Taking care of your Australian Labradoodle’s coat is fairly easy, if you stay on top of it.
Neglecting an Australian Labradoodle’s coat can be disastrous. If you don’t brush through your dog’s entire coat, uncomfortable mats will form in its coat.
Read on to find our best tips on how to groom an Australian Labradoodle properly!
Please see the Recommendations page on our website for products we use to groom our dogs.
How to Groom Australian Labradoodle
Regular Brushing
Use a slicker brush when you groom through your Australian Labradoodle’s fur. Follow the natural direction of the coat and brush through it as thoroughly as you can. Make sure that you stay gentle and don’t pull on their fur as there could be hidden mats in some places!
Start at the bottom of the legs and work your way up towards the head. Once you think you’ve got all matting out, use a steel comb to make sure. Comb through the entire coat, getting right down to the skin. If you can’t comb through the coat, repeat the slicker brush process again until the coat is tangle-free. You can also use a dematting tool on any mats that don’t easily brush/comb out.
You should brush your adult Australian twice a week. It will take about 30-45 minutes each time.
Clipping
Australian Labradoodles don’t shed their fur, therefore, their coat needs to be clipped/cut. Depending on their coat type, your personal preferences and the kind of lifestyle your Australian Labradoodle leads, you should plan on clipping their hair about four times per year.
When you bring your Australian Labradoodle to the groomers, consider asking them for a ‘teddy bear’ cut if you want their coat to look natural and loosely follow the shape of their body.
Groomers, without Australian Labradoodle experience, may return your dog looking like a Poodle or Schnauzer, so show them a few pictures of what you’re expecting before you leave.
Your groomer should also cut your dog's nails and clean their ears.
Ear Cleaning & Care
Australian Labradoodles grow hair inside their ear canals, so it’s vital that their ears be cleaned regularly and that the hair inside their ears be cut as short as possible.
We don’t recommend plucking unless your vet suggests it. Just keep the hair as short as possible in the ear.
Once per week, use an ear cleaning solution on your dog’s ears. Squirt a bit into the ear canal, gently massage the outside of the ear, right over the canal, and then use a cotton swab or soft cloth to wipe away any excess liquid.
Keeping the hair inside the ear short, and cleaning the ears once per week, will keep your pet’s ears healthy and free of painful infections.
If you notice your dog scratching at its ears, or if your dog’s ears begin to have an odor, take your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible to be checked for an ear infection.
Trimming
Round-ended scissors are best for trimming your Australian Labradoodle’s face and tail while you are in-between trips to the professional groomer.
Trim the inside corners of their eyes and across the bridge of their nose. Thinning scissors are best to thin and keep their bangs neat.
Make sure you trim under their tail as well, as that area should always be kept short and tidy!
Bathing
Australian Labradoodles have non-shedding coats packed with natural, essential oils and lanolin.
If you bathe your pup every day, these oils will be stripped out of their coat, so keep in mind that your Australian Labradoodle doesn’t need to be bathed often. We bathe about once per month or once every other month in cool weather.
If your pup gets muddy, let the mud dry and then use a slicker brush to remove it from their coat. However, if your Australian Labradoodle rolls in anything smelly, give him a bath!
Before you give them a bath, make sure to thoroughly brush their coat first because any matting in their fur will set after bathing.
How Often to Groom Labradoodle
Once per Month
Once a month, you should thoroughly check your dog’s ear canal for any hair growth.
2 Months Old
When your Australian Labradoodle is two months old, you should gently groom them with a slicker brush, two to three times per week. Also, clip their nails regularly.
Each session should only take ten minutes or so, but this should help your pup get used to the process of being brushed.
3 Months Old
Continue grooming your pup with the slicker brush as often as before. Now, you can start using a metal comb after the slicker brush, to ensure that you’re getting through their coat and down to the skin.
This process should take twenty minutes or so.
3 ½ Months Old
Use round-ended scissors to gently trim around their face and ensure that they have a clear line of vision.
Make sure that you trim the area under their tail as well, and sanitize the scissors afterwards!
Around three-and-a-half months, once your dog’s vaccination series is complete, you should schedule a trip to the groomers for your pup to get acquainted with the process.
They should NOT be getting clipped yet, but they can go to be brushed and get tidied up around the face etc. This helps your pet be comfortable with the groomer before it needs a haircut.
7 Months Old
It’s time for your Australian Labradoodle’s first haircut!
Arrange your visit to the groomer’s and consider asking for the haircut we suggested – the teddy bear clip.
Sweet Breeze Doodles hopes you found our grooming tips to be helpful.
Visit our website to learn more about how to properly care for your Australian Labradoodle!
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