Groodle and Labradoodle GROOMING
Groodles and Labradoodles can grow very tall and vary in stature from Poodle thin to Golden Retriever or Labrador chunky. Some stay shorter but the vast majority are large dogs. Their coats can vary in thickness and the presence or absence of undercoat. It can also be straight and fine, all the way along a continuum to the tightest poodle curls. All, without doubt require a high degree of maintenance from owners. Very few dogs shed naturally and the presence of undercoat can therefore mean that thick, wiry layer stays, gets matted or wound round the guard coat in dreadlocks. Please note your dogs coat. Feel down to the skin, especially in areas such as the feet, under armpits and under belly. Any lumps close to the skin are knots forming and cannot easily be brushed out.
It is rare to be able to deshed or clip an average Groodle/Labradoodle in under 2 hours and often 3 or more are required.
Coat types
Soft, mostly straight with little undercoat
Groodles with staighter, more flyaway fur require brushing out but usually there is a limited amount of undercoat or that undercoat can be easily deshed. Dogs can more easily be maintained with long fur but owners need to brush them regulalrlym or else the fine fur can tangle.. To book dogs like this in please decide if your dogs fur has been adequatley maintained at home. Usually either deshed style or clipping style groom can be booked. Weight is only one factor in deciding time needed to book as these dogs can be tall with long legs that can be tricky to clip and tangled eadsily.
Some undercoat with loose curls
Groodles/Labradoodles with more curls and some undercoat require more brushing out but sometimes the amount of undercoat present makes it hard to deshed easily or quickly This is especially evident if the dogs home maintenance care is not done every few days. Dogs can occasionally be maintained with long fur but owners need to brush them appropriately and regularly or else the fur can tangle and the undercoat can attract sand and debris and begin to clump/dreadloak right down to the skin. To book dogs like this in please decide if your dogs fur has been adequately maintained at home. A deshed style may be possible but more likely a clipping style groom is necessary. Clipping the body short, certainly if the fur is tangled: is the only way forward if brushing and grooming have not kept on top of it. The clipping blade goes under the mats and therefore does not hurt the dog. Weight is only one factor in deciding time needed to book as these dogs can be tall with long legs that can be tricky to clip and tangled easily.
Tight curls with lots of undercoat
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Groodles and Labradoodles with tight curls and thick undercoat can rarely be maintained without clipping. If a longer coat is the target then we suggest 4 weekly visits with one month a wash/dry and brush out to ensure no tangles persist. The following month a longer groom which includes clipping. The longer coat can only be maintained if the coat is free from tangles and few owners are able to enable the upkeep of the coat without groom intervention regularly.
Usually 2 hours are required for a wash/dry/brush and tidy up one visit. The next a 2-2.5 or longer is required to clip all over and maintain the viability of the coat for longer length.
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For owners whose dogs go to the beach, play in the pool or have an active life outside it is rarely feasible to attempt this regime as sand and debris cannot be just easily washed out of the coat of the dog and therefore clipper blades are easily blunted. We will not blunt our blades to achieve an owner-requested groom due to the cost of sharpening blades is upwards of $25 each time.