Routinely grooming your puppy this way will prevent matting and knots from developing, making life easier for your chosen Groomer.
Somewhere between 10 – 18 months of age, your puppy’s coat will change to its adult coat. At This time, extra brushing will be required to remove the moulting puppy coat.
A slicker brush is used to remove the fine tangles that emerge close to the skin. Use the comb for the knotty areas of coat. These brushes are all readily available at all good pet stores in the grooming section or can be purchased from us here.
MAINTAINING THE OODLE COAT
Oodle hair has a lifespan. As the hair dies and more hair grows, if the dead hair is not brushed out of the coat it will cause matting. Brush your Oodle regularly (at least once a week) to remove dead hair and prevent knots or matting. Matting will usually form at the base of the coat near the dog’s skin. Brush the coat in sections. There are special tools that can be purchased to help with this.
It is a good idea to keep certain areas on the dog that are prone to matting trimmed at all times. These are the areas as follows:
- Around the collar.
- Behind and under the ears
- On the rump, in front of the tail.
- Around the flank, in front of the hind legs
To have the adorable “doodle look” , you should only need to scissor cut or clip the coat once or twice a year, if regular brushing is maintained. A good clip every 6 months is a rough guide. You can have your Oodle in an established grooming routine every 8 weeks if you choose to or if you dont have time to brush your dogs coat too often. In summer we take our dogs coats alot shorter for comfort. You can bring your puppy/dog to us for grooming(appt required) or, ask us for advice on a recommended groomer or you can purchase a good set of clippers and learn to do it yourself.
BATHING
We use Washbar products as well as high end Oodle Shampoos/Conditioners. We also use Washbar Neem shampoo, as we live on a rural property and in summer fleas can be an issue for us. Washbar is a favourite product for us as it is 100% natural. There is also a specific gentle puppy shampoo. And the smell of the Washbar products, they are seriously amazing!
As the Oodle breeds have ears that hang down, air flow around the ear is reduced and moisture can become trapped. Keep the hair, under the ear clipped and check the ear canal regularly to ensure it is not inflamed or smelly. If there are signs of infection and irritation your puppy will need vet treatment. A sign that your puppy has an issue with the ears is a lot of head shaking.
You will need to clean the ears regularly, drying them thoroughly after bathing and swimming. I soak up any moisture using a tissue to dry the ear canal. Once again there are products you can use to flush the ear canal out but best you purchase this from the vet so they can explain the process used to clean them properly.
It is a bit of a pain, but your puppy will benefit from having the wool plucked from inside his ear canal. Most groomers will do this. Some vets will recommend this and others do not think it necessary but if you are constantly having concerns with the ears then it should be discussed with your vet. Plucking prevents moisture becoming trapped in the ear causing infection. There are products also available to dry the hair and make it easier to pluck.