How to Groom a Goldendoodle: Follow These 11 Steps (2024)

Goldendoodles are the best, man. They are friendly, always happy (like golden retrievers) and are considered hypoallergenic.

Although there are no truly hypoallergenic dogs, a Goldendoodle comes very close to that as they don't shed a lot. But, with that comes that you have to groom them more often than a dog that does shed.

It can be a bit time-consuming, but it's not difficult to groom a Goldendoodle. In fact, once you get the hang of it, it can be pretty fun!

Here are the steps you need to take to properly groom your Goldendoodle:

You'll need a few things before you start grooming your Goldendoodle.

Slicker Brush: You will need a slicker brush to brush out matted hair and tangles. I can't count how many times I have accidentally poked my finger with one, but it is a very useful tool that you will definitely need in your Goldendoodle grooming kit.

Metal Comb: With a metal comb, you can get rid of any loose hair, dirt and tangles. It usually has two sides, a wide-toothed side and a narrow-toothed side. I find the wide-toothed side to be more useful when detangling matted hair. Just make sure you don't pull too hard, as you don't want to hurt your dog.

Dog Clippers:These machines are a must, as there is only so much you can do with scissors. I have a Wahl dog clipper, which works fine.

It wasn't very cheap, but I don't recommend getting a cheap one as their blade gets dull pretty fast. Plus, Goldendoodles have a thick and curly coat so you will definitely need a heavy-duty clipper to do the job right.

Clipper Blades: If you get a clipper that takes blades, you'll need to get the right size blade, depending on what style you want to cut your goldendoodles coat.

Clipper Guards: These attach to the clippers and help you control how short the coat is cut. If you want to keep your pooches' coats longer, you want to get this.

Grooming Scissor and Thinning Shears: These are both optional, but can be helpful if you need to adjust your dogs hair or remove any mats and tangles that are difficult to get out.

Nail Clipper or Nail Grinder: You'll need this to trim your dog's nails. If your dog doesn't like having his nails clipped, you can try a nail grinder instead as it's easier for them to get used to.

Detangler Spray: If your dog's coat is matted or tangled, you can use a detangler spray to help make the brushing process easier.

Hair Dryer: This is also a very important equipment. You'll need to blow dry your goldendoodle after bathing. If you leave them air dry, bacteria can form in their coat and cause skin problems.

Grooming Table (Not Really Necessary): This isn't necessary, but can make grooming a lot easier as your Goldendoodle won't be able to move around as much.

Many people start with bathing their Goldendoodle first and then brushing. But, it's actually better to do things in the reverse order as water can make knots tighter.

So, start by lightly brushing your dog's hair with a detangler. This will help to loosen any knots and tangles.

Next, use a liner brush to brush your dog's hair. Line brushing is when you use the brush to go in the same direction as the hair growth.

Start at the head and work your way down the body. Be sure to pay extra attention to any areas that tend to get tangled, like behind the ears or under the legs.

This is purely a preference, but I like to do this step before the bath. Just because bathing them and then clipping takes a lot of time and Bailey usually doesn't have the patience to do the nail cutting afterwards.

You can pick a nail grinder or a nail clipper. I prefer the grinder just because it's easier and there is less of a chance of accidentally cutting too close to the quick.

If you're using a clipper, be sure to only cut a small amount off at a time. You can always go back and do more, but you can't undo it if you cut too much.

If you won't be cutting too much of your goldendoodles hair, bathing them is unnecessary. You will be only cutting off dead ends, so there is no need to wet their hair.

However, if plan to use clippers , then you will need to bathe your dog first as water makes the hair easier to cut.

Clippers can snag on dry hair, so it's best to avoid this.

Use a dog shampoo that you usually use and make sure you don't get water in your dog's ears as that can lead to bad ear infections.

After you've bathed your Goldendoodle, it's time to dry them off.

First, use a towel and gently rub them down to remove any excess water.

Make sure to pay attention to their ears and under their legs as these are areas that can hold a lot of moisture.

Next, use a hair dryer on the lowest (only cold air setting to completely dry their coat.

