When Should Cockapoo Have First Haircut?
Whether you are taking your Cockapoo for a professional groom or doing some DIY doggy hairdressing at home – knowing the right frequency and timing for your Cockapoo’s first haircut is essential.
Knowing the reasons and process to introduce your Cockapoo to haircuts is important – but the simple answer to when a Cockapoo should have its first haircut is –
Cockapoos should have their first haircut between 6 and 8 months of age. A simple ear, paw, and hygiene haircut may be required at a younger age.
How to Approach Cockapoos and Haircuts?
A Cockapoo coat that is improperly maintained may
- Experience deep matting or knots
- Become less soft
- Result in injury though slipping or impinged eyesight
- Allow skin irritation to develop
- Allow eye, mouth, and other stains that breed bacteria and odor
- Contribute overall to a stinky Cockapoo
Perhaps you have recently brought your new Cockapoo puppy home or are doing some research as you plan to buy one of these dogs. Knowing when and why a Cockapoo puppy should have their first haircut is essential.
These “teddy bear” dogs are beautiful and cuddly, but their non-shedding fur needs taking care of. It is vital to know when is the right time to give them their first haircut, where you should take them to be groomed, and how often their fur needs trimming.
It is crucial before you welcome a dog home that you know everything required of you to properly take care of them. It is also important to be aware of all of the work potentially involved with owning a dog. Allergy friend non-shedding dogs like the Cockapoo do require a little specialist knowledge to maintain their coats.
Cockapoo’s fur is soft and maintains the style without a tremendous amount of maintenance. You should not think that Poodle doesn’t require any trimming or grooming.
It is important to properly take care of your Cockapoo’s coat.
When should you give your Cockapoo puppy their first haircut?
For the first 6-8 months of your Cockapoo’s life, you don’t need to give them a haircut.
All that is required is to simply introduce your puppy to brushing and use blunt-ended scissors if hygiene cut (around the mouth) or paw trim as necessary.
It is vital to get your puppy used to being groomed at an early age.
If you do not get your puppy used to being brushed and groomed from an early age, likely, they will not take well to being brushed when they are older.
Conversely – if your Cockapoo is used to being brushed as a puppy, they will not mind it when it is older. This makes life MUCH easier for your groomer or if you are giving your Cockapoo DIY haircuts.
While no full hair cutting is required before the 6-8 months of age, you must keep up a small amount of maintenance.
Cockapoos have a glorious soft (and typically non-shedding) coat so let’s keep it healthy and to ensure your puppy is comfortable in it.
For the first 6 months, make sure that you brush your Cockapoo puppy often.
A thorough session of brushing that lasts about ten minutes should be completed every other day. This will help keep your puppy’s coat in a fair and healthy condition until it requires its first cut.
Use a slicker brush and a comb to quickly and efficiently groom your Cockapoo. We reviewed the best Cockapoo slicker brush (and the only comb you will ever need to buy).
When Should Cockapoo have first haircut? (7-8 months Old)
When your Cockapoo puppy reaches 7-8 months old, it will be time to start thinking about booking them in for their first full-on grooming session. At this age, they will require their first haircut. As a Cockapoo reaches 7-8 months, they will start to grow adult fur.
As the Cockapoo coat turns from a puppy coat to adult – you may notice a change in the color and texture. Some report their non-shedding Cockapoo even sheds temporarily. Many owners will not see any significant change.
Cockapoos are an excellent choice for those suffering from allergies, as they do not tend to aggravate allergies as much as other dogs’ fur does.
If you find that you are allergic to many breeds of dogs, you may not suffer an allergic reaction with a Cockapoo. This quality makes Cockapoos extremely popular. However, their fur does require constant, regular grooming, brushing, and trimming.
As soon as your Cockapoo has reached around 8 months of age, you can begin to think about giving them their first trim. Do not provide them with a haircut before reaching this stage of their life. There may be particular situations where you are advised to haircut early by a vet.
When deciding when to give your Cockapoo their first haircut, it is also recommended to consider the temperature, climate, and weather. If your dog reaches 6-8 months of age in the middle of the winter, it may be advisable to wait until spring to get their fur-trimmed. If your puppy’s fur is becoming matted, it may be necessary to do so earlier.
It is important to keep in mind the weather so that your puppy is protected from the cold and other adverse elements, especially as you will be taking them out for walks and exercise.
You can, however, always just buy a stylish warming winter coat for your Cockapoo if the weather is cool enough to warrant concern.
Suppose your puppy reaches 6-8 months during springtime or summer. In that case, there is no need to worry about the elements, and giving them their first haircut during this time of year is a good idea.
After the first Cockapoo haircut
Once they have had their first cut, the rest is up to you. Just make sure that your puppy’s fur stays healthy by ensuring that it is groomed regularly. It is more about your own preferences as to how often your puppy should be groomed after that.
Out of the three Cockapoo hair types (straight coat, wavy coat, and curly coat), puppies with wavy and curly coats will need to have it trimmed about every 3 months to stay healthy and avoid matting. Grooming helps identify health concerns early by revealing hidden issues.
What happens if you don’t give your Cockapoo a haircut?
It is important to make sure that your Cockapoo is groomed regularly after they reach 6 months of age. Otherwise, their coat could be prone to matting, especially if they have a curly or wavy style coat.
Make sure to brush your Cockapoo four to five times a week and give them a trim about every three months. This will ensure that their coat stays healthy, and your puppy is comfortable and happy.
Tips to prepare your Cockapoo for grooming (desensitizing to noise and touch)
It is important to start grooming your Cockapoo puppy from an early age so that they become desensitized to touch and the noise of the grooming tools. Reinforce good behavior while grooming by having your puppy’s favorite treats handy.
Giving your puppy treats while you are grooming them will reinforce positivity and ensure that they do not mind being groomed when they are older.
Can you trim a Cockapoo yourself?
It is possible to trim your Cockapoo yourself. Just make sure that you invest in good quality tools, and you take your time. If using an electric trimmer, cut in the direction that the hair grows naturally.
- Built-in Batttery. Rechargeable dog trimmer with built-in battery is good for exceptional flexibility. It can also be used when charging so you don't have to worry that it will stop working and have half groomed dog.
- Safe and Sharp Blade. Upgrade stainless steel fixed blade and ceramic moving blade can provide excellent cutting performance. The blade sharp enough for a long time using. Detachable blades, easy to change and clean.
- Low vibration and ultra quiet design.The noise when working is only about 50 db, to help the pet feel at ease, not afraid cut hair any more.
Please Note: if your pets get long and thick hair, you need to use scissors cut shorter at first, otherwise the clippers may jam up and don't work properly.
With that said - I have used this many times on Max the Labradoodle without having to trim first. A workhorse at remarkable value!
Invest in a grooming kit, including a comb, brush, nail clippers, and a slicker brush so that you have all of the necessary tools to start grooming your Cockapoo at home. It will be easier if you have got your puppy used to grooming early in their life.
Use a puppy shampoo on your Cockapoo before you brush them. Make sure that you are calm when bathing your puppy, as they will reflect your positivity. Perhaps ask somebody to help you when you first bathe your puppy.
Straight Coat
Cockapoo’s with a straight coat can be maintained by merely brushing about 2-3 times a week and bathing every 1-3 months. It may just be necessary to trim their fur around the eyes and fringe.
Wavy Coat
Cockapoos with a wavy coat require a bit of extra grooming compared to those with a straight jacket. Make sure to take extra care of their fur when your Cockapoo is molting as this is when they are extra prone to matting.
Tight Curly Coat
Those Cockapoos with a tight curly coat will need the most maintenance of all, and it is almost difficult to maintain their coat at full length. Their coats matt easily at full length, so it is recommended to keep their fur shorter.
Some Cockapoos have super kinky curls (densely curled hair), allowing for low maintenance haircuts. The dense spiral can be brushed easily and does not matt too much.
Although curly have water resistance, they sometimes absorb more mud and dirt than those with straight or looser curls. It may be necessary to have your Cockapoo groomed every three months to ensure that their curly coat is matt free and comfortable. You can also cut their fur yourself but be prepared for it to take up to three hours.
It may be a good idea to attend a grooming course if you intend to cut your Cockapoo’s coat yourself and are worried about doing it for the first time. Learning the basics is all you need to groom your Cockapoo at home.
What brush should you use on a Cockapoo?
A slicker brush is the best brush to use on a Cockapoo. We reviewed the best four slicker brushes for Cockapoos (and one comb).
Start with the paws and work upwards to ensure that the whole coat is adequately groomed. Once you have brushed the coat, rinse your dog with warm water to eliminate any debris left in the fur. Dry their coat with a dog towel or take them for a walk if it is a nice day.
While Cockapoos don’t require as much grooming or maintenance of other breeds, it is vital to keep their fur healthy through regular grooming and brushing.
After more Cockapoo reading? See our Cavapoo Vs Cockapoo breed comparison or learn if Cockapoos are good with cats.
