Goldendoodle Grooming 101: A Complete Guide

One of the most prized fur babies in the world is the Goldendoodle. This designer dog has come a long way into popularity thanks to its teddy bear-like coat and loyal demeanor. Bred from a standard poodle and a Golden Retriever, a Goldendoodle needs to have a proper grooming routine due to its fluffy pet hair, adorable ears, and the like.

With that said, how do you properly groom a Goldendoodle? We’ll find out about that in this article, as we list down the basic grooming tips to keep your Goldendoodle clean, healthy, presentable, and most of all, good-looking.

Grooming is an important part of pet keeping – and dog breeds such as the Goldendoodle are no exception. They especially need grooming due to their coat so if you want to find out more, check out our tips below.

At what age do you start grooming a Goldendoodle grooming?

You can take your Goldendoodle to the grooming salon as early as 5 to 6 months. Your pup will undergo a full clipping procedure so make sure you choose a groomer who is reputable among pet owners. By having a professional groomer, your pet will be in good hands and they won’t likely get injured while being groomed.

Once you get into the pet salon, the groomer will first give your Goldendoodle a full bath. Then, he or she will trim the basic areas of your Goldendoodle, such as the ear hair, tail, and under the belly. However, when it comes to hairstyle, you’re the one to choose however you want it long or short.

When should a Goldendoodle puppy get his first grooming?

A Goldendoodle puppy can be groomed starting from 5 to 6 months. That’s because during this period, your pup will start shedding their old, puppy coat, and it will become replaced with an adult coat. The new coat will vary depending on the genetics of your Goldendoodle.

Some Goldendoodles will grow to have wavy and curly coats while others have straight coats. A Goldendoodle with a wavy coat will require more maintenance.

How often to groom a Goldendoodle?

Once your Goldendoodle started the whole grooming routine, you should take them to the grooming salon every 6 to 8 weeks or as needed. Take note that this period would be appropriate for a Goldendoodle with moderate clipping.

If your dog lives in a hot climate, they’ll need to have shorter hair, in which you’ll have to take them to the doggy salon every 8 to 10 weeks. Even though the Goldendoodle isn’t much of a shedder as a dog breed, they still require grooming and clipping at a regular schedule.

When it comes to Goldendoodles, grooming is a matter of coat type. A Goldendoodle could have a wavy, curly, or straight coat – this will vary the amount of effort needed to maintain their coat, the frequency of the grooming routine, and many other factors in between.

A Goldendoodle with a straight coat will require less maintenance and only needs a couple of brushings. On the other hand, if your dog has a wavy or curly coat, it will be a little more complicated since you need to regularly brush the coat to avoid matting.

Any dog with curly coats will be prone to skin infections if matting occurs. Curly coats should be brushed daily while wavy coats can be brushed weekly.

How to groom a Goldendoodle

So, how exactly do you groom a Goldendoodle? Here are the basic services that your dog salon groomer can give to your pet (and you can, too, with a little practice):

Face Grooming

Grooming your Goldendoodle’s face should be done with care but is important to prevent skin conditions. Grooming their face involves the ears and the topknot. Most pet lovers prefer a long topknot so that they can tie a bow or hair accessory into their lovely canine friend.

There are many different combinations on grooming your doodle’s face, which we’ll get to below in the grooming styles section.

Topknot

You can also trim off your Goldendoodle’s topknot or top by using blunt-tipped scissors to keep danger away from their face. Some pet owners prefer a subtle and flatter topknot. You can also use thinning shears to blend it out.

Grooming Ears

Trimming the ears is a delicate and often difficult task. Whether you do it or your groomer does it, keeping the ears less fluffy will help reduce the likelihood of ear infections and matting.

When trimming the ears, first, you start with using a steel comb. Brush the ears as gently as possible. Then, find the natural shape of your dog’s ear and using blunt-tipped scissors, cut off excess dog hair as needed. Be careful and keep your dog still when grooming to avoid accidents.

Do this on both sides and you’ll have well-trimmed ears. It takes a bit of practice at first since your dog could be a little scared with grooming tools. For a Goldendoodle, a good rule of thumb is to pull their ears towards the nose. If they’re an equal match, congratulations – you’ve successfully trimmed the basic length of your dog’s ears!

The next step is up to you – use your thinning shears to thin out your dog’s ear coat so that the lines will be blended. You can adjust how blended or thin your dog’s ears would be. After that, step back a little and look for any stray hair.

Eyes

Grooming your dog’s hair near their eyes is important so that they’ll see properly. To trim your Goldendoodle’s eyes safely, make sure you are using blunt-tipped scissors to lessen the likelihood of injury. Imagine a triangle forming from the top of the nose and between the eyes of the dog.

With that in mind, cut out the triangle shape to remove the excess hair that blocks your dog’s sight. Then, use thinning shears to remove any unsightly lines.

Teeth

Brushing your Goldendoodle’s teeth is important to avoid dental issues and bad doggy breath. Although it’s a little tricky at first, it takes time and practice. As with pet shampoos, always use pet toothpaste and toothbrush in cleaning their teeth because human toothpaste isn’t good for your dog’s tummy.

Moreover, dog toothpaste has a special formulation that dogs will love to taste. To start, have a little of the toothpaste as a test to see if your Goldendoodle will lick and like it. If not, try a different flavor or brand. The important factor is that your Goldendoodle will like the toothpaste so they won’t have a problem with their teeth being brushed.

Body

The adult coat develops at around 5 to 7 months. It’s best to wait for the adult coat to come out so that when you regularly take your puppy to the groomer, the coat will become soft and won’t be damaged before growth.

The grooming style of a Goldendoodle’s body should match their facial cut, as well as ears, tails, feet, and topknot.

Bottom

Keeping dog poop traces away from your Goldendoodle’s skin is important to avoid infections and the like. To groom your Goldendoodle’s rear, you’ll need a clipper, scissors, and a comb. However, since most dogs get anxious with the loud, buzzing sound of a clipper, you’ll need to train your dog a little bit.

First, have them get used to the clipper by running it from time to time. You can take your dog to the grooming salon or do this on your own – but we prefer DIY because it’s a great bonding opportunity for you and your pet. However, since it is a delicate task, if you’re not that sure about your pet handling skills, it’s okay to leave it to the experts for now.

Nails Clipping

Although the Goldendoodle is a very active breed and thus, they’ll probably get natural nail trimming when playing outside, it still pays to check their nails from time to time.

Trimming nails is usually tricky in any pet, especially a Goldendoodle with black nails, which makes the quick difficult to see. To avoid disasters, only trim the sharp points and use a quality-made and safe dog nail trimmer.

Tail

For a Goldendoodle, you can choose from 3 common styles: short feathered, plumed or feathered, and non-feathered and clipped. It depends on whether you want your dog to be more like a poodle or a Golden Retriever.

Feet

For trimming the fur around the feet, you can choose from either poodle (clean) or round feet. To lessen tracking around the house, clean feet work better although you’ll find many Goldendoodles bearing a round feet trim to make them look fluffier. An in-between style, also known as the tight or cat feet, may also work for you.

Bathing

Bathing a Goldendoodle is best done once a month or as needed (if they wallow in the mud, for example). Don’t over-bathe your dog because that could irritate their skin.

When bathing your dog, always go over the important parts to keep them clean, such as behind the ears, on the rear, paws, tail, and the like. You can also add toys during bath time to help them enjoy the experience.

Goldendoodle Grooming Styles

When it comes to face grooming, the Goldendoodle has four common cuts:

1. The first facial grooming involves a clean face with full ears and a medium topknot. This gives your dog a more classic poodle look, since, after all, they did come from poodles, originally.

If you prefer your Goldendoodle to have full ears for a sophisticated look, this is a great choice for you. However, keep in mind that having full ears for your Goldendoodle means that you’re required to brush the ears more often to avoid infection and matting.

2. The next look involves a close clipping of the ears, a short topknot, and a fuzzy face. This cut is more ideal for folks who prefer their dog’s ears not to be fluffy to avoid ear infections. If your breeder told you that the puppy had a history of ear infections from their parents, it’s best to go for this look.

Overall, we think that this look best matches most pet owners who prefer a clean and prudent look for their Goldendoodle. It also works ideally for the summer and hot climates. You still retain the fluffiness of the Goldendoodle due to the fuzzy face.

3. The third look is a medium topknot, full face, and short but fluffy ears. It’s almost like the first one except that the ears aren’t full and the face is fluffy. This is yet another popular cut for Goldendoodles due to the adorable look. It might work well for Goldendoodles who tend to have a smaller frame than others.
4. The fourth look is a set of long ears, a long topknot, and a long face with a beard. If you want a fluffy look for your dog, this is the kind of cut you should request from your dog groomer. Keep in mind that while this look doesn’t require frequent trips to the salon, it does require a lot of upkeep when you get home. Prepare sufficient amounts of shampoo and grooming time.

On the other hand, when grooming your Goldendoodle’s body, there are generally 3 types of cuts for them:

1. A 3/4-inch all-over clip is recommended for smaller dogs and if you want a fluffy dog.
2. A second variation of the 3/4-inch all-over clip is a type of cut with a longer-length leg coat, which is also called the lamb clip. This type of cut is ideal for snowy or cold weather.
3. If you prefer your Goldendoodle to have a classic poodle lock, go for a 1-inch all-over clip combined with fluffy ears. This type of cut is best for slightly warmer weather.

What grooming tools will you need for your Goldendoodle?

So, what are the tools that you’ll need to groom your Goldendoodle properly? Here are our recommendations for each:

Brush

For a Goldendoodle, we recommend the Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush, which is good at removing matted and tangled hair. It has a regular design common to most slicker brushes and will be easy to hold due to its handle design.

This tool has fine bent wires that get into the undercoat but doesn’t go near the skin so it will be safe for your pet. It is also easy to clean using the button that retracts the bristles. Aside from that, it has a comfortable and non-slip grip for user comfort.

