Dog Grooming - how often?

[upsydaisy]

Hi
We have a a labradoodle (surely the most ridiculous named breed ever!!?) she is pretty shaggy - how often should she be getting her fur clipped?

[divegirl]

A 'labradoodle' is not a breed. It is a mongrel! You bought one.....yet you think it has a ridiculous name!!!!!!!

As for how often it needs clipping? How long is a piece of string? I can't see if it's coat is to long. If it is to long.....get it clipped.....simples!

[upsydaisy]

Yeees we bought one cos she's beautiful with a beautiful nature - I was merely commenting on the stupid sounding name for such a cool dog.

I was hoping someone knowledgeable would be able to give me a helpful answer to my question - how silly of me :-)

[blackcat77]

I can't answer your question re your dog getting clipped, but I'm sure that someone who reads this question will know - I just wanted to say please do not judge us all by the reply you have had so far - there are some very pleasant, polite and knowledgeable people who post on this site.

[Therema]

I hope this help you hun :)

I don't understand about the different coats. Which is easiest to care for and most allergy friendly?
A

Unfortunately the two do not really go together.

WAVY or HAIR coats are easiest to care for. Require no trimming, except perhaps around the eyes and chin, and very little grooming. But most of them will shed in varying degrees. Shedding has not conclusively been linked to allergy friendliness however.

CURLY or WOOL coats do not shed at all. But they do require trimming or clipping two or three times a year. They also need to be groomed thoroughly about once each week or so. They are the 'safest' coat type around people who have dog related allergies or asthma. Curly Wool Coat

SHORT STRAIGHT COATS "Flat Coat" These are always more hair, than wool or fleece textured, and will definitely shed to some degree. Are lowest maintenance of all, and can sometimes not be allergy friendly. An experienced breeder can usually tell either at birth or by six to eight weeks which way a short straight coat ( flat coat) is likely to go. Very few multi generation Labradoodles have flat coat any more, although it is still common amongst the earlier generation Labradoodles.

FLEECE Coats (USED TO BE CALLED 'BORDERLINE) These are a relatively new coat type and still being developed. Some are wavier or curlier than others, but they all have the distinctive 'fleecy' feel to them which is different to the wool or hair coats. Just as the Angora Goat has fleecy stapled coat, so does the fleece coat in the Labradoodle. Best examples do not have any kemp fibres, once again like the top quality Angora fleece. Until recently the Fleece coats were called "Borderline" coats. But because they were being confused with 'look alike' coats in earlier generations, which don't have the same feel or low shedding trait the name was changed to Fleece, more in keep

[fredpuli47]

Wait and see!

Labradoodles?.Some moult , some don't.That's why they are not ' a breed' They don't breed true for generations. If you had a first generation cross of poodle sire and lab dam you'd know what to expect. The first pup from that mating would generally be the same as any other from that mating and the lab sire/ poodle dam mating would produce every pup generally the same as the first one from that mating.But labradoodles may be the product of several generations of matings of labradoodles and may have had poodle or labrador matings with labradoodle in between. That alone would explain the differences in coat between different 'labradoodles'

All you can do is have this coat cut back into a short all over 'lamb clip' now and keep trimiming it and grooming it to keep it tidy and free of knots thereafter.Cutting short is going to be needed once every two or three months. It sounds as though this is a non-moulter. .

[garner]

We meet one regular on our walks, and the owner has her boy cut in the lamb shape.He is a gorgeous boy and very friendly.But I cannot tell you how often she has him cut.g

[jules77]

As others have already pointed out, the Labradoodle is not a breed, and as such, no two dogs will have the same type coat. You will have to treat it as you would any other mongrel, and have the coat clipped if and when you feel necessary.

Off topic I know, but what possesses any breeder to mate their beautiful purebred dog to a different breed raises the question that it can only be for monetary gain, and the ignorance of buyers that are drawn in by these so called 'designer dogs' are only supporting them in my opinion. Your dog may be beautiful, and good luck with her, but maybe you will think twice next time when you can buy a pure bred dog for less, and get the full support and after sales service of an established breeder.

[fredpuli47]

Well, jules, the labradoodle was bred for a purpose. It was bred in Australia by someone who was trying to breed an ideal assistance dog. The cross was tried as one that should suit. It ought not to moult, it's a good size, it ought to be a good learner (the poodle being one of the most intelligent breeds) and it may have the calm temperament of the labrador without the bounciness of the poodle.In that respect it is no different from true breeds, such as the Dobermann ( bred for a tax-collector) !

Trouble is (and this can happen to pedigree breeds) fashion takes over and in no time people are breeding 'anything and everything' to produce the pups.

I plead gulity to having cockerpoos. They are here because of an accident, when the poodle got in with the Am cocker bitch ! I didn't know there was such a deliberate cross but fancied that the result would be worth keeping to term rather than terminating . This proved correct. They've proved delightful, intelligent dogs. (The character, intelligence and activity are far more poodle than cocker and they don't moult, though the coat has a cocker element to it. . I gave some pups to Hearing Dogs for the Deaf, where they proved such a success that the organisation has, reportedly, since had the same cross repeated 'in house'.. One of 'mine' was a star of their demonstration at Cruft's one year and has featured for them on TV, so a cross can be useful.

What I don't hold with is the mating of breeds just for novelty and fashion, a marketing exercise just for those people who must have something different with a silly name to match.

[upsydaisy]

Dear God I merely asked about getting my dogs hair cut - not a lecture on the ethics on breeding. Its not like we are supporting the type of breed that causes discomfort or health problems to the dog. We had researched qualities of temperament that we hoped would make a suitable family - and we have been delighted with our choice.
Black cat and Therema thanks for your replies- shame there aren't a few more like you on this site x