Congratulations! You’ve just purchased a dog with a high-maintenance coat! We don’t want to break that to you gently. You need to know before you purchase a Goldendoodle that their coats need daily maintenance. Yes, you can skip a day or two, but just know that you’ll need to spend time and money to keep your pup’s coat well managed and mat-free.
Your doodle’s coat will change over time. Aside from the gradual fading we expect in our doodles (see the DNA discussion here), your dog’s puppy coat will gradually give way to its adult coat. Puppy coats tend to be softer and looser than the adult coat. Little maintenance may be required at the beginning. [Fun tip: check your pup’s hind end frequently to make sure the fur around his anus isn’t matted with poo, which will physically block your pup’s ability to eliminate fully or at all. Yuck!]
Don’t be surprised if around age 6-8 months if your pup is suddenly shedding a lot, looking extra shaggy, or developing lots of tangles and mats. This is because he’s either blowing his puppy coat all at once or the adult coat is growing in curlier than his puppy coat. Curlier coats mean more maintenance but also little to no shedding. Wavy or straight-ish, fleecy coats need daily to weekly maintenance but also shed little. Smooth coats (no furnishings) will need very little maintenance but are high shedders. It’s a trade off. Based on our DNA genetics study, we expect our puppies to have some degree of wavy/curly/straight-ish coats. We do not expect any smooth or flat coats.
Even if your puppy’s coat needs little maintenance in the beginning, it’s best to start brushing NOW so you both get used to the grooming process. We recommend line brushing. You can learn how to do this here or here. You will need to take your doodle to a professional groomer every 6-ish weeks or learn how to do full grooming at home. Either way, maintaining your Goldendoodle’s coat is a MUST. They mat easily, and mats are painful for your pup. Don’t feel discouraged if your groomer has to do a full shave down occasionally because you’ve let mats form. It happens. Just do better the next time. Talk with your groomer. Ask them to show you how to properly maintain the coat between grooms. Ask for their recommendations on detanglers and brushes. We like to keep Kona in a close clip because it cuts down the daily grooming time. I like to keep her legs and feet fluffier, so I brush those almost daily. Kona tends to get mats behind her ears, so I know to give those areas extra attention, and her groomer keeps the hair shorter there to help. When not pregnant or nursing, Kona goes to the groomer every 6 weeks. I do not bathe her between appointments unless she has gotten filthy or muddy. Even then, sometimes only a leg and belly bath is needed.
Unless your pup has rolled in something foul, he shouldn’t smell. If you can smell your dog coming, he may not need a bath. He might have an ear infection! Doodles’ floppy ears are adorable, but they also create a lovely place for bacteria and yeast to grow. The floppy ears tend to decrease the air flow to the ear and trap moisture. Ask your vet for recommendations on ear care, especially if your doodle likes to swim. Zymox is a good resource, too.
Keep your pup’s nails clipped. Long nails can change the way a dog walks and can affect his physical structure as he ages. It’s important to stay on top of this for your dog’s health and comfort. Your groomer should trim nails as part of a full groom, but you’ll probably also need a quick trim between visits. There are lots of good videos on YouTube to show you how to trim nails, especially black nails. Your pup has had weekly nail trims while with us. We like to trim them while they sleep! Dogs generally don’t like their feet to be touched. We work on desensitizing our puppies to this. We play with their feet. We touch their toes and nails. You should do this, too, to get them accustomed to being handled.
