Remember to trim the dew claws, Labradoodles are left natural, the dew claws are not removed.

Select a soft child’s toothbrush or one made for dogs. There are rubber finger-toothbrushes to start your dog getting used to having foreign objects in his/her mouth.

Brush up and down on the sides and back and forth on the biting areas of the teeth, the same way you would brush your own teeth.

Give your dog hard cookies/biscuits, pressed rawhide, dentabones, nylabones, boodabones or smoked bones to satisfy their need to chew and keep their teeth free of tartar.

 EYES
Be sure to always keep the hair trimmed around the eyes to prevent the hair from poking into the eyes. Use a damp clean cotton ball and wipe the eye, starting at the outside corner and wipe to the inside corner and then down, pulling the debris out of the eye. Polysporin drops for eyes can be used to soothe the eye. If there is blood, severe redness or pain, consult your veterinarian. Clean your dog’s eyes whenever necessary.

E ARS
Pull the hair from the ear canal with your finger and thumb. Go as far into the ear as you can reach. The use of Ear Powder helps to grip the hair and pull it out. There are several Ear Powders on the market. Do not squirt the powder into the ear – remove the lid, hold the opening against the ear and tap some powder into the outer ear.

Clean the ear with an Ear Cleaner, there are several brands on the market. Use a clean cotton ball or pad, you can squirt some cleaner into the ear, blot up the excess that drains out right away, then use a cotton ball or pad to go into the ear and clean and dry the canal. Or, you can spray the cleaner onto a cotton ball or pad and clean the ear. Repeat this process until the pad or cotton ball comes out clean, be sure to dry the canal. If there is heavy dark matter, blood and/or pain in your dog’s ear, consult a veterinarian.

Pulling the hair out opens the pores and often makes the inside red. Because of this I pull the hair one day and clean the next, as the cleaner can sting and cause irritation.

If you notice your dog holding his head to one side, shaking his/her head more than usual or crying when you rub his ears, consult a veterinarian.

Clean your dog’s ears every time you bathe and groom him/her. If your dog’s ears have yeasty or foul odour, see your veterinarian.

Use only shampoos and conditioners made for dogs! There are many brands and formulas, select the one that is right for your dog. Use puppy shampoo on puppies, always use a no-tears formula on all dogs. Some shampoos and conditioners are in a concentrated form and require mixing with water before use – follow the directions on the label. I use my empty dish detergent bottles to mix the shampoo or conditioner and to apply it. Flea shampoo is to be used with care, read the labels and follow them exactly!

 TOOLS
Slicker brush (soft), Pin brush, Metal comb – combination fine and coarse teeth, Nail clippers, Cotton balls and cotton pads, Ear cleaner, Ear powder, Shampoo, rinse and conditioner, Blow Dryer, Clippers (many brands on the market), Blades: size #10, #2 or #3

BATHING
To bathe your Labradoodle at home brush and comb your Doodle’s coat before the bath, they should be completely tangle free. Have your shampoo and conditioner (if you choose to use one) close at hand. The towels should also be easy to reach. Always use a shampoo and conditioner specifically for use on dogs.

Remove the plug from the tub, unless the feet are really dirty and need soaking, but most times just let the water drain as you bathe the dog. A hand sprayer attached to the shower head is essential. Be sure to get 2 pieces of hose so that you have enough length to be able to rinse all of your dog.

Put the dog in the tub, select a warm temperature (never hot!) and totally wet your Doodle’s coat from head to end of tail and underneath, legs and feet. Avoid getting soapy water in the ears and eyes. If soap does get into the eyes, wash with lots of clear lukewarm water and blot the area dry with a clean towel. Turn off the water and apply the shampoo, use a sponge to apply the shampoo and to work it into the hair and make a lather. If you have left your Doodle in long hair be sure not to scrub back and forth, this causes tangles – work only in one direction.

When your dog has been completely shampooed - do not forget the underside – rinse with warm water. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and when you think you’ve rinsed enough, rinse again. Be sure to remove all the shampoo, tummy, under the tail and the genital area, leave no shampoo residue. If using a conditioner, apply it in the same manner and rinse well.

Turn off the water, blot and squeeze the water from the hair with a towel. Do not rub, use as many towels as are necessary to remove the water. Remove your dog from the tub, use your blow dryer (set on warm, not too hot) and a brush to dry the hair, keep the dryer moving, so as not to burn your dog’s skin or hair. Brush as you go in the direction the hair grows. Wipe out the ears and eyes, as well as under the tail and genitalia. Now you have a clean Doodle.

S HAVE AND GROOM
Labradoodles can be left in their natural state and let the hair grow – this style requires a lot of brushing and combing to keep the coat tangle free. Fleece coats tend to grow faster than wool coats.

A Labradoodle’s coat never stops growing. You decide what is best for you, your home and your dog’s comfort when deciding whether to shave your Labradoodle or not. What is the weather like where you live? Snowballs do form in the dog’s hair, on their legs, tummy and feet. Put your Doodle into the tub using the sprayer, leave the plug in the tub if there are heavy snowballs on their feet; spray warm water onto the snowballs on the body to melt them. Blot the wet hair with a towel and use your blow dryer and a brush to dry their hair. If it is very hot, think of your dog’s comfort.

At about 9 – 14 months Labradoodles go through a coat change – that puppy fluff becomes an adult coat. During this time the hair mats very easily, lots of brushing and combing are needed.

I shave the coats of my Labradoodles to avoid this coat change. Do not shave the hair too short, this will cause a change in texture, often the coat comes in curly (more curly)! Use a #2 or #3 blade on the body and legs in the direction the hair grows.

If you keep your Labradoodle in short hair, you shave first, then bathe the dog. After the bath you re-shave and use scissors to trim the hair on head, face and feet. Clip nails, clean ears, teeth and eyes before you bathe them.

ALWAYS BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET WATER AND SOAP IN THE EARS AND EYES!

After your Labradoodle has been bathed. Dried and brushed, using a #3 or #2 blade, start at the back of the neck, even with the base of the ears. Shave from head to base of tail, shave the entire body and legs in the direction the hair grows. Lift each ear and shave down from the ear to the throat. From the throat down the neck to the chest and between the front legs. Be sure to leave the beard, it starts from the corners of the mouth and forward to the chin and lips on the bottom of the jaw. Shave from the corners of the mouth to the throat to clean up the throat area and to accentuate the beard. DO NOT SHAVE THE HAIR ON THE FACE.  This includes around the eyes or down the bridge of the nose or muzzel.

Scissor the hair on the top of the head in a dome shape and blend the hair into the hair on the ears, trim the beard and make it tidy to complete the symmetrical look of the head. Comb the hair around the muzzle and eyes in the direction the hair grows, comb the hair up around the eye and trim the hair that may poke into the dog’s eyes. Be careful not to poke the eyes with the scissors, use a ball tip scissor in this delicate area. Comb the hair on the muzzle down parting it in the middle of the top of the muzzle. This hair can be thinned with thinning scissors if it is thick and stands up.

Scissor the facial hair so it is symmetrical and blend in to the shape of the head making it look tidy. Some labradoodles look attractive with the top of their heads shaved, use the #3 of #4 blade, leaving their eyes bushy like a schnauzer. No blending at the back of neck is needed as the hair on the head is now the same length as the back of the neck and body. Trim the hair at the bottom of the ear, being careful not to cut the ear leather. In some cases shaving the entire ear with a #4 blade is attractive and suits some head and face shapes. I like to leave my dog’s ears long and I only trim to keep the ends tidy.

The hair above the eyes may need to be trimmed to keep it from falling down into the eyes. With scissors, blend the hair on the back of the head into the hair on the neck. Use scissors to trim around the feet to keep them neat and avoid the pancake look. Trim the hair on the top of the feet to blend into the leg hair, but do not cut the hair so short as to expose the foot and toes. For the bottom of the feet use a #10 blade and shave the hair from around the large foot pad to avoid matting. Do not shave between the toes.

The tail can be trimmed with scissors to be sabre-shaped, and left bushy and full. Trim under the tail to keep the rectum free of long hair. In some cases the tail can be shaved or cut with scissors. Use a #10 blade to shave the tummy area, between the back legs, shave genitalia on females, the sheath on males.

I bathe my Labradoodles once a month. Frequency of bathing your dog is your choice, depending on what your dog gets into, and of course it depends on weather – muddy dogs are not fun.
Always use a dog shampoo/conditioner.

Beth's (IDOGMA) Grooming checklist from IDOG.biz:
http://tinyurl.com/rz7gg


Ann's DIY Grooming instructions:
http://www.dotcomjunkies.com/members/Filly/Grooming.shtml