The world of dog grooming is much more complex than you might think.
For example, there are scissors, carding and hand stripping – and hundreds of different breeds that require specialized pliers or cutting.
Then there are some breeds that should never be clipped – many types of collies, for example – because they are double-coated, and clipping will result in incorrect hair regrowth.
Poodles often have quite fancy haircuts and they are purchased by many people because they have hypoallergenic hair, which reduces the likelihood of their owners developing symptoms of hay fever or other allergic reactions.
Poodle (Doodle) crosses also fall into this category – these types of dogs include Cockerpoos, Labradoodles, Goldendoodles and Schnoodles.
Poodle crossbreeds are not easy breeds to care for as their coat easily becomes matted from the skin outwards leaving the top coat perfectly beautiful.
Once this knotting begins, it is very difficult to brush it off and the process can be very painful for the dog.
Ongoing home maintenance should be more than a quick brushing once a week.
A doodle owner really needs to groom their dog’s entire coat two or three times a week and use a technique called line brushing.
This involves brushing a small section of coat at a time, starting at the nape of the neck and making sure you work your way down to the hair roots.
Ideally, your dog should be lying down so you can groom his tummy, or he should be on a table (a bit trickier unless you have someone to hold him).
Problematic mat “hot spots” are usually where a harness or collar rubs against the dog’s coat, behind the ears, behind the front legs where they meet the belly, and under the tail.
If your dog gets wet and you then allow the coat to dry naturally, the hair will harden and become harder to brush.
Always dry your doodle with a towel or, if they allow it, use a hair dryer and then use a brush.
If you plan to bathe your doodle, brush all carpets before they get wet.
If a doodle’s coat is not groomed regularly, it will need to be clipped down to the skin by a professional groomer, as it will not be able to fit through the mat, only underneath.
Ideally, you should start taking your puppy to a groomer at around six months of age to get them used to the smells and sounds of the salon, making sure the grooming process doesn’t become stressful.
Most professional groomers offer a “puppy groomer,” which is a gentle first groomer to help train the dog.
If you would like further advice on dog grooming, please contact our kennel team member who is qualified in this area, Toby Tomlinson ([email protected]).
None of our current rescue dogs need demanding grooming, including Riley, a nine-year-old border collie.
He would like everyone to know that border collies are the best dogs ever, even though they are underestimated as a breed by some people, and they are definitely the most expensive dogs in the world.
A record sale price was reached last week by Megan, a two-year-old British border collie. She sold at auction for £19,000 and is now for herding cattle in the US.
The previous record selling price of £15,000 was held by another dog bred by Megan’s owner.
Riley may not be able to herd sheep or cows, but he’s great fun to be around and he doesn’t cost thousands of pounds!
He is good with other dogs and fantastic with people. He just doesn’t like cats.