When Is Ideal To Start Grooming Goldendoodle Puppy? We Asked The Experts
Today I am answering a Goldendoodle grooming user question posed by Kerry! She got in contact with us via our email and wanted an answer to her query about her puppy Mimi. I got intrigued when I read her query and did some research and data gathering to figure out the answer!
Kerry wrote: “Hi Chris! I have a 4 and a half month old Goldendoodle named Mimi! My husband and I were wondering when we should take her to the groomer or start the grooming. At what age to start grooming a Goldendoodle? – Mimi is a cream standard Goldendoodle. We love her so much already! PS how can we tell what coat type she has – will the groomer know?”
Hey Kerry! Thanks for getting in contact about your beautiful sounding dog Mimi. Read on to find out when to start grooming Goldendoodle puppy!
You can read our article about figuring out what kind of coat a Goldendoodle will have here.
Let’s dig in and find out when to start grooming Goldendoodle puppy!
I asked the experts – when to start grooming a Goldendoodle?
While I had a fair idea of when I would first start grooming a Goldendoodle puppy – I decided to ask the experts! I sent the following short survey to four Poodle Mix breed groomers, two Goldendoodle breeders, and 8 actual Goldendoodle owners. I then ran a poll on a Goldendoodle owner Facebook group and verified the results were consistent.
What did I ask about When to Start Grooming Goldendoodle Puppies?
There were four simple questions that we asked to find out when to start grooming a Goldendoodle Puppy.
- How old should a Goldendoodle be for first grooming
- What age should a Goldendoodle start being shampooed?
- What age to start cleaning Goldendoodle ears?
- How often Does a Goldendoodle need to be trimmed in its first year?
I then asked for any special comments, some of which you can see in the results below, supporting what we found.
As always thank you to our experts – we are thrilled our panel was willing to answer our surveys and help us out. Here are the results!
Ask the Experts: How Old Should a Goldendoodle Be For First Grooming
You can see the results of our first question here. The experts mostly agreed that a Goldendoodle should be first groomed around 5 months of age.
The breeders trended a little higher, recommending first grooming around 7 months of age. The owners and groomers settled at 5 months.
Everyone mostly agreed around 5 months of age is the first time to groom a Goldendoodle. The primary reason for this is that around this time most Goldendoodle will be shedding their puppy coats.
It is also around this time that you will get a clearer picture of what type of coat your Goldendoodle actually has. This will influence the frequency and cost of grooming over the lifespan of your Goldendoodle. Straight coats shed a lot more but are lower maintenance. Wavy and curly coats are low to no shedding but require more frequent grooming.
Sasha (one of our experienced dog groomers surveyed) noted “We always like to see puppies early on. There are lots of sounds, sights, smells and touching that a Goldendoodle needs to get used to. The earlier the better they feel about grooming when older.”
The Experts Answer: What Age Should a Puppy Be Shampooed
I put this question in to show near universal agreement that you can shampoo your puppy at a young age. This is great because Goldendoodles can get stinky. There were four options to select from.
- Any age With puppy shampoo, but only when required due to dirt or odour
- 2 months
- 3 months
- 4+ months
As you can see, you can shampoo your Goldendoodle safely from a young age only if it is necessary. You don’t want to over wash your puppy – but there are safe options out there!
“Pick natural allergy free puppy shampoo” Goldendoodle owner Maree said. “We chose Bert’s because it was cheap.”
We reviewed the best 6 shampoos for Goldendoodles (including Maree’s favourite) in depth and picked our favourite for puppies and older Goldendoodles.
Many owners use puppy shampoo for the first year or two. This is especially true if they have a super cute teacup or toy miniature Goldendoodle.
Ask The Experts: When To Start Cleaning Goldendoodle Ears
The general consensus when I asked the experts was there is no set age that ear grooming starts to be recommended. It varies dog to dog!
Any Poodle Mix Breed needs to be acutely aware of the issues that our awesome mixbreed dogs inherit from the Poodle. The shape of the ear canal and hair that grows can lead to troubles and ear odours.
Cleaning a Poodle