Goldendoodle Grooming
So you’ve had your Goldendoodle for a few days. A fluffy, super friendly companion, she’s just joy to be with. You’re completely taken with the magnificence of this animal. She never fails to turn heads when you’re out for a walk. You can’t help but feel like you’re hanging out with a celebrity. There is no doubt your doodle loves you, but how do you love her back? Sure you feed her well, but is that enough? In so far as affection is concerned, pet grooming is where the rubber meets the road. And to show just how much we appreciate your support, we’ve compiled all the grooming information you’ll ever need to take care of your beloved Goldendoodle.
Cleaning your Goldendoodle
Step 1: BrushingUse a slicker brush, which you can buy at most pet supply stores or online, and try to brush your Goldendoodle everyday. Start brushing at the bottom, working your way to the top. The brushing motion should be down and away from the body. This will remove tangles, dirt, and mats.
Mats that cannot be brushed out should be removed with a clipper. Do not use grooming scissors as these can accidentally cut your Goldendoodle. After brushing with a slicker brush, use a metal pin brush to comb her coat thoroughly until the brush moves easily.
Step 2: Removing ear hairBefore giving her a bath, pluck out the hair in your Goldendoodle’s ears. Moisture trapped on your doodle’s ear canal can lead to ear infection. Be gentle but quick and make sure you pull only the inner ear hair. Once you’re done with that, plug your doodle’s ears with cotton balls before giving him a bath. Remove the cotton balls as soon as you’re done giving her a bath.
Step 3: BathingGive your doodle at least a week to get acquainted with her new home before giving her a bath. Prepare a warm bath. Make sure you turn off the AC and there are no draughts. You don’t want to give her a chill. Scrub its coat with dog shampoo and rinse it thoroughly. Use only dog shampoo to keep the natural oils in doodle’s fur and skin.
Step 4: DryingDry your doodle’s coat before giving her a trim. You can either use a towel, a pet blow dryer. or both. When drying her coat with a towel, use firm patting motions rather than rubbing or ruffling. When using a blow dryer, set the blow dryer to warm, and test it on the back of your hand first to make sure it’s not too hot. Keep it about 12 to 18 inches away from your doodle. Make quick back and forth movements with the dryer while using single-direction motions with your other hand to finger-comb her coat. Start by drying the head, ears, and top coat first, and then the legs and belly after.
Trimming your Goldendoodle
Step 1: Trim the head
Once your doodle is completely dry, comb through her coat again to remove any tangles. With a pair of electric dog clippers, start with the head first. Keep in mind that dragging the clipper down towards the direction where the hair grows gives you a cut that is not as short as if you were to drag the clipper upward on the opposite direction. This will depend on how short a coat you want for your doodle. After trimming the top of the head, proceed with clipping the neck, under the ears, and then the back of the head.
Step 2: Trim the bodyWhen you’re done with the head and neck, proceed with clipping the top of the back working your way down to the rest of the body. Once you’re done with the back and the sides, clip the chest and the belly. To get a more uniform look, you may have to make another pass over the doodle’s body. Make sure to give the belly, genital area, and anus a smooth shave as these are areas prone to mats and infections.
Step 3: Trim the legsMake a single pass down your doodle’s legs, once on the front, back, and sides of her legs. To keep your doodle’s paw clean and give her an overall tidy look, trim the fur on her feet shorter than the rest of her body. Trim close to the foot but not close enough that you see the pads. Then clip the hair in between the pads. Often, you’re better off using the grooming scissors for her feet.
Step 4: Trim the faceThe Goldendoodle’s characteristically thick fur can easily obstruct its eyesight. To avoid this, you should keep the fur in front of its eyes trimmed. First, trim the the bushy eyebrows. Then trim the fur between the eyes. Next, clip the top fur of the muzzle. Then move on to the sides of the muzzle. At this point, you may want to use a pair of grooming scissors to cut the hair on the muzzle to the desired length. Then still using a pair of grooming scissors trim the ear to the desired length as well. Keep in mind that the hair on the your doodle’s ears and muzzle doesn’t grow as fast as the rest of its body, so you may not want to trim it too short.
Grooming your doodle’s nails
You can use a dog nail trimmer or a Dremel pet nail grooming tool for your doodle’s nails. Both are readily available online or at pet supply stores. Begin with the front legs. Take a paw and push the hair back, and then cut the tip off at the point where it begins to hook. The best approach is to cut one little bit at a time rather than taking a single big cut. Be careful not to cut into the quick, which is the blood vessel inside the nail. With dogs that have clear nails, you can easily see the quick which is the pink part of the nail.
If you do accidentally cut into your doodle’s quick, you can use flour or starch to stop the bleeding. Simply dab the affected nail with starch or flour. A better option is styptic powder which you can also buy online or at pet supply stores.
Brushing your doodle’s teeth
Of course, no grooming is complete without brushing your doodle’s teeth. Use dog toothpaste and a dog toothbrush to clean your doodle’s teeth. Using toothpaste designed for humans is likely to upset her stomach.
Although brushing your doodle’s teeth isn’t a difficult task, it’s initially going to be a strange sensation for her. Dogs don’t particularly like having their mouths probed and prodded after all. It helps to offer her a tasty treat as soon as you finish brushing her teeth to improve her experience and give her something forward to.
Step 1With toothbrush on one hand, use the other hand to gently pull back her upper lip at the front side of her mouth.
Step 2Brush her upper Canines and first upper Premolars. Brush gently and in circular motions. Spend about 5 seconds per tooth.
Step 3Brush her lower Canines and first lower Premolars next.
Step 4Brush the Incisors and the rest of her Premolars. Focus more on the outer side of each tooth, especially the ones next to the cheek as these are common problem areas.
Cleaning your doodle’s ears and brushing her coat one more time
Out of sight, out of mind, so goes the saying. However, since dogs are prone to ear infections, it pays to regularly clean your doodle’s ears. Use a veterinary ear cleaner to remove dirt and debris, but be careful not press any into your doodle’s ear canal. If you believe there’s some debris in her ear canal, see a vet to have it removed. Finally, give your doodle one more brush to remove any remaining fur. This will also reveal any uneven areas that you can quickly solve with your trusty clipper.