labradoodle First
There are a couple of reasons you’ll want to take the time to bathe your Labradoodle before cutting their fur. First, it helps to ensure that you get an even cut throughout the entire coat and that there are no mats or knots for you to try to work through.
Second, it cleans their fur, which puts less wear and tear on your clippers and helps ensure a smoother cut. Giving them a bath before the cut is a small yet significant step that you should always take.
Our Favorite Products
Selecting the right shampoo and conditioner makes the world of a difference when grooming your pup. Our favorite products are the duo by Hepper. The Oatmeal Pet Shampoo is formulated with aloe and oatmeal to soothe skin and hydrate the coat. The Pet Conditioner works at eliminating tangles and taming frizz and static. Both products are pH-balanced and formulated with pet-friendly ingredients, free of harsh soaps, chemicals, and dyes. Give this duo a try to heal and nourish your dog's coat, and leave them with an irresistible just-left-the-spa cucumber and aloe scent.
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At Dogster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool pet company!
5. Don’t Let the Ear Hair Hang Too Low
One area where many Labradoodle owners struggle is with the ears. But if you don’t cut close enough to the ears, the hair will mat or knot all the time. Ideally, you want the hair to hang somewhere between ½” and 1” down past the ear. Anything past that is asking for problems.
Take your time around their ears, though, because you don’t want to accidentally nick them with the clippers or scissors when cutting there.
6. Brush Before and After the Bath
This is a small yet extremely useful tip to follow when grooming your Labradoodle. If you brush your dog before their bath, it increases the likelihood that you’ll get all mats out during the bath, and it’ll make it easier to completely clean their coat.
Once your Labradoodle gets out of the tub, you’ll want to brush them again to ensure all their fur lays the same way before you start grooming them.
7. Play It Safe
If you’re wondering if you should clip their hair a bit shorter or their nails a bit closer, take it from us that you’ll want to play it safe. You can always go back and cut it shorter, but you can’t re-add hair you already cut off.
More importantly, you can’t go back and unhurt your pup. If your dog doesn’t have any negative memories attached to grooming, they’re likely to remain compliant, but if they’re scared that you’re going to nick them by accident, they’re more likely to act out.
8. Reward Your Dog
You want to add as many positive memories to the grooming process as possible, and one of the easiest ways you can do this is by giving them a treat at the end. But if you’re struggling to keep your dog still and have a partner, you can start training them by giving them treats when they remain calm throughout the grooming process.
However, you’ll only want to do this if you have a partner who can stay by their head the entire time. Otherwise, your pet will keep trying to turn around to look at you since you’re the one giving them the treats!
9. Don’t Forget the Nails
When you’re taking the time to cut your dog’s hair, it’s the perfect time to take a look at their nails. Don’t cut their nails too short since they have nerve endings in them and they can bleed, but don’t let them grow too long either.
Once you get the hang of it and if your dog is compliant, you should be able to trim their nails in about 15 minutes.
10. Keep Their Coat in Mind
While we’d love to highlight a one-size-fits-all cut for your Labradoodle, the truth is that Labradoodles have a wide range of coat options. Therefore, it’s impossible to highlight exactly what would look best and what you should do for your dog.
Instead, you’ll need to take into consideration the type of coat your dog has and go from there. The good news is that once you find a cut that works for your Labradoodle, you can stick with it and cut their hair the same way every time.
Conclusion
Now that you know a bit more about Labradoodles and how to groom them, all that’s left is for you to go out and get what you need to start! Getting the right equipment goes a long way in ensuring a smooth and successful experience, and it’ll last longer, often saving you more in the long run.
Get what you need and go at it with confidence. If you don’t like the look after the first time, take it as a learning experience, and remember that it’s just hair and it’ll grow back!
Featured Image Credit: Dikushin Dmitry, Shutterstock
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Adam is a professional freelance writer and animal enthusiast who has rescued countless animals throughout the years. He's been a freelance writer for ten years and has been rescuing animals for even longer! Adam is also a proud father of three kids and is always up for a challenge and adventure!
