Grooming a Labradoodle at home is simple if you understand your dog’s coat type and use the correct grooming tools. These two factors make it much easier to brush, remove tangles, and keep the coat clean.
Plus, regular grooming keeps your dog looking neat, maintains coat health, reduces matting, and gives you a chance to check for anything unusual on their skin. Our team at Oodle Pups grooms their own dogs regularly. Because of that, we know firsthand how much a consistent routine helps both the dog and the owner.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- The coat types of Labradoodles,
- The tools you need for grooming
- How to brush your dog properly
- Dealing with knots, bath time, and face trims
We’ll also talk about when it’s worth calling a professional groomer. Let’s get into it.
Understanding Your Labradoodle’s Coat Before You Start
Labradoodle coat types vary more than most breeds. So what works for your neighbour’s dog might do nothing for yours. When you know the variants, you can pick the right brush, set the right grooming schedule, and avoid causing unnecessary discomfort.
These are the main types of coats you’ll see.
Coat Types: Fleece, Wool, and Hair Explained
Labradoodles come in three types of coats: fleece, wool, and hair.
Fleece coats are usually wavy and soft, and are the most common in multi-generational Labradoodles. Wool coats, on the other hand, are tight and curly. Dogs with wool coats tend to have low shedding since loose hair gets trapped within the curl.
Hair coats are the least common and shed more noticeably, since they lack the curl structure that holds dead hair in place.
Many dogs with wool or fleece coats carry a thick undercoat beneath. For this reason, brushing needs to reach the skin rather than just skimming the surface. This adult coat begins to come in between six and 12 months. And matting risk is highest during this transition, because puppy and adult coat briefly exist at the same time.
Choosing the Right Tools for Your Dog’s Coat
When you have the right brush before you start, it saves time, reduces your dog’s discomfort, and makes the whole session calmer. With our own dogs Pip and Rosie, we learned pretty quickly that different coat types need genuinely separate tools, rather than just techniques.
To give you an idea, a slicker brush works well across most types, particularly fleece and wool. Its fine wire bristles can lift loose hair from beneath the top coat. Meanwhile, a wide-toothed comb removes tangles without dragging on the skin the way a bristle brush sometimes does.
Other than those, blunt-tip scissors are useful for trimming around sensitive areas like the face and ears. Because the tips of these scissors are rounded, you reduce the risk of accidentally cutting the skin.
Bath Time, Face Trims, and When to Call a Groomer
Regular bathing is important, but washing your dog too frequently strips natural oils from the coat and dries out your pet’s skin. Those oils are what keep the coat soft and healthy in the first place (more isn’t always better with dogs, it turns out).
Here is a quick breakdown of your dog’s grooming routine:
- Bath Time Basics: Labradoodles generally need a bath every three to four weeks, using warm water and a dog-specific shampoo. Keep in mind that human shampoos disrupt the natural pH of a dog’s skin. Bathing more frequently than every two weeks risks causing dry hair and skin irritations that are harder to manage down the track.
- Nails, Teeth, and the Other Bits: These are the areas that usually cause the most problems with your dog’s health. You need to clip your dog’s nails every three to four weeks, and brush your dog’s teeth two to three times per week to reduce the risk of gum disease.
- Face and Ear Trims: Trim around the eyes and across the bridge of the nose every two to three weeks using blunt-tip scissors or thinning scissors for a neater finish. Check your dog’s ears regularly, too, since Labradoodles are 1.63 times more likely to develop ear infections than the average crossbreed.
- When to Call a Professional Groomer: If you find matting close to the skin, excess hair blocking the eyes, or legs that are heavily knotted, that is a clear sign to book an appointment. A professional, every six to eight weeks, works well for most Labradoodles, particularly those with wool or fleece coats that grow quickly.
Ultimately, how often you bathe, which areas you trim, and when you hand things over to a groomer all depend on your dog’s lifestyle and coat type. Regular checks will help you adjust this routine as needed.
How to Brush a Labradoodle Using a Slicker Brush
Brushing properly is the single best thing you can do to keep your Labradoodle’s coat healthy between professional grooms. Most owners get the basics right, but the technique is just as important as the frequency.
The best method is to brush your dog from the skin outwards, working in small sections rather than dragging the slicker brush through the whole coat at once. Gently brush each section before moving on, as rushing through it means loose hair and knots get pushed deeper.
As a rule of thumb, long-haired dogs need longer bristled brushes that reach through the top coat, while short-haired dogs do fine with a softer bristle brush since their coat sits closer to the skin.
Matting and Knots: What to Do When It Gets Messy
Matting is one of the most common problems Labradoodle owners run into. And because their coats grow quickly, it can develop into a fully matted coat from a few small knots in a span of weeks. Catching it early makes the whole process far less stressful for your dog.
Take a look at where to check for knots and what to do:
- Friction Points: Knots form most often around the ears, collar, and behind the legs, since those areas rub constantly against harnesses, leads, and furniture. If your dog wears a harness regularly, you will likely find matting there first.
- How to Work Knots Out: Gently brush from the tip of the knot downward, working your way up toward the skin rather than pulling from the root. Think of it like human hair, where starting at the ends and moving upward causes far less breakage and discomfort.
- Tools for Stubborn Knots: A wide-toothed comb works well for looser knots, while a matt breaker is better for tighter ones that a comb cannot get through. Use the matt breaker in short strokes, since dragging it through in one go pulls on the skin and causes unnecessary pain.
- When to Stop: Leave severe matting close to the skin to a professional. Attempting to remove knots at that stage risks cutting the skin or causing your dog distress.
Spending time grooming Labradoodles taught us that knots tend to form in the same spots repeatedly, so knowing where to look saves a lot of time.
A Grooming Routine That Fits Your Labradoodle’s Needs
Labradoodle grooming at home comes down to a few repeatable habits: knowing your coat types, using the right tools, and keeping up with bathing and brushing. Each of those steps connects to the next, as skipping one makes the others harder.
We suggest starting with short sessions of 10 to 15 minutes, since your dog builds tolerance and confidence over time rather than all at once. Along with that, a professional groomer, every six to eight weeks, helps maintain the coat between home sessions. That way, your dog stays comfortable even when life gets busy.
Your Labradoodle is your best friend, so it makes sense to get ahead of it early and build a routine that works for you both.
For more guidance on caring for your Labradoodle, the team at Oodle Pups is a great place to start. We breed and raise Australian Labradoodles and share practical advice based on real, hands-on experience.