Grooming Labradoodles

Grooming Australian Labradoodles?

Questions we often hear include. How often do we need to groom the Australian Labradoodle? How long do we leave the coat? Do we have to shave out the toes? How do we avoid mats?  How often do we need to brush the coat? I want to answer these questions, giving you a guide to the best grooming Australian Labradoodle tips available.

The correct Australian Labradoodle coat, is a rather scruffy and loopy looking coat. to maintain this look it is important to use the right type of brush for the coat. We like to use a rake type comb, with a double row of picks. One needs to be careful and gentle when using a rake as it is a sturdy comb that it not used carefully could cause your Australian Labradoodle pain. A once a week brush out is fine, some like to wait two weeks between brushing, for an Australian Labradoodle. To brush more is fine if you prefer the fluffy look over the typical loopy, scruffy look. The one problem with brushing out the coat of the Australian Labradoodle too often is the individual hairs start to break open at the ends {separating fibers} creating a frizzy look, these split fibers then hold onto the dirt and moisture, creating the perfect spot for a mat or knot to form! Those frizzy coats are a dirt and debris magnet, it is much easier to maintain the coat if you allow the coat to hang in tendrils rather than brush up fluffy! These tendrils naturally repel the dirt! WONDERFUL!

We also will use a slicker brush for our Australian Labradoodles if they have been running through long grass or a wooded area. These brushes quickly get all that loose grass or burrs out of the coat before they get so embedded that the only other option is a shave! One needs to be careful about burrs in a fleece/wool coat, the burrs can really get matted in deep and be a pain!

When going forward with a weekly or biweekly brushing / grooming Australian Labradoodles, it is best to have your Labradoodle in a place where he/she is comfortable and can relax along with you. Grooming is best received by your Labradoodle if you are confident and relaxed. This is to be a fun and bonding time, try to avoid having power struggles about it! A treat here and there, not taking hours and hours if your Labradoodle is getting antsy are all good places to start!

It is a good idea to do a though brush out when grooming Australian Labradoodle time comes around, start at the bottom of your Labradoodle and work your way up. Being very careful not to catch the skin start with a small brush width section of the coat, be sure to hold the hair above up with one hand so you can get all the way down to the roots with the brush. This way you will not leave behind a small matt that will get out of control by the following grooming session! When you have given this small section of coat 3-4 brushes and are satisfied that all is clean and well cared for move up about 2ins and repeat process!

REMOVING A MATT!

If you come across a matt while grooming Australian Labradoodles it is best to gently go at it from a few different directions rather than pull all one direction, this will free up the coat much faster, also if the coat has become very matted a little trick to try from Beverly Manners is to use a talcum powder on light colored Labradoodles and a slightly warmed bran on dark coloured Labradoodles, this will help to loosen the mat and the bran also gives the coat a shiny appearance.

PUPPY COAT!

Some time between 6 months to 14 months your Labradoodle puppy will start to loose it’s puppy coat and grow a new adult coat. This is true for all breeds. As the Australian Labradoodle does not shed, your puppy will need some help with this process if he/she is not to become a matted ball!! GRIN! You will be in charge or this process and it usually takes several weeks for this transition to take place. The puppy coat will need to be slicker-ed out of the new adult coat and so a once a week though brushing will be necessary for this time in your grooming Australian Labradoodles.

After you are all done grooming Australian Labradoodle, he/she may look rather fluffy. You may lightly spritz with a doggy coat conditioner, most importantly you should allow the coat to settle back into it’s own natural tendrils with no human help!