Dogs are a man’s best friend. These furry companions are not only dependable and loyal but also extremely cute and cuddly.
Doodles are becoming more popular among many breeds due to their amiable nature, especially toward strangers and youngsters, and their quick adaptation.
If you are thinking about getting a doodle soon or already own one, visit here. Here you will find the healthiest puppies you can adopt and also learn everything you should know about them.
Doodles require more grooming than other breeds because of their long coat. You have to groom them regularly once every month to prevent skin problems.
They are high-maintenance dogs, and taking them to professional groomers can get hectic often.
The good news is you can easily groom them by yourself. Here are our 2022’s top 7 tips for grooming your doodle at home.
Have the Right Tools
Before you start grooming your doodle, you must have all the necessary tools in hand. Having everything organized will make you confident in the process and also make your job easier. Below are some of the essential tools you’ll need.
- Brushes: For brushing hair, use a slicker brush. This brush will prevent the pulling of your doodle’s hair.
- Comb: Metal combs are rigid and hence easier if you want to get rid of hair tangles.
- Clippers: A good quality clipper will last longer and work better. With doodles, you need clippers with powerful motors. Some clippers tend to get hot so check before you buy. Also, the clippers should fit nicely in your hands.
- Nail Clipper: A sharp, stainless steel nail clipper is the best. These work fast so your work will be done in no time.
- Toothbrush and Toothpaste: Don’t just use any human toothbrush or toothpaste. Get one specially formulated for dogs. If you doubt that the toothpaste is causing any problem, consult a vet to get an alternative.
- Shampoo: A plant-based, chemical-free shampoo is what you’d want for your dog. Don’t forget a conditioner too.
- Flea and Tick Prevention: Don’t dogs attract all these bugs? Apply flea and tick prevention once a month to solve this problem.
Brushing and Combing
You may think hair mats are not a big issue. It is quite the opposite. Matting is incredibly awkward for canines and can cause a large group of medical issues.
Imagine it this way; your hair was completely hitched and tangled together, pulling at your skin all around your body. Would you be able to perceive how unpleasant that may be?
Line brushing is the best technique to follow while brushing your dog’s hair. What you need to do is start from the bottom part of your doodle and brush one line of hair at a time. With each stroke, make sure you can see your dog’s skin.
You can use a wide comb first to remove tangles and then go with the brush to get rid of smaller tangles and to smoothen out the coat.
You Must brush your doodle every day to prevent excessive shedding and matting.
A Nice Bath
Your dog is likely to jump anywhere and everywhere. It will leap around the house and also in the grass outside.
So it would be no surprise that it’s going to get dirty very often. A nice bath will clean it right off.
Use good pet shampoo and conditioner since human shampoo can contain chemicals that might not be suitable for animals. Make sure it’s not only the fur you’re taking care of.
Clean its ears well and around its eyes and nose. Get your doodle in a bathtub once in a while when you think it’s getting stinky.
Dry Properly
Before you go on with the hairdryer, towel-dry your friend. Since doodles have thick coats, going straight with a dryer might be a long, unhappy process. Tapping gently with a towel will prevent tangles and mats.
After you have soaked up all the excess water, let your dog shake itself to get some water out. Then bring out your blow dryer.
The blow dryer will make sure that your dog is 100% dry. This is important because if your dog is not dried well, it can catch a cold. Make sure you dry its ears too.
You might think air-drying is a good option. On the contrary, it is not quite suitable for doodles. Since they have long, thick fur, air-drying them will take an enormous amount of time, and the hair on the inner side may remain wet.
Hair Trim
Once you’re done giving your pet a good bath and drying it off, it is now time to give it a haircut. If you are using a clipper with a bare blade, you’ll notice that the blade gets hot as you work.
Give it some time until it cools off. Otherwise, the process can be uncomfortable.
You can also opt for clipper combs. Because it has combs over the blade, overheating won’t be an issue at all.
Use a drop or two of clipper oil before you start clipping. This will lubricate your blade and hence, make the process smooth.
How Should You Clip a doodle?
First, using a 1-inch clipper comb, trim the entire body. Go over if you think the cut isn’t smooth enough. It’s a good idea to up the top half of your dog.
Keeping the hair shorter around the legs can be great as cleaning and clipping nails would become easier that way. Don’t forget to trim the fur between your toes.
Trim around the eyes carefully. Hair growing over the eyes can block your dog’s vision and can sometimes even poke and cause eye infections.
The Teddy Bear Look
You must have seen doodles with the adorable teddy bear look. If you want that, follow these steps.
- Shave a small portion around the eyes and gradually trim.
- Trim the hair around the ears short.
- Use curved scissors to trim around the muzzle.
- Blend the hair on the face and the ears evenly.
- Trim the body hair around one and a half to two inches short.
- The hair on the feet should be trimmed in a round shape.
- The tail should be kept feathered along the length, and towards the end, it should be tapered.
Poodle the Doodle
This well-known sort of Goldendoodle hairstyle comes from the Poodle, yet chips away at doodles because of the long wavy hair.
Taking everything into account, the Goldendoodle poodle trim has very short hair around the gut and face regions (<1 inch long).
The hair is left truly long around the ears, tail, and top of the head (2-4 creeps long). You can also additionally leave the hair long around the legs.
The Goldendoodle poodle cut makes your canine look keen and mature. This trim is additionally simple to keep up with since most of the hair is trimmed truly short. This implies less preparing, brushing, and keeping up with!
Nail Trim
Cutting your dog’s nails can surely be a challenge. They just don’t seem to sit still. Restrain your dog if needed.
If you have never clipped a dog’s nails before, you have to be extra careful. You’ll see that the nail has a black portion and a whitish portion.
You only need to cut off the black part. This part is where you need to be cautious because the white part contains nerve endings and can hurt your dog if you cut that part off. It will start bleeding. So take your time with the process.
Don’t use a human nail cutter. These aren’t designed for hard dog nails. Use metal clippers and make sure that the blades are sharp.
Toothbrushing
Oral hygiene is very important when it comes to dogs. What do these naughty fellas not get into their mouths? If you don’t wash their teeth regularly, they will build plaque. Use a dog toothpaste and toothbrush.
Gently lift the top lip and brush the upper jaw. Similarly, pull down the bottom lip to brush the lower teeth set. Make sure you’re reaching all the teeth.
A Clean, Healthy Dog is a Happy Dog
You would not most certainly want a dirty animal running around your house. A well-maintained dog needs proper grooming.
With doodles, regular grooming is crucial, and thankfully, you don’t have to take it to a professional groomer every time.
Follow the steps above, and we can assure you that you’ll have a happy and healthy dog.
Don’t forget to treat your furry friend every time you finish grooming it for going through the hectic process!
