Australian Labradoodles need to be brushed thoroughly about every 2 weeks. When they are going through their coat change at around 12 months of age, they may need to be brushed daily to strip out the undercoat and avoid the formation of mats. Some people choose to get their labradoodles coat cut short at this stage. Most labradoodle coats will need to be trimmed around 4 times a year.
Get your labradoodle puppy used to grooming at a young age with a soft brush. Make it a regular part of your puppies’ life.
When you brush make sure you brush thoroughly, part the hair in layers and brush all the way down to the skin, not just the surface.
Make sure you check their ears and paw pads while you are brushing and trim nails if necessary. Always check around their collar for mats.
We have tried numerous different grooming tools on our labradoodles. The ones we have found to be the most useful are the Les Poochs. They really work wonders with the labradoodle coat. These are available via mail order in Australia from The Natural Pet Store. We have also found Mars Coat King Brushes to be effective and the simple double toothed rake is one of my preferred grooming tools. I use a blunt ended pair of scissors for trimming the hair between and over the eyes. A good pair of grooming scissors for trimming muzzles, paws etc will be invaluable. Use scissors to slice through any knots that develop, and they are much easier to brush out.
A little sanitary trim around the bottom is always a good idea during the regular brush…. believe me, you don’t want to leave it too long and end up having to trim a ‘poohy’, smelly bottom. (But we’ve all done that!). I regular trim our dogs’ beards and jaw lines and the hair over their eyes to give their face a nice open appearance.
Believe it or not the Australian Labradoodle really is self-cleaning and non-smelly. If your puppy comes in from the garden covered in mud…. find somewhere for him to stay to dry out and miraculously his coat will appear like he has been freshly bathed!
Bath infrequently. We use Aloveen oatmeal shampoo and conditioner when we bath our labradoodles. It smells good and doesn’t strip all the healthy oils from their coats. Many people purchase Australian Labradoodles for their non shedding allergy friendly coats. In addition, you will find your labradoodle lacks the ‘doggy’ smell that most dogs have!