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Australian Labradoodle Grooming Guide

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Choosing a Groomer

Before you bring your Australian Labradoodle to the groomer, ask if they have had previous experience clipping Australian Labradoodles.  Don’t assume they know what to do, be proactive and ask for references. Don’t let them Poodle your Doodle! Tell your groomer that you want a “teddy bear clip.” The coat should loosely follow the shape of the body and be a very relaxed and natural look. Show your groomer some photos from our website so that they know exactly how you expect the clip to look.

Labradoodle coats require a regular brushing and grooming routine. There are some simple things you can do to help your dog’s coat stay free of mats and maintain that adorable look we all love. We hope these tips help you keep your dog’s coat looking great in-between the visits to your groomer, and we hope you can make your Labradoodles grooming experience a fun and positive one!

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Australian Labradoodles continually grow their coat, they need to be clipped regularly or they can end up too long for you to maintain, and then they will mat. How often you have your Australian Labradoodle trimmed will depend on how fast their coat grows, your personal preferences in how long you leave them, how much maintenance you want to do at home, and how often you have them groomed professionally. You can expect to bathe and completely blow out their coat every 3-4 weeks, and plan to have them trimmed approximately every 6-8 weeks.

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Brushing:

The amount of brushing needed is dependant upon your Labradoodle’s individual coat, the length you keep it, and what their activities are. For an adult Australian Labradoodle, you should allow on average, 60 minutes every two weeks for brushing time. If your Labradoodle is active in the water or hiking in nature areas, you may have to run a brush through them more often to remove debris or loosen hair clumping during the drying process post-swimming. Don’t try to brush wet hair as it is very elastic and can break off or mat tighter. Wait until your dog is dry, then run a slicker through their coat.


Purchasing a small grooming table and arm, and training them to stand still during brushing and drying will save your back. But be warned that you need to always have a hand on your dog when they are on the grooming table or attached to a grooming arm. Never leave them or turn away or they can try to jump off the table and injure themselves.


When your Labradoodle has short hair, an inch or two, regular brushing with a slicker can work just fine. Once the hair gets longer, it is important to make sure you are reaching all the way to the base of the hair by adding a metal greyhound comb. If loose hair is not removed near the skin, mats can begin to form.

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If you take a matted dog to your groomer, the only alternative will be to shave the hair under the matting and close to the skin.


In separating your dogs coat with your hand, you can brush and comb all the way to the skin. Work backwards from the feet up to the body, and the tail to the head. Brush in the direction of the hair, but add small amounts of coat to each stroke. At approximately eight months old a puppy coat needs more frequent brushing during its changeover to the adult coat. This is to remove the puppy coat so it doesn’t tangle and get matted as the adult coat is growing in.

Bathing:

Australian Labradoodles need bathed and brushed out approximately once a month. Puppies can be bathed as needed. Use a natural, gentle dog shampoo/conditioner that rinses out thoroughly. If you are going to bath your Australian Labradoodle at home, be sure to brush through the coat completely first. If you do it the other way around, any mats will get tighter when you get them wet.

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Mats:

You can thin a mat with a thinning shears, but be careful to cut the mat at the length you want your Labradoodle’s coat to end up, or you can cut with the natural grain of the hair. You don’t want to unknowingly create a swiss cheese effect with holes in the length of the coat. Also, watch that you do not pull on the mat while you are cutting it, and be aware of how closely the skin may be to your scissors. We also use a dematting tool to help break a mat into a smaller piece for easier removal. Then brush, comb, or gently work any mats out.

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Drying:

We recommend hand drying your Australian Labradoodle and blowing the air in the natural direction of the coat. Purchasing a commercial hair dryer is worth the investment and will speed up the drying process. You can also do some brushing and combing when your dog is mostly dry, but again, don’t try to brush wet hair as it is very elastic and can break off or mat tighter.

Head:

The lovable teddy bear look of your Australian Labradoodle is enjoyed every time you look at them, and every time you take them out and others look at them. No matter what length the body is trimmed, that adorable teddy bear face can make up the difference in winning hearts everywhere they go. A picture is worth a thousand words, so the photos and grooming card below (coming soon) will help to clarify the following worded instructions you will need to convey to your groomer to get exactly the look you want to see. It is best to print out the grooming card and take it with you at each visit to your groomer.

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Eyes:

Use a thinning shears to clip the inside corner of the eyes in an inverted V pattern. This creates a more natural look and keeps the hair from poking at or covering their eyes. It also makes it easier to clean any matter out from the corner in the morning.

Feet:

Keeping your Labradoodles paws shaped nicely will help less water and debris attach to their feet as they are coming and going. We start trimming around their paws by around 10-12 weeks of age to get them used to the action of having their feet picked up and worked with. You want to go around the bottom edge of their paw in a nice, rounded shape, snipping off longer hair so that it does not hit the ground. Your groomer can trim hair from the bottom of their feet with a clipper and a #30 blade. Nails should be trimmed regularly (every 4-6 weeks) depending on wear.

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Tail:

Their tail should be brushed, combed, and then trimmed to a natural look. The hair under their tail should also be trimmed to keep the area clean.

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Labradoodle Grooming Tools & Supplies
  • Grooming Table

  • Grooming Arm with attachment

  • Commercial  Dryer

  • Slicker Brush

  • Metal Comb with Wide and Narrow 'Teeth”

  • Dematting Tool

  • Round Ended Scissors

  • Thinning Shears

  • Nail Clippers

  • Styptic Powder for accidents Shampoo with Conditioner

  • Ear Wash-Rebalancing Solution

  • Ear Powder

  • Electric clippers

  • #10 blade#30 clipper blade

  • Set of Extension Combs

  • Clipper Spray Coolant

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Grooming Card:

Click on the image of the grooming card to download a PDF file for printing.

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