Labradoodle Grooming Guide (2024) – Lots of pictures!

Most Labradoodles are great for people who have pet allergies, as they’re nonshedding thanks to their Poodle genes. The downside of having a nonshedding Labradoodle is you have to groom your dog’s hair quite frequently since it doesn’t fall out. Grooming involves bathing, brushing, cutting their hair, and nail trimming! Labradoodle grooming is generally pretty simple once your Labradoodle becomes accustomed to clippers, scissors, and nail trimmers.

On the off chance that you don’t regularly groom your Labradoodle, you’ll probably notice a lot of tangles and mats – you may even have to shave your dog!  Some tangling and mats are totally typical, but we’re going to show you how to keep them at a minimum. We hope you enjoy our Labradoodle Grooming Guide and the included pictures! 

Also, check out all the different types of Labradoodle Haircuts.

Labradoodle Grooming Tools 

Labradoodle Grooming is very troublesome if you don’t have the correct tools and instruments. Thus, we have created must-have tools and optional tools lists to help you groom your Labradoodle.

Must-Have Labradoodle Grooming Tools 

1. Slicker Brush: A slicker brush is the best daily brush for a Labradoodle and is very common throughout the doodle community. We will use this brush after we bathe our Labradoodle as it gets deep down into your dog’s coat to remove mats and tangles.
2. Hair Clippers for Dogs: The most popular and generally utilized Labradoodle hair clippers are the Andis Proclip 2. These will make your job easy and save you a ton of money long-term.
3. Dog Shampoo and Conditioner: The We Love Doodles shampoo and conditioner contains a detangler that will prevent mats and tangles in the future.
4. Steel Comb: This is utilized for brushing out mats and is really cheap. These are very cheap and each Labradoodle dog owner probably already owns one. 
5. Scissors for Grooming – Try to get a dog grooming scissors kit as this provides a lot of value. Typically you’ll get a straight dog scissor, curved dog scissor, and a thinning dog scissor. We recommend this kit.
6. Cutting Shears: Shears help shape zones that the razor can’t get. Used in the armpits and leg pits as well as around the face.
7. Dog Nail Grinder or  Nail Clipper: Low clamor nail processors work the best and guarantee you don’t slice too much nail off your Labradoodle and cause them to bleed.
8. Pet Grooming Table or Pet Leash: Most Labradoodles will not sit still while you groom them. You’ll have to buy a grooming table or at least a pet leash to keep them from moving.

Optional Labradoodle Grooming Tools 

1. Cutting Coolant and Lubricant: Your dog hair clippers will not be sharp after your first grooming session.  You’ll need a lubricant to re-sharpen your blades.
2. Hair Thinning Shears: Thinning shears mix short and long hair together. It helps cover the patches if you mess up.
3. Detangler Spray: This is exceptional if your Labradoodle gets lots of mats or tangles – just spray and brush.
4. Dry Dog Towel: Quick-drying towels are the best, so you don’t need to wait forever for your Labradoodle to dry off.
5. Grooming Gloves: These are incredible for washing and prepping. 
6. Bully sticks for Dogs: Bully sticks are incredible in light of the fact that they get you a ton of time and give an extraordinary interruption to your pooch. 

How to Groom a Labradoodle 

In short, we will bathe, brush, cut, trim our Labradoodle’s nails. In the event that this is your first time, try to designate a few hours to completely groom your Labradoodle.  The first time grooming your dog is always the hardest, and you’ll get quicker the more you do it.

Tips Before Your Labradoodle Grooming 

• Allow your Labradoodle to watch and smell the tools. They have to become accustomed to the tools you will be using otherwise they will become anxious and not let you groom them. 
• Treats should be prepared. Give your dog a bunch of treats when they do a good job. Try a bully stick because it will buy you 30 to 45 minutes!
• Always have positive feedback. “Good boy!” Good Girl”, and lots of pets will make your first time a little easier.  Your first time Labradoodle grooming will be hard. Try not to stress, it gets simpler! 

Labradoodle Bathing (Step 1) 

The best way to start Labradoodle grooming is by bathing your dog. Washing with a cleanser and conditioner makes it simpler to brush which because it will remove tangles and mats. If you’ve never given your dog a bath, it’s very simple.  Splash some water on your dog and rub in the shampoo and conditioner like you would for a normal shower! Try to stay away from your dog’s eyes as they are normally a sensitive area to clean. Next, rinse the shampoo off your Labradoodle with water and apply the hair conditioner. Lastly, rinse your pooch and dry them with a towel. 

Prepare Grooming Equipment (Step 2)

1. Connect your Labradoodle to either the grooming leash or grooming table. Utilizing a raised surface helps a great deal since it will keep your dog from hopping off the table. Moreover, you won’t need to constantly bend down which will save your back.
2. Place all your tools on the table so your Labradoodle can see it. The more your Labradoodle gets used to the tools, the easier it will be to groom him. 
3. Give your Labradoodle some treats like a bully stick or horn to chew as a positive reinforcement as your start grooming him.

Some Labradoodles hate grooming and you will need to get a muzzle to keep him from biting or snapping at you. However,  Labradoodles are generally nonaggressive and positive reinforcement will work wonders!

Labradoodle Brushing (Step 3) 

You’re going to need to brush your Labradoodle before using the pooch hair scissors. On the off chance that you don’t get the mats and tangles out, at that point, you won’t have the option to shave through them. Start by using the slicker brush and afterward switch over to a brush. Once you remove the vast majority of the mats then you can prep your Labradoodle for his trim. 

Grooming a Labradoodle 

1. Grab your dog hair clippers and start with a longer blade attachment. In general, plan to start with a size #10 blade which corresponds to around 1 and ¼ inches.  You can go shorter or longer depending on the look you’re going for. If your dog’s hair is really matted, you’re going to have to shave them with a lot shorter blade.
2. Put your Labradoodle in the sitting position. This is one of the easiest positions to groom their back.

Grooming a Labradoodles Back

1. While your Labradoodle is sitting, start at the highest point of its back and work your way down to his butt. Always cut in the same direction that the hair grows, as this is easiest on the razor and won’t pull at your Labradoodle’s hair.
2. Trim as much hair as possible while your Labradoodle is sitting. Your Labradoodle’s back and sides will be trimmed to approximately the same length, so you don’t have to stress.

If your Labradoodle is squirming too much, have a go at trimming their leg hair from top to bottom (paw).

Labradoodle Belly Grooming 

1. Encourage your dog to stand. This generally involves pushing their butt up or using a saddle to prop them up.
2. Trim your pup’s belly hair and midsection a little shorter, as this will prevent leaves and debris from sticking. Also, during summer, the shorter length will keep your pup cool. 
3. Start trimming in the chest area and work your way down toward the tail. Try not to cut your dog’s skin. You can switch cutting directions on the belly hair because this area is usually less dense then back hair.

Labradoodle Leg Grooming 

1. You may prefer trimming your Labradoodle’s legs shorter because sticks, grass, and foxtails consistently stick to their leg hair when they are running outside. Use size #7 or #5 blade and fade this shorter hair into the body hair using the thinning shears. 
2. Keep your dog in the standing position using treats or a saddle.
3. When trimming your dog’s fur, start from the highest point of the leg and work your way down to the paw. This guarantees that you aren’t “pulling” at the leg hair which is usually a sensitive area. Pulling the leg hair will cause a ton of uneasiness and they won’t want to be groomed.

Labradoodle Paw Grooming 

1. Your Labradoodle’s paws are particularly prone to matting. Try to shave as much hair as you can on the paws because it grows back quickly. Use a #1 clipper guard or no guard at all is best for trimming short hair. 
2. In the event that your Labradoodle doesn’t want his paws groomed, you will have to use your shears or scissors.
3. Using scissors to cut around your dog’s paw gives the hair a pleasant round and uniform look.

Labradoodle Ear Grooming 

1. The ears are one of the most delicate regions on a Labradoodle. What’s more, the ears are easiest to cut with a razor so be extra cautious when grooming your Labradoodles ears. Start with a size #5 blade or smaller. Ear hair is ordinarily shorter. 
2. Start from the highest point of the ear (close to the highest point of the head) and work in a downward direction.
3. Use scissors and shears close to the parts of the edge of the ear to give a round and uniform look that the razor can’t give. 
4. Make a point to shave underneath the ear.  This helps to prevent debris from going into the ear.

Labradoodle Face Grooming 

1. Labradoodle facial hair is usually left a lot longer. A size #9 blade will work well when grooming your Labradoodle’s face.
2. Start from the highest point of your Labradoodle’s face and work the clippers toward his mouth. Make certain to hold your Labradoodle’s ear out of the way.
3. Use scissors and shears to balance your Labradoodle’s mustache. Utilize the ballpoint or dull-end scissors to trim the hair around your Labradoodle’s eyes.

Labradoodle Tail Grooming

1. Labradoodle tail hair can be left longer. If your Labradoodle is good at holding still you can use the razor, but you will probably have to use shears. Start from close to the butt territory and work your way towards the finish of the tail. 
2. You can also thin your Labradoodle’s tail hair, which will help to blend in the shorter and longer hair.
3. Tail hair seems to grow rather slowly, so you don’t need to cut a lot of hair off each time.

Labradoodle Nail Trimming 

1. Since you’ve trimmed the hair around your dog’s paws, there won’t be hair to disrupt nail cutting. It’s recommended you do the nail cutting subsequent to preparing your Labradoodle so you don’t cut the nail which will cause your dog’s nails to bleed. 
2. Utilize the dog nail grinder or nail clippers to cut your Labradoodle’s nails. We like the nail grinder because it doesn’t cut too short and there’s little risk of making your dog’s nails bleed.

Labradoodle Grooming: Finishing Touches 

1. Blowdry all the loose hair off your canine. 
2. Brush all the hair of your Labradoodle with a slicker brush. 
3. Comb your Labradoodle. You should feel no mats or tangles. 

Conclusion for Labradoodle Grooming Guide 

On the off chance that this is your first time, Labradoodle grooming might seem incredibly troublesome since it will probably take you a few hours. Try not to stress! The procedure gets quicker once you have the correct tools and your Labradoodle becomes acclimated to grooming. Once you get good at grooming your dog, you can usually finish in just over an hour. Labradoodle grooming isn’t just fun for dog owners because you can create your own hairstyles, but you’ll also save money and gain valuable quality time with your dog. 

Other Articles to Read:

1. Why is my Labradoodle shedding?
2. Labradoodle Generations (F1, F1b, F2, F2B, etc.)
3. Labradoodle Coat Colors
4. Top 3 Labradoodle Allergies

Frequently Asked Questions

Sabrina Kong, DVM, Veterinarian

Dr. Sabrina Kong graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in England in 2016 and has been working at a small animal clinic in Northern California since then. She grew up in the Bay Area and got her bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She also became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner through a program at the University of Tennessee.

When she isn’t in the clinic taking care of her four-legged patients, she enjoys traveling and trying new foods with her friends and her three-legged dog, Apollo. She adopted Apollo from her clinic when he was a puppy with numerous health issues. Dr. Kong truly cares about taking care of animals.