Common to none-shedding breeds, the Australian Labradoodle has a single coat, meaning he does not have a fluffy undercoat. He will shed out his puppy coat between 10 to 14 months which by this time has grown long. During this time, his puppy coat will need to be stripped out with a daily brushing or the adult coat will mat with the puppy hairs that are falling out. We found that if we missed a day or two of doing this, the coat matted close to the skin quickly, and our groomer recommended a short clipping to remedy the situation.
Our dogs play and wrestle with each other all day, which compounded the matting. This did not occur once the adult coat grew in, and we brushed their coats at least once a week to remove falling hairs (their hairs fall out like ours do). Curly coats are cared for differently than wavy coats:
Our dogs play and wrestle with each other all day, which compounded the matting. This did not occur once the adult coat grew in, and we brushed their coats at least once a week to remove falling hairs (their hairs fall out like ours do). Curly coats are cared for differently than wavy coats:
Wavy Fleece Coats: These coats can be brushed as often as you like without damaging the hair fibers. The hairs are wider and less fragile.
Curly Fleece Coats: Brushing the curly fleece coat too often breaks apart the tendrils into a big fluffy frizzy cloud which attracts dirt and moisture, causing matting to occur. Brush the curly coat no more than once every two or three weeks.
Curly Fleece Coats: Brushing the curly fleece coat too often breaks apart the tendrils into a big fluffy frizzy cloud which attracts dirt and moisture, causing matting to occur. Brush the curly coat no more than once every two or three weeks.
Brushing "thoroughly":
Start at the feet, and brush a section of hair upwards. Hold it in place with one hand. Then take small sections and brush it back down using a few short strokes at a time. Work your way up the leg one layer at a time to be sure you have removed any loose hairs close to the skin. Lightly sprinkled talcum powder may help to break up any mats close to the skin.
Bathing:
The coat naturally repels dirt and moisture. When wet and muddy, it will dry up and fall off. The more you bathe your doodle, the more of this protective shield you will wash away, and the more you will have to. My dogs swim in our pond, and come home atrociously muddy and smelling of pond flora at times. I put them in a crate with an old towel down until they dry off, and when they come out, the dirt is in the crate, and not on the dog. The pond smell is gone too. However if you must bathe him, comb the mats out first or the water will "set them".
Start at the feet, and brush a section of hair upwards. Hold it in place with one hand. Then take small sections and brush it back down using a few short strokes at a time. Work your way up the leg one layer at a time to be sure you have removed any loose hairs close to the skin. Lightly sprinkled talcum powder may help to break up any mats close to the skin.
Bathing:
The coat naturally repels dirt and moisture. When wet and muddy, it will dry up and fall off. The more you bathe your doodle, the more of this protective shield you will wash away, and the more you will have to. My dogs swim in our pond, and come home atrociously muddy and smelling of pond flora at times. I put them in a crate with an old towel down until they dry off, and when they come out, the dirt is in the crate, and not on the dog. The pond smell is gone too. However if you must bathe him, comb the mats out first or the water will "set them".
How to Pluck your Australian Labradoodle's Ear Hair:
You will need to keep the hair plucked from the inside of your dog’s ear or bacteria accumulates on the hair and leads to excess moisture and an ear infection will follow. Here is a great tutorial that teaches you how to do it:
You will need to keep the hair plucked from the inside of your dog’s ear or bacteria accumulates on the hair and leads to excess moisture and an ear infection will follow. Here is a great tutorial that teaches you how to do it:
Removing Mats from your Dog's Coat:
This is a wonderful video by Courtney Marshall on how to remove a mat from your dogs coat:
