Goldendoodle Grooming Guide (2020) – With Pictures!

Most Goldendoodles are hypoallergenic and non-shedding because they contain a significant amount of Poodle genetics. The drawback of having a nonshedding dog is you need to groom your Goldendoodle’s hair consistently — this includes brushing your Goldendoodle down to the skin level! Goldendoodle grooming is relatively easy if you do it on a consistent basis and your dog gets used to the hair cutters, scissors, and nail grinders.

If you don’t groom your Goldendoodle, they will develop a significant amount of tangles and mattes in which you will have to completely shave you Goldendoodle. Some tangling and mattes are completely normal, but we will show you the best way to groom your Goldendoodle in order to keep them from matting and always looking their best. We hope you enjoy our Goldendoodle Grooming Guide! At first, it may be very difficult to groom your Goldendoodle, but once you get a system in place it will go much faster.

If you’re just looking for different Goldendoodle Haircut Styles, we also wrote another guide.

Goldendoodle Grooming Tools

Goldendoodle Grooming is extremely difficult if you don’t have the right tools.  We break our list down into Must-Have Tools and Optional Tools.

Must-Have Goldendoodle Grooming Tools

1. Dog Hair Clippers:  The most popular and widely used Goldendoodle hair clippers are the Andis Proclip 2.  These are a great investment and will save you money in the long-term.
2. Andis Steel Comb: This is used for brushing out mattes.  These are cheap and every Goldendoodle owner should have one.
3. Slicker Brush: This is a must-have for every Goldendoodle owner.  Great everyday brush and will be used after bathing.
4. Grooming Scissors – Ballpoint scissors or blunt-tipped scissors only.  The Moontay Dog Grooming Scissors are our personal favorite.  Just make sure they aren’t sharp for your dog’s safety.
5. Cutting Shears: Shaping areas of the dog the razor can’t get.  Great for finishing touches.
6. Shampoo & Conditioner:  The Mane ‘N Tail has some of the best Shampoo and Conditioner combinations on the market. We also wrote an in-depth article on the Best Shampoo for a Goldendoodle.
7. Dog Nail Grinder or Dog Nail Clipper:  Low noise nail grinders work the best and ensure you don’t cut to much nail off your dog and make them bleed.
8. Grooming Table or Pet Leash: Most Goldendoodles refuse to be groomed.  This means you’ll have to invest in a grooming table or pet leash to keep them standing while you groom.

Optional Goldendoodle Grooming Tools

1. Blade Coolant and Lubricant: Most dog hair clippers will come with a small bottle.  You will need more after your first Goldendoodle grooming session.
2. Thinning Shears: These are super useful because thinning shears blend the short and long hair together.
3. Detangler:  This is highly recommended if your Goldendoodle is prone to mattes or tangles.  Just spray and brush.
4. Quick Dry Dog Towel: Quick-drying towels are the best so you don’t have to wait forever after your bathe your Goldendoodle.
5. Pet Grooming Gloves: These are great for bathing and grooming.
6. Bully sticks: Bully sticks are great because they buy you a lot of time and provide a great distraction for your dog.

How to Groom a Goldendoodle

Let’s get started grooming your Goldendoodle.  If this is your first time, I would allocate at least a couple hours to fully groom your Goldendoodle from bathing to grooming to nail trimming.  You’ll get faster the more times you do it.

Tips Before Your Goldendoodle Grooming

1. Let your Goldendoodle observe and smell the equipment.  They need to get used to the equipment or they will squirm, squeal, and bite you.
2. Have lots of treats ready.  Give your dog lots of treats as positive reinforcement.  I always give my dog a bully stick because it distracts them and lets me groom them for 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Lots of patience.  The first time grooming your Goldendoodle will be hard.  Don’t worry, it gets easier!

Goldendoodle Bathing (Step 1)

Step 1 of Goldendoodle grooming is going to be to bathe your Goldendoodle.  Bathing with a shampoo and conditioner makes it easier to brush and comb through your Goldendoodles tangles and mattes.  Chances are you have given your dog a bath before, but if you haven’t then spray some water on your dog and get the shampoo and conditioner ready!

Simply rinse your dog and lather some shampoo into your dog’s hair. Try to avoid your dog’s eyes as they are usually sensitive to shampoo, even if you are using no-tears shampoo.  Next, rinse the shampoo off your Goldendoodle and apply the conditioners. Once you rinse your dog, make sure to dry them off with a towel.

Setup Goldendoodle Grooming Equipment (Step 2)

1. Attach your Goldendoodle to the grooming table or pet leash.  Using an elevated surface helps a lot because it will prevent your dog from jumping off the table.  In addition, you won’t have to bend over for a significant amount of time.
2. Place your equipment on the table so your Goldendoodle can see it.  Once they start recognizing the equipment they will slowly become more cooperative over time.
3. Give your dog some long-lasting treats like a bully stick or horn if they aren’t cooperating.

Sometimes Goldendoodles don’t cooperate too well and you’ll have to use a muzzle to prevent from biting you.  I’m a fan of positive reinforcement though, so I try to give my dog lots of treats so they can cooperate with me.

Goldendoodle Brushing (Step 3)

You’re going to want to brush your Goldendoodle prior to using the dog hair clippers.  If you don’t get the mattes and tangles out, then you won’t be able to shave through them.  Start by using the slicker brush and then switch over to comb. Once you remove most of the mattes then you can get ready to groom your Goldendoodle.

Grooming a Goldendoodle (Step 4)

1. Attach the blade to the hair clipper.  Always start with a longer blade. I personally like to start with a blade size #10 which correlates to approximately 1 and ¼ inches. If your Goldendoodle’s hair is super tangled and matted, you’ll have to use a smaller size since the blade won’t be able to go through mattes.
2. Put your Goldendoodle in the sitting position.  This is the easiest position to groom their back.

Grooming a Goldendoodles Back (Step 5)

1. Once your Goldendoodle is sitting position, start at the top of their back and work your way down to their butt.  Always go in this direction as it easiest for the blade to cut.
2. Cut as much hair as you can while your Goldendoodle is sitting.  Your Goldendoodle back and sides will be all one size so you don’t have to worry about changing the blade size.
3. If your Goldendoodle is being cooperative while you’re grooming, try cutting their leg hair in a downward direction.  

Goldendoodle Belly Grooming (Step 6)

1. Move your dog to the standing position.  This usually involves pushing their butt up or giving them the standing command.
2. Most people like the belly hair a smaller size since people don’t see it and it prevents debris, mud, and mattes from developing in the belly area.  In addition, during the summer months, your Goldendoodle will likely get hot so it’s a good idea to trim their belly shorter. I usually switch out to a blade size #5 or if you want it longer you can switch to a blade size #7.
3. Trim as much belly hair as you can starting from the chest area and working your way down.  Be sure to not damage your dog’s private areas. You can switch shaving directions if needed since the belly hair is usually not as dense as the back hair.

Goldendoodle Leg Grooming (Step 7)

1. I personally like to groom my Goldendoodles legs shorter because of all of the debris, dirt, sticks, grass, and foxtails always stick to their legs when they are running outside or you go for a walk.  I prefer to use a blade size #7 or #5 and blend this shorter hair in with the longer body hair.
2. Put your dog in the standing position. Use a dog saddle or dog stand to help your dog stand up if they constantly want to sit.
3. When cutting your dog’s hair, always start from the top of the leg and work your way down to the paw.  This helps to ensure that you aren’t “pulling” at the hair as much. Pulling the hair will cause a lot of discomfort and your Goldendoodle won’t want to be grooming.

Goldendoodle Paw Grooming (Step 8)

1. Underneath your Goldendoodle’s paw could be one of the most matted areas since this area is difficult to brush on a daily basis.  I usually try to shave as much hair underneath the paw as possible. Using a #1 blade size or using no blade size is the best option.
2. If your Goldendoodle doesn’t like their paws groomed and they are constantly moving, you may have to use your shears or scissors
3. I always use the shears to cut around the sides of the Goldendoodle’s paw.  This gives the hair a nice uniform round look. You can also touch up various areas that you missed with the razor.

Goldendoodle Ear Grooming (Step 9)

1. The ears are one of the most sensitive areas on a Goldendoodle.  In addition, the ears are also one of the easiest areas to cut so be extra careful when grooming your Goldendoodles ears.  Start with a smaller blade around size #5 or less. Ear hair is typically shorter then the rest of the body.
2. Start from the top of the ear (near the top of the head) and work your way downward.
3. Use scissors and shears near the ends of the ear to give the ear and round and uniform look that the razor can’t give.
4. Make sure to shave underneath the ear as well.

Goldendoodle Face Grooming (Step 10)

1. I leave my Goldendoodles to face hair a little bit longer.  A blade size #9 tends to work well when grooming a Goldendoodle’s face.
2. Start from the top of your Goldendoodles face and work the razor in a downward motion toward the mouth.  Be sure to hold your dog’s ear out of the way.
3. Use scissors and shears to round out the mustache portion of your dog.  Use the ballpoint or dull end scissors to cut the hair around your Goldendoodle’s eyes.

Goldendoodle Tail Grooming (Step 11)

1. The Goldendoodle tail hair can be left longer.  If your dog is cooperative, you can use the largest razor blade size you have.  Start from near the butt area and work your way towards the end of the tail.
2. If your dog isn’t cooperative, you will likely have to use the scissors or shears to cut your Goldendoodles tail hair.
3. I do like to thin my Goldendoodles tail hair out a little bit because all types of debris tend to stick to the tail hair.  Use the thinning shears and thin out the tail hair a little bit.

Goldendoodle Nail Trimming (Step 12)

1. Since you cut the hair around your Goldendoodle’s paw, there should be little to no hair to get in the way for a nail trimming.  It’s highly suggested you do the nail trimming after grooming your Goldendoodle so you don’t cut too much nail and cause your dog’s nails to bleed.
2. Use the nail grinder or nail clipper to cut your Goldendoodles’s nails.  I prefer using a quiet nail grinder.

Goldendoodle Grooming: Finishing Touches (Step 13)

1. Blowdry all the loose hair off your dog.
2. Brush all the parts of your dog with a slicker brush.
3. Comb your Goldendoodle.  You should feel no mattes and the comb should go through smoothly.

Conclusion for Goldendoodle Goldendoodle Grooming Guide

If this is your first time, Goldendoodle grooming is an extremely difficult process that will like likely take you a few hours.  Don’t worry, the process does get faster once you have the right tools and your dog gets used to the process. You can usually finish a grooming session in roughly an hour once you know what you’re doing.  In my opinion, grooming your Goldendoodle is not only fun, but it saves you a lot of money in the long run. I used to go to the groomers and pay $120+ per grooming session. Now I can groom my Goldendoodle anytime and save money after the one-time initial investment.

For a full video on Goldendoodle Grooming, watch this:

Other articles you would like:

1. Goldendoodle Lion Haircut
2. Why is my Goldendoodle shedding?
3. Goldendoodle Coat Colors

Frequently Asked Questions