Grooming Goldendoodles

We have not had a dog in years before bringing Apollo home and never had we had a dog this big. While Goldendoodles come in a variety of sizes, we managed to get one of the largest. It wasn't long before I realized I was going to have to learn more about grooming Goldendoodles. Apollos has a long, curly, thick coat, huge paws, and a very, poofy tail. The sticker shock that came with our first visit to a professional groomer might have also encouraged me to do a little digging.

I decided I'd see how much of the grooming I could safely do myself. Fortunately, the world was ready to help me because I found all kinds of tools, tips and techniques on the web but I had to hunt past all of the commercial websites to find the most useful resources. Most of these will be valuable information for any dog owner looking for assistance with their pet grooming regimen.

After the bath, I use a two-step process for drying Apollo. First, I gather as many towels as I think I'll need to dry him - then I grab one more. That last towel is for me. (You do realize you're likely to get wet, too, don't you?) Before he can shake and fling water all over the bathroom, I throw a towel over him while he's still in the tub. If you cover a dog's head, it's less likely to shake. I dry off as much water as possible while the dog is still in the tub. Don't forget to dry the paws. Big dogs, especially, have a lot of fur in between their pads that soaks up water and can pool onto your floor or cause the dog to slip after they're out of the tub.

Once I've toweled off as much as I can soak up, I use a hairdryer. It's that or I'm going to have a wet dog running around the house and that's not going to work. It takes me approximately a half an hour to blow dry Apollo. Make sure you use the lightest setting on your hairdryer and keep it moving so it doesn't burn the dog's skin.

Drying is quickly followed by a few spritzes of dog cologne because I love the smell! When he's all clean and smelling so sweet, I want to bury my head in his fuzzy neck.

Shami-style towels - like those used to dry your car - are available for pets and really do absorb loads of water.

While watching a dog skid across the tile floor might be funny, it's not safe. We have a lot of tile in our house and whereas Apollo used to gingerly prance across the floor, he suddenly began wiping out if he tried to pick up any speed. I was a little concerned we were going to have to buy a lot of throw rugs. I was a lot concerned he was going to seriously injure himself. It took me a bit of digging to find the reason this was happening. Did you know dogs have fur between the pads of their paws? (Pads of their paws....that just sounds funny but you know what I mean....right?) As Apollo's fur was growing, his pads were getting covered up with that hair and he was walking on a very thin layer of ice, so to speak.

Make sure you properly trim the bottom of your dog's paws.

Dogs' ears are prone to infections, mites, and canker. It is important to keep them dry, trimmed, and clean.

If you can hear your dog's nails clicking on the floor, it's time to trim. You should check regularly anyway to be sure the dog cannot harm himself or others with long nails. It is important to regularly clip your dog's nails to prevent possible infection.

Safari Professional Nail Trimmer

Oh, yes, Apollo is our shaggy dog. If we don't keep up with caring for his eyes and the area around his eyes, he looks like this photo. Not only can't he possibly see well through a veil of hair, but he risks getting an eye infection. His eyes are just too darned cute not be seen, anyway.

At least once a day, use a washcloth to wipe any leakage from around your dog's eyes.

Periodically trim the hair above his eyes with blunt-nosed scissors so his beautiful face can fully shine.