Which dog is right for me? This is the most common question we get on our social media pages from people all around the world. The answer usually surprises people because it is not what they expected. I tell them to get a dog that is native to their region and accustomed to the climate and environment where they are in. That is not to say that people cannot have exotic Siberian Husky’s in the middle of the subtropics however, the amount of time caring and maintaining the well-being of the dog will increase depending on how exotic one decides to go.
The most recent data gather indicated that pure breeds are declining in popularity across the globe, this is due to a number of factors including: genetic health, current fashion trends, and overall declining numbers of pure breed stock available to deliver a diverse pool of offspring.
The trend in today’s dog world is all about the doodles and the many mix hybrid/designer dog’s available on the market today.
The Doodle is in fact the most popular designer breed of 2020 and their popularity is continuing to rise exponentially across the globe.
A Doodle is any hybrid mix where one parent of the offspring is a pure poodle and the other parent something else typically the most common breeds today used to create Doodles include: Golden Retrievers, Labs, Australian Shepherds, Bernese Mountain Dogs, etc…
These Doodles are highly coveted for their adorable appearance and corky personalities. Typically the F2, F3 generations moving forward the Doodles will have a hypoallergenic coat inherited from their Poodle parent this coat is wooly and requires regular grooming to avoid matting this can either be done at a salon by a professional or with a little practice and patience can be done by anyone in the comfort of their own home.
The first thing a doddle owner should decide is what length of the coat they would like to have this will play the biggest role in deciding the proper at home bathing and grooming routine. The Doodle coat when properly nourished is woolly slightly curly and continues to grow in length just as the Poodle coat.
In warmer climates usually owners elect to have short trim this is a length of anywhere from ¼” to half an inch. This length is pretty low maintenance and it can easily be maintained at home.
For this length of coat the bathing routine as always depends on the lifestyle of the person, for indoor dogs we always recommend baths every 1-2 weeks with a good gentle shampoo and a nourishing conditioner to hydrate the skin.
This length coat does not require brushing in-between baths the coat should only be brushed during drying when the coat is damp. Blow drying is also optional a towel dry will be sufficient and the coat will curl up much quicker using this method. If one prefers a sleeker wooly look a blow drier and brush will achieve this look. The best type of brush to use is one with thin metal flexible pins that will gently brush trough the coat without tearing or pulling the coat. A good quality brush will also prevent any potential skin irritation due to abrasive brushing. The brush stokes should be gentle and long from top to bottom going throughout the entire body and avoiding brushing one area repeatedly.
For owners who elect to have a longer coat up to one inch or longer a good bathing routine is essential, depending on one level of experience they will be fine bathing the dog once every 1-2 weeks and brushing the coat out while drying. This will prevent any matting and every few weeks the coat can be trimmed using clippers with a guard and scissors and chunkers around the legs and face. Brushing is not necessary in between the baths and can tear the coat if done incorrectly or if there is too much agitation we recommend brushing only during drying when the coat is damp this will minimize the potential of agitation and ensure that the coat grows vibrant and healthy. The same type of brush as mentioned above should be used with a soft pad and flexible pins that are long in length.
The Doodles are a great joy and just like all dogs will bring years of joy into our lives if we are able to establish a harmonious lifestyle with them this includes a good grooming and bathing routine that will keep our homes clean and healthy for years to come. The Doodles are so versatile that they can be either high maintenance dogs that require a lot of grooming and care or with a sporty short trim they can be low maintenance whatever we choose we should be sure to continue living our lives and the dog will adept to us as they have for centuries. The coat should not be an obstacle that interferes with our lifestyle you will love the dog no matter what the length of the coat is. And if we truly believe that dogs are man’s best friend we should reciprocate in this relationship this means putting the dog’s well-being above all else. The dog should enjoy the grooming process and derive pleasure from it we are unable to get them to enjoy it there are a ton of resources available which can teach us the proper techniques one option is going to the local groomer and asking them for a weekend lesson or contacting a reputable grooming instructor online whatever we decide the dogs comfort and well-being should be our ultimate goal.
With Love,
Sasha
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