We have two cavoodle/cavapoo dogs. Given that they are a mixed breed, the fur textures can be very different to one another. Our Older pup Ollie has more of a wool texture, but little Winky has soft and silky waves. We have perfected our routine dog grooming process over the years, so here’s everything you will need and complete instructions on how to groom your poodle or poodle mix puppy at home.
Step by step guide to our home grooming routine
- After walkies, check their paws for anything like grass seeds and other debris and remove them
- Wash the paws and hygienic areas with water/ antibacterial pet wipe
- Towel dry the paws
- Wipe around eyes and face using a pet wipe
- Apply conditioning treatment followed by detangling treatment
- Use a pet hair drier at a low setting (no heating) if necessary
- Brushing is the most important step, as oodles can form mats that can be painful. We use a long tooth comb to find the mats and do overall brushing. If there are matts, we use a matt breaker
- Slicker brush to fluff up the hair
- Deodorising spray so they smell amazing
- We apply paw balm to all paws (don’t forget the hidden paw pad) and nose, which is so important, so they don’t get cracked paws
- Clean ears using a spray and reusable qtip (we prefer this over cotton buds) if necessary
- Trim the nails using a nail clipper if you are confident to do so.
Products we use for grooming
Here’s a list of all the products we use for our daily care routine, some of these products were listed in our “puppy checklist” blog post as well. Not all of this will suit your pup so chose what might work for you based on your pup, the type, texture, and length of fur.
click on the highlighted text that will direct you to the product. Some links may be affiliated links.
| Towel | We use the Original Dirty Dog Shammy ultra absorbent microfiber auick drying towel. We hav been using this towel for 2+ years and can say it is the best we’ve tried. |
| Grooming Mat | While the paws are wet we place the pup on an absorbent mat. |
| Pet Wipes | We keep these antimicrobial wet pet wipes everywhere around home and car. Super handy to clean the gunk around eyes and for a quick wipes |
| Conditioning treatment | Chris Christiansen 8 in 1 miracle cream is one of our favourites. |
| Detangling treatment | Country Heritage Magic Detangler & Shine is the only detangle treatment that works on Ollie’s wooly hair. It can be expensive but you only really need to use very little. |
| Pet hair drier | SheLandy pet hair drier is the most reasonably priced pet hair drier we could find. There are other more expensive options but we don’t have the need for it. Pet hair driers can get really loud and some pups may not like that. |
| Brushes | Depending on the coat your pup have and how likely it is to form matts you may need several brushes. You can get this complete brush set from mycavoodle (suitable for smaller pups) or get essential brushes such as long tooth comb, slicker brush, and mat breaker from Artero separately. |
| Deodorising spray | While dogs might not prefer strong, overwhelming scents, using a mild natural scents such as lavender can be calming for pups. We use Australian brands such as doggiebalmco for 100% natural and organic products. |
| Paw and nose balm | Paw and nose can be prone to cracking. It is important to apply balm in these areas at least few times per week. We use Wolfe paw balm or the doggie balm co paw and nose balm. |
| Ear wax spray and qTips | We use a spray made up of natural ingredients to break up the ear wax. If necessary we also use reusable qTips that are better for ear cleaning as well as for the environment. |
| Nail clipper | If you are not confident cutting nails it is better to to be left for year Vet or an experienced groomer. It can be tricky as you do not want to cut into blood line. I find its easier to use the scissor like clippers. but this might not work if you have a larger pup. |
Few dog grooming tips
We know that puppies might not like grooming so here are few tips to make it a pleasant experience for then and for yourself
- Let your pup sniff and inspect the grooming equipment prior to grooming
- It is recommended to associate grooming positively. Keep treats your pup loves closer to you. You can even use some peanut butter on a lickie mat or frozen yogurt to keep your pup busy while you work on them.
- Chose a time that your pup is not high energy.
- If you are not confident or patient, leave things such as nail trimming to professionals
- Dogs are creatures of habit, so the more often you do it more your pup will get used to it. Little Winky is still getting used to it, but Ollie will sit still, and he likes a good pampering session.
Our thoughts…
As always, the advice here is based on our personal experiences. We get Ollie and Winks professionally groomed every four weeks or so. Full groom eight weeks and maintenance groom in-between. We maintain their hair at home by following the above steps. We don’t do all the steps every day, but we try to brush and comb them at least every day. The longer any Oodle’s coat is unkempt more they become prone to tangles and matts, which can be painful. Brushing can also increase their blood flow. Having a grooming routine will help them to have shiny, beautiful coats.
Hope this is helpful. Let us know your thoughts in the comments
Woof Woof!x
