Australian Labradoodle Grooming
Grooming Your Labradoodle Puppy
Most puppy’s coats require little brushing. However, they will need to be groomed regularly as an adult, so early introduction to handling it critical. They should be brushed, have their ears handled, their teeth brushed and nails handled or trimmed every day. It's a great idea to have people outside of your own household do this to your puppy too so they become familiar with strangers handling them - this will help at vet visits too.
About 2 weeks after your puppy has completed their final puppy vaccinations (usually between 18-22 weeks old), they can safely be taken to the groomer. Let the groomer know you have a puppy and want to have an introductory visit. Even just for your puppy to meet and have a nail clip might be enough to start a good, calm rapport with the groomer. Follow up visits can begin to include a simple session of brushing, washing, drying, nail clip and ear hair pluck. Your puppy and groomer will be thankful for these small visits every 3-4 weeks. Puppies who are comfortable with the sights, sounds and sensations of a grooming will be much more comfortable as an adult.
Starting at nine months the adult coat will grow in. The puppy coat does not fall out at this time and will start to cause matts. Brushing thoroughly to pull the puppy coat out from the new adult hair is necessary. We recommend a grooming at this time to reduce the amount of brushing and formation of mats.
Grooming Your Labradoodle Adult
A wavy fleece coat is easily maintained with a thorough weekly brushing. The length of a fleece coat is completely up to your preference. Curlier coats are easier to maintain if they are kept shorter. Regular bathing is mostly unnecessary. Even after getting muddy, the clumps will dry and fall off or can be brushed out.
Many owners have their Labradoodles clipped two to four times a year depending on personal preference, lifestyle, and curliness of the coat. Some families prefers to take their dogs to their groomer every 4-6 weeks for a brush and/or bath, and then a full groom with a 1.5-2 inch clip twice a year. However, if you prefer to brush less at home, a groom every 6-8 weeks throughout the year should suffice. Grooming costs vary by location but are usually $80-$120 per dog. This usually includes a bath, blow dry, nail trim, anal gland expression and cut.
Be sure to pay special attention to the ears. Their floppy nature and tendency to have hair in them prevents air flow which can cause ear infections. The hair needs to be pulled out of the ear canal and kept trimmed around the opening and under the ear. This can be done every 2-3 months.
Brushing Your Australian Labradoodle
When your the fur is short (an inch or two), regular brushing with a pin brush or slicker works well. Once the fur gets longer, it is important to make sure you are reaching all the way to the base of the coat so, loose hair is removed from below the surface to prevent matts. If matts occur they will need to be cut out which generally means a very short coat. In order to keep a coat longer than and inch or so, you will want to use a simple technique called line brushing.
Line Brushing
Line brushing is done by parting the coat with your free hand and brushing the loose hair on the other side of the part, starting at the base of the hair. With every other stroke or so, you can bring down a small bit of the hair being held up by your hand. This continues so that with every stroke you are brushing through a new, thin “line” of hair. You will then slowly move your hand up that section of the coat.
Begin low on a section of the body and work your way up with care.
This method can be done with a pin brush, slicker brush, and/or comb.
Below, we've provided pictures to help guide you in the practice:
