Brushing
I will start by saying you can never over-brush your dog, but brushing too little can lead to matting. We recommend that you brush your Doodle no less than once a week, however a quick daily brushing is always best. It’s like they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. We also recommend using a “Slicker Brush” on Doodles. Although it looks like it might hurt your dog since it’s all pointy, it actually feels good on them and it works really well at getting through their entire coat.
Bathing
More times than not the issue isn’t people bathing their dogs too little, but rather too much. As strange as it sounds, if you are bathing your dog several times a week you are actually drying out their skin and stripping their hair of it’s natural oils that keep it looking so magnificent. What we suggest is bathing once a week and simply spot cleaning them in between cleanings and after activity. For example if they run out and get their paws dirty, wash off their paws and don’t give them a whole bath. Obviously there are exceptions, like when they roll in a fresh cow patty or some nasty smell they found somewhere.
Grooming
This one is entirely up to you. I know people who shave their dogs themselves, some people let them grow out to look like shaggy sheepdogs, and others keep them groomed to look more like a traditional Doodle. One thing I would advise you to do if you are wanting a “normal” doodle look when grooming, is taking your Doodle to a experienced groomer who has groomed plenty of other Doodles in the past (and done a good job). Because of how the Doodles hair curls many different directions, if you don’t have experience with it, the results can be quite tragic.
