BEAUTIFUL HAPPY HEALTHY
Juniper Ridge
AUSTRALIAN LABRADOODLES
GROOMING
A GREAT START
Grooming will be a part of life for your puppy, so we think it is important to make it great! We start clipping puppy nails at 5 days old and continue every week thereafter. Our puppies associate clipping and brushing with attention and treats, and love it! Continue to make grooming a good time; be patient, reward with treats and praise while you clip nails and brush. Continue to clip nails every 2-3 weeks, just a little tiny bit off each time!
SUPPLIES
Even if you plan to have your dog professionally groomed you will want to keep the following on hand: a good brush, comb, de-matting comb, nail clippers and blunt tip and thinning scissors. See our Puppy Prep Supply List page for links to our favorites.
PUPPY TRIMMING
Before the first visit to the groomer your puppy willl need some trimming around his eyes and possibly his feet at home. The hair that grows up from the bridge of the nose can cover your puppy's eyes and begin to obstruct his vision. You can trim this back using thinning scissors (preferred) or blunt tip scissors. Trim an inverted V shape across the nose on a diagonal. The thinning scissors will give a softer, less choppy look. Trim around the feet in a large circle, to keep the floppy look but remove the extra hair that your puppy is stepping on. Let your puppy's bangs grow down, these will part off to the side- you can "thin" the very center bangs if you must :)
PUPPY COAT TO ADULT COAT
Your puppy's "puppy coat" will begin to transition to his "adult coat" somewhere between 6-8 months, and this process may last 3-5 months. While the adult coat is establishing, you will need to brush multiple times a week, this is the best time for your puppy's first professional trim. During this transition staying ahead of matting can become a challenge and you will see some shedding of the puppy coat as well. If you keep the body of the coat around 1 1/2" to 2" the transition will be easier
The Australian Labradoodle groom is a relatively simple one, however it is a "newer" style that many groomers are not yet familiar with. The Australian Labradoodle has beautiful furnishings that are unique to the breed and lend to its floppy, teddy bear like appearance. These furnishings should not be trimmed too short, and this is what gives some groomers trouble. Talk with your groomer and ask if they are familiar with the Australian Labradoodle groom as opposed to a regular Labradoodle, Poodle or Schnauzer groom. A picture is worth a thousand words so share pictures and the instructions below with your favorite groomer.
Click HERE for a printable copy
GROOMING GUIDE
HEAD
1. Use scissors and thinning scissors only, never use clippers when trimming the head and face.
2. The top of the head should round off to the ears, but be long and floppy
3. Outside of the eyes should be long. This is a part of the eyebrow and should taper down to meet the length of the front tip of the ear (at the leather). Be careful to never trim the actual eyelashes which can be quite long 1 1/2 to 2" on the ALD.
4. The muzzle should be trimmed vertically, no horizontal lines should show. The entire muzzle should have a layered round shape if you are looking straight at it-like the base of a fat pineapple!
5. Chin should be trimmed as part of the round muzzle (no long beard)
6. Ears should be trimmed to the leather around the edge and layered long and natural looking. Fur inside and just under the ear should be trimmed short to promote air flow.
7. Fur in between the eyes should be trimmed to have a soft, natural look - not choppy.
BODY
1. The body should be trimmed to loosely follow the dog's shape, to create a free flowing and natural look. If desired for sporting, easier maintenance and/or during the puppy coat transitional stage the body can be clipped shorter, but no shorter than 2 inches.
LEGS & FEET
1. Legs should be trimmed to look like a column, so the foot is not seen. The fur around the legs may be longer than the rest of the body to create this appearance. Fur underneath the foot should be trimmed flat against the bottom of the foot.
2. Nails should be kept short, they should not touch the floor when the dog is standing upright, and should not be seen from under the fur coat of the leg/foot.
TAIL
1. The tail should be brushed out and trimmed to match the coat on the legs; long, neat, and full.
Visit the Worldwide Australian Labradoodle Association (WALA) and the Australian Labradoodle Association of America (ALAA) for more excellent information on grooming.
