Australian Labradoodle and Labradoodle Grooming

Should your Labradoodle coat be short, medium or long? Their are a few hair cuts out there I have to say some are just horrible. Labradoodles should have a natural look even after being groomed. if you find a picture of a labradoodle cut you like print it and take it in to the groomer. Most have never groomed a labradoodle or have no idea how so they just alter another breeds cut.

I like to just have their body shaved ALL over twice a year to about an inch and thier head trimmed. Then I just let it grow out in between grooming, but that is just the easy way to do it.


General Labradoodle Grooming Body Cut

1. Brush
2. Thin all mats with thinning shears, brush or pull the matt out, trim with scissors all over to the desired length
3. Or shave the dog down to about an inch ALL over their body andlet it just grow out. This can be done twice a year and ends with the least amount of grooming required.

1. Brush
2. Thin all mats with thinning shears and brush or pull them out
3. Trim with short blade shaver just under tail
4. Taper hind quarters to tail gradually with shaver or scissors don't shave the top of the tail. Make the transition from body to tail a gradual transition. Please, only Poodles should have shaved tails.

1. Pull all hair from the ear canal and shave the underside of ear near ear canal. To pull out hair you can use your fingers, a tweezers or ask you vet for a pair of hemostats. Just grab and pull. Inner ears should be kept clean and the hair around the ear canal should be shaved away.
2. Thin out or shave with medium blade hair on neck just under ears to allow ears to lay flat. Usually the coat below the ear flap and along the neck gets matted due to a collar, so shaving it helps with matting as well.
3. Inner ears should be keep clean with ear wash monthly.

Grooming Ears (outside)

1. Trim outside of ear flap to desired length, usually 2 to 3 inches. The outside of the ear should NOT be a long blunt cut like a cocker spaniel. The entire outside of the ear should have hair of the same length, as pictured.
2. The length of the ear should be cut to a lenght that when you pull the ear forward the hair ends at the nose.

Clean up the Muzzle

1. Trim muzzle at an angle starting about 2 inches above the nose angled down into the stop (point where muzzle transitions to head. Pictured below.
2. Do not trim like a Wheaton terrier where there is a hair part between the eyes leaving the hair long on both sides, you want a rounded casual look with a slight beard.
3. Trim short just inside the eyes almost to a point to allow clear vision. Pictured below.
4. Trim hair along lip line to keep hair out of mouth, you can also just thin out that area. Lip line hair should be thinned and left about 1 inch below lip.
5. You may want to thin out with thinning shears under chin to neck, an area that can mat easier.

Top of Head

1. This area as well should be natural. Pull all the head hair forward to above the stop (where muzzle hits the head). Then trim across at about 3 to 4 inches above the eye. This will make the head hair shorter at the eye to allow for good sight and gradually longer towards the back.

Round off the Feet

1. Gradually round feet to pads, I just round off along the lower toe line, then pull all the hair straight up and cut at about 1 inch. This leaves a natural look.
2. Trim all hair under foot between pads especially in winter when snow can accumulate here
3. Trim nails

Wash and Dry after Grooming

1. Wash with shampoo and spray with a detangler we love Cowboy Magic Shampoo and Detangler and for a dry bath we use Dry dog Instant Clean
2. DO NOT brush again, treat it like a human perm. either air dry or dry without brushing using fingers to scrunch coat as you go. This keeps hair corded not fuzzy.

1. For healthy teeth I like and use Dental Ring by Omega Paw from Petsmart and our dogs have the whitest teeth. We give them these about every other month to chew on, they leave a small mess of cardboard after, but it is well worth the trouble. These are hard to find...I am looking for alternatives.

Pictured with the scarf and tongue out is one of our families pet puppy, McKenzies mom took in our directions to the groomer. I have to say they did a great job and followed directions. I think McKenzie also thinks she looks beautiful.

For the big stuff use a groomer, and please take in a photo of the cut you desire, most groomer's are not trained to groom them.