Shears & Scissors

Your Goldendoodle will love the Chibuy Professional Pets Grooming Scissors Set because it already comes with a set of dull-pointed scissors for safety, plus thinning shears. This will allow you to safely cut around your dog’s eyes and ears. If you will often trim your dog’s face, this is a great set to have.

The handle is made of TPR, which is easy to handle and non-toxic. On the other hand, quality stainless steel material is used for the blades. This assures that your dog scissors will cut properly, as sharp blades will less likely bounce back on the user.

Hair Clippers

If you want to clip your Goldendoodle’s coat, the HANSPROU Dog Shaver Clippers are for you. It has a 35-tooth cutter head and a low noise level of only 50 dB. It comes with 4 guard combs to evenly trim your dog’s coat, especially if you are a beginner at measuring the correct length of your dog’s coat.

Made with aluminum alloy, this dog clipper is a 12V tool that can be used for extended hours since it is corded. It easily cuts their coat with less likelihood of jamming or hurting their skin. The quiet-running motor and the lightweight feel make it convenient for first-time users.

Clipper Blades

For an even cut, the Andis 64240 CeramicEdge Carbon-Infused Steel Pet Clipper Blade is a great Goldendoodle clipping blade to consider. It is made with a chrome finish that’s rust-resistant and is made with carbonized steel for durability.

This blade size will leave a 1/8-inch cut. What’s more, the ceramic cutting technology helps cool it down to avoid getting dull quickly. It will work with most dog clippers due to its standard size.

Nail Clipper

The HAWATOUR Dog Nail Clippers will work just fine for a Goldendoodle since it’s ideal for various breed sizes. It has sharp blade edges made of stainless steel plus it has a safety lock mechanism. Moreover, it has rubber-coated handles for comfort.

Due to the semi-circular blades, making precise cuts will be a breeze. It also comes with a nail file to trim your dog’s nails properly.

Tables

To keep your pet in place, the Master Equipment Grooming Table is a great consideration. This grooming table is made with a laminated wood composite top with PVC coating. It comes with a clamp-on style grooming arm and an 18-inch grooming loop to secure your dog. What’s more, it will accommodate dogs up to 220 lbs. of weight.

Dryers

After bathing, a good dryer to consider is the SHELANDY 3.2HP Stepless Adjustable Speed Pet Hair Force Dryer. This tool allows you to dry your pet without much noise. It comes with 4 nozzle types and the hose can be expanded up to 73 inches in length. It has a variable speed of 65 to 135 mph.

This dryer has a 2-foot-long power cord and the motor doesn’t run too loud. Moreover, we like that it has 2 options for heating so that you’ll dry your dog faster. Two colors are available (pink and blue) to match your preferences. It is backed by a 1-year warranty.

Shampoo

We recommend the Burt’s Bees For Dogs Natural Itch Soothing Shampoo with Honeysuckle as dog shampoo for your Goldendoodle. It contains natural ingredients, which will help with itch. It is also pH balanced so it is safe for both adult dogs and puppies.

Moreover, it is a vet-recommended formula and it doesn’t contain sulfates, parabens, fragrances, phthalates, colorants, or SLS.

Goldendoodle Grooming Tips

If you want to know more about Goldendoodle grooming, here are a couple of handy tips:

1. Use blunt-tipped scissors. It helps a lot if you have safe grooming equipment because it will less likely create accidents when trimming around your dog’s face.
2. Don’t ruffle their coat while bathing. This could only lead to tangles and mats when they get dried. Instead, shampoo your dog in a single direction only.
3. Make sure to completely dry your dog’s hair after bath time to avoid added tangles. When your dog rolls around the grass and they have wet hair, it’ll easily catch dirt.
4. To avoid tangles, you can use a thinning scissor. These special scissors look like a combination of a comb and a scissor and are used to make the cut more blended.

Q&A

Do you want to know more about Goldendoodle grooming? Here are a couple of frequently asked questions about that:

Question: My Goldendoodle licks paws after grooming! What should I do?

Answer:  Licking or scratching the area where you’ve clipped the dog usually comes from razor rash or clipper burn. Look closely at your dog’s skin if it is reddish. Either your Goldendoodle is just a little extra sensitive or you might have clipped too close.

When this happens, you can ask the groomer what to do, or if there’s already some skin problem, you can try talking to your vet.

Question: What to do when grooming a very anxious Goldendoodle?

Answer: If your Goldendoodle is anxious, you can start by massaging their different parts, such as the belly, paws, groin, and ears. When they get comfortable, that’s when you can start grooming gently.

Some pet owners also groom while feeding so that their dog is distracted. You can also use treats as rewards for positive behavior. Always gently talk to your dog so they won’t associate grooming with fear.

You can also introduce the grooming tools to your Goldendoodle before you start. This will help them become more familiarized with such tools. Try running the motor so that they won’t be scared of it when they hear the sound or the vibration.