Labradoodles should have a natural look, even after being groomed. Many groomers are not familiar with the Labradoodle cut. Therefore, it is always a good idea to take a picture of the cut you like to your groomer.
Body Cut
- Brush
- Thin all mats with thinning shears, brush or pull the matt out, trim with scissors all over to the desired length. This works well with fleece to straight coats.
- Or shave your Labradoodle down to about an inch ALL over its body and let the hair grow out. This can be done twice a year and ends with the least amount of grooming required. This works well for curly, wool coats. Leave the head at least 2″ long and leave the tail longer.
Rear End
- Brush
- Thin all mats with thinning shears and brush or pull them out
- Trim short or shave just under tail
- Don’t shave the top of the tail. Make the transition from body to tail gradual
Grooming Ears (underside)
- Remove all hair from the ear canal and shave the underside of ear near the canal. To remove hair, use your fingers, tweezers or ask your vet for a pair of hemostats to pull hair from ear. Just grab, twist and pull. Inner ears should be kept clean and the hair around the ear canal should be shaved away. If your labradoodle has an odor, it is probably the ears that need to be cleaned.
- Thin out or shave with medium blade the hair on neck just under ears to allow ears to lay flat. Usually the coat below the ear flap and along the neck gets matted due to a collar, so shaving will help.
- Inner ears should be kept clean with ear wash monthly.
Grooming Ears (outside)
- Trim outside of ear flap to desired length. The outside of the ear should NOT be a long blunt cut. The entire outside of the ear should have hair of the same length.
- The length of the ear should be cut to a length that when pulled forward, the hair on the ear ends at the nose.
Clean up the Muzzle
- Trim muzzle at an angle starting about 2 inches above the nose angled down into the stop (point where muzzle transitions to head.
- Do not trim like a Wheaton terrier where there is a hair part between the eyes leaving the hair long on both sides, you want a rounded casual look with a slight beard.
- Trim short just inside the eyes almost to a point to allow clear vision.
- You may want to thin with thinning shear under the chin to the neck, an area that can mat easier.
Top of Head
This area as well should be natural. Pull all the head hair forward to above the stop (where muzzle hits the head). Then trim about 3 to 4 inches above the eye. This will make the head hair shorter at the eye to allow for good sight and gradually longer towards the back.
Round off the Feet
- Gradually round feet to pads, round off along the lower toe line, then pull all the hair straight up and cut at about 1 inch. This leaves a natural look.
- Trim all hair under foot between pads
- Trim nails
Wash and Dry after Grooming
- Wash with shampoo and use a conditioner or detangler.
- No need to brush again.