Be sure to hold the dryer about 6 inches away from their body and move it around so you don't accidentally burn them.

There are specific dog hair dryers you can buy, but a human hair dryer will work just fine.

Make sure they are completely dry before moving on to the next step. If you leave moisture on their skin, it can cause bacteria to form and lead to skin problems.

Start by clipping the face area. You can use a trimmer or grooming scissors for this. Just be sure to go slowly, especially if your Goldendoodle is new to getting groomed.

If you're using a trimmer, start with the longest blade attachment and then work your way down to shorter ones until you get the desired length.

For grooming scissors, I like to use thinning shears as they help to remove bulk without making the hair too short.

Next, move on to the neck area. This is one area where I like to use a trimmer rather than scissors.

Now it's time to clip the top half of your Goldendoodle. This is where most of the thick coat is.

If you are using a bare blade, make sure to cool the blade off in between strokes. You can do this by dipping it in water or spraying it with a cooling spray.

This is important as it can get pretty hot and you don't want to accidentally burn your dog.

If you are using a clipper comb, this is not an issue as although the blades heat up, they won't get anywhere near your dogs skin.

Also, make sure you lubricate the blades with oil before each use. This will help to keep them from getting too hot and will also make the clipping process easier on your dog.

Now, back to clipping.

First, start with the top half of your goldendoodle. This means clipping the back, chest, back of the neck.

When shaving these areas, I recommend using the highest speed on your clippers. Then, work your way down to a lower speed as you get closer to the dog's skin.

This will help to avoid any accidental nicks or cuts.

When you are shaving the sides or areas with loose skin, it is best to shave at downward angles with the grain of the hair pointing down.

If after your first pass, the coat looks too choppy, you can always go over it again with the clippers until you get the desired smoothness.

Just be sure to avoid going over the same area too many times as this can lead to irritation.

When you run into a matted area, the best thing to do is to chisel away at it with the clippers until the mat is removed.

Now it's time to trim the ears. If you are using a clipper, make sure the blade is not too hot as it's a very sensitive area.

Get most of the hair down with clippers, then use scissors to shape the ear.

You will also have to pull out the ear hairs from the ear canal.

Start by shaving the front legs with clippers, but be careful not to nick the dew claws or carpal pads. You can then use scissors to trim any remaining hair.

Next, move on to the belly and shave the inner thigh and groin area. Be sure to brush off any loose hairs before fine-tuning them with grooming scissors.

If you find matter hair between the paw pads, slowly chisel away at it with scissors until the whole mat is removed. Be extra careful not to take off too much at once.

The last step is to trim their bum and tail.

It's completely up to you how you want to style your dog's tail, I usually like to shave down an inch or two closest to her body, so no falling poop can get caught in her fur.

Lastly, shave their fur around the anal area and vagin*.

And that's it! You've now successfully trimmed and clipped your goldendoodle! Please give yourself a pat on the back, you deserve it.

It's important to be consistent with their grooming schedule and not wait too long between groomings or your Goldendoodle will become difficult to manage.

I hope this guide was helpful and that you can now confidently groom your goldendoodle at home. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below!

How often you should groom your Goldendoodle completely depends on you, but I recommend doing it every 6-8 weeks.

This will help to keep their coat looking healthy and clean and will also prevent mats and tangles from forming.

Of course, you will still need to do some basic grooming in between full groomings such as brushing, bathing, and ear cleaning.

You can do Goldendoodle grooming yourself or you can take your dog to a professional groomer.

Yes, as long as the dryer has a cool setting.

Never use a hot hair dryer on your dog as this can burn their skin.

A cool setting will help to remove any leftover water after a bath and will also help to fluff up their coat.

You can easily see if you are clipping your dog too close if its skin turns red or starts to bleed. Your dog will most likely also signal to you that they are in pain if you are clipping too close.

If this happens, stop immediately and switch to a longer blade or scissors.

Yes, it is actually recommended that you give your Goldendoodle puppy a haircut every few months until they are about 1 year old.

This will help them to get used to the grooming process and will also make their coat easier to manage.