Nails:

Start handling your doodles paws and cutting their nails when they’re young! This will ensure your pup becomes accustomed to the process. So, let’s start with all the different types of nail trimmers: scissors, grinder tools for dogs (dermal), and guillotine. You can use whichever trimmer you are most comfortable with, or whichever works best for your pup. Be sure to have a first aid kit that has styptic powder or other clotting powder to stop bleeding in case you cut a nail too short. We personally use all 3 types of nail trimmers! All of our dogs are okay with this groomer practice because, we of course, started since the first day we got them. We had a dog who absolutely hated having her paws touched so we couldn’t even think about cutting her nails. We tried positive reinforcement, CBD, weighted blankets and many others. What finally worked was having a lifted dog harness! Oh, what we dog for our fur babies

Ears:

Now that your doodle’s paws are trimmed, we will move onto ear cleaning. Most doodles will have ears just like poodles, floppy. Because of this, your doodle will produce wax in their ears that can build up over time, inhibiting air flow. This can lead to moister being tramped which will lead to infection. To help combat this, use ear cleaning/solution often. Check your doodles ears regularly and be aware of any sign of odor and wax buildup

Bath Time:

To maintain a happy, healthy doodle, you will need to give your pup a bath every 3 weeks. We actually start bath time with all of our puppies within two weeks. They are too young for a bath so we use washcloths with a little bit of shampoo. Once your puppy reaches 6 weeks old, now comes the fun part. Doodles are poodle hybrids, so they can have many types of fur- no size will fit all. However, for our doodle puppies and mom/dad, we use all the same dog shampoo. Our pups don’t mind bath time but don’t love it either, so we give them puppy peanut butter after.

BRUSH:

Doodle fur is actually not fully fur because poodles actually have hair! With all poodle hybrids, this makes them hyper-allergic to some degree. Doodles are very prone to matting which is uncomfortable for your pup and makes your groomers job much harder. Brushing your doodle should be done every other day. You should invest in special type of doodle brush which is actually just a slicker brush. If your doodle gets too matted because of infrequent brushing, then you’ll have no choice but to shave down your fluffy doodle

New hair don’t care:

Going to the groomers for a fresh cut is always exciting for our family. Please leave your precious doodles hair cut to the professionals! I tried cutting Sergeants hair during quarantine and my goodness it turned out hilariously awful. So, contact your local groomers and view their reviews. Most families want their doodles NOT to look like poodles so be sure they have experience in doodle cuts. Poodles normally have a clean face with clean paws. The most popular doodle cut is the teddy bear cut. But of course, your babies cut will be up to you ^_^