How to groom my Labradoodle with Love

Are you looking for some ideas on Labradoodle haircuts and grooming your Labradoodle? In this page we hope to give you ideas for those haircuts as well as how to groom your puppy at home in between professional groomings. You may even decide to try your hand at a Labradoodle haircut yourself! Even if you mess up, the hair will grow back. As a Labradoodle breeder, we usually do our own grooming and you can too.

Labradoodles are a cross between a Labrador and a poodle. But Australian Labradoodles, which is what we are now breeding, also carry some spaniel. Usually that is cocker spaniel because they are know for their silky coat, beautiful temperament and human focus. Most Australian labradoodls have very soft, fleece like coats that require regular grooming. The ALD has a distinct haircut style but there is no reason why you can’t have it cut in other doodle-type cuts. Although some Australian Labradoodles may have a wool like coat, you will find that that type of coat is less common. Most ALS also have straight or wavy coats more often then super curly. Before we talk about haircuts, let’s discuss what it takes to groom a Labradoodle.

Before you start grooming your Labradoodle you need to get a few tools. These tools will be used in your weekly grooming. If you want to try your hand at doing full haircuts, there are a few more that you will need. To get started you will need a good steel comb, a great slicker brush (we like the Chris Christensen Big G) shampoo and nail clippers unless you are having a groomer bathe your puppy and trim it’s nails. In addition, you may want to use a nail grinder, (nail dremmel) to keep nail tips nice and smooth. We use a dremmel on our puppies so they are used to it.

Many people are afraid to cut puppy nails but at Mi-de-doodles we have been cutting their nails weekly and most of our Labradoodle puppies are very willing to allow you to do it. Keeping their nails short, so they don’t tap on the floor, is important. Long nails can be uncomfortable and also because the foot doesn’t land properly on the ground, it can cause arthritis. Long nails may also get torn or split, causing your dog unnecessary pain. If you spend time a couple of times a week, minimum, grooming your puppy, not only will their coat not get matted, but your dog will be easier to groom as an adult.

When grooming your Labradoodle before a haircut or any other time, there are some special areas to pay attention to. Be sure you have combed well behind the ears, the muzzles and beard, armpits where the leg meets the body and around the base of the tail. Forgetting these areas may mean your dog will need shaved in the future. When combing, remember that a mat left behind will get bigger. And to a dog it feels like a ponytail that is too tight so let’s take our time and do an effective job at grooming.

1. Starting with the back leg, finger part a small section of hair and brush with the slicker brush until smooth. Keep parting and work up the leg until you are at the body. Make sure to work on the top and bottom of feet as well. Once you think it’s all brushed out, use the comb and make sure you get down to the skin and comb through. The goal is to have the comb go smoothly through the coat. If you find any mats, use a little cornstarch work it into the mat, and then comb again.

2. Using the same method do the entire body and the other three legs. You will do the head next. Be careful to get right up to the back of the ear where it meets the head. It is very common to develop mats in this area. Use the same procedure as for the body. Also make sure you comb the inside hair on the ears. Ton continue grooming the muzzle you can brush and comb all hair forward first and then comb it back in place.

3. We use ear cleaner on a cotton ball to clean out the inside of our dog’s ears. Doodles are prone to ear infections (we have never had a single one) so please clean and keep ears as dry as possible. If you notice the ear has a funky smell or dog shaking it’s head, it could be the start of an ear infection.

Photo Credit Ohio Valley Labradoodles

4. Next is clipping the nails. Even if the dog nails aren’t excessively long, we still clip nails regularly. Even if we only do a few nails and take off a tiny amount, this keeps them acclimated to this part of puppy grooming. As they get older you may do this less often. Hold the labradoodle puppy’s foot firmly when cutting the nail. You want to take just the tip of the nail off to avoid cutting too short, especially if they have black nails. If they have white nails, don’t cut up to where the nail turns pink or you’ll be cutting into the quick. If you have a bleeding nail you can dip it in kwik stop or some flour.

5. We like to finish with Cowboy Magic Super Body Shine. This helps keep the coat looking nice and also helps it repel dirt.

6. If you are bathing your dog, you need to brush it before bathing to

prevent the hair from matting further. We also have found that by using our high velocity blow dryer prior to bathing, it can blow out some dirt and loose hairs to also help prevent matting. Use a gentle shampoo and only bathe every 6-8 weeks to prevent hair from drying out. We also use a dryer made for drying dogs. A completely dry dog won’t get the “wet dog” smell. Once the dog is dry, brush it again. This won’t take long as you have already removed mats before bathing. We love the Shelandy Groomer Partner dryer for around $80 on Amazon. It will cut your drying time by more than half and also doesn’t get too hot for your Labradoodle puppy.

The traditional Australian Labradoodle cut is often called the “Teddy Bear Cut” and aims to maintain the breed’s characteristic soft, fluffy appearance while keeping the coat manageable. This style is designed to preserve the breed’s unique furnishings that give them their signature floppy, teddy bear-like look.

Overall Philosophy

The key is to achieve a “teddy bear clip” that closely follows the natural shape of the body, avoiding the more sculpted poodle look. The goal is a natural, soft appearance.

Body

Use a three-fourths inch blade (not shorter than one-half inch) to keep the coat nice and full with a smooth, consistent length all over. The body includes the neck, back, sides, and hindquarters down to the knees.

Legs

• Keep legs fuller and longer than the body
• Taper the hindquarters to tail gradually
• Scissor the legs to maintain a natural, rounded appearance
• Trim feet to be neat and rounded

Face (The Trickiest Part!)

The area outside of the eyes should be kept long as part of the eyebrow, tapering down to meet the length of the front tip of the ear. • Create a rounded, teddy bear face • Keep the muzzle full and rounded • Never trim the actual eyelashes, which can be quite long (1.5 to 2 inches) • Trim hair above the nose that obstructs vision

Ears

• Leave ear hair long and natural • Shave the underside and behind the ear with a medium blade to allow airflow and prevent matting • This helps prevent ear infections Tail • Don’t shave the top of the tail; make the transition from body to tail gradual • Keep a full, natural plume

Maintenance Schedule

• Groom every 6-8 weeks if keeping the coat longer, or 8-10 weeks for shorter coats • Brush from head to toe at least 4 times a week Important Tips for Groomers • Make sure your groomer is familiar with the Australian Labradoodle groom as opposed to a regular Labradoodle, Poodle, or Schnauzer groom • Always bring pictures to show your groomer exactly what you want • The furnishings (longer facial and leg hair) should not be trimmed too short

Finding Visual References

For visual references of the traditional Australian Labradoodle cut, search online for “Australian Labradoodle teddy bear cut” or “Australian Labradoodle grooming style”. Look for photo galleries on grooming websites and Australian Labradoodle breeder sites. Pinterest also has extensive collections of reference photos you can save and bring to your groomer. The key is showing your groomer multiple angles—front, side, and rear views—so they understand the full, rounded appearance you’re aiming for while maintaining that natural, teddy bear softness that makes Australian Labradoodles so distinctive!

Please note these are not our puppies but just examples of haircuts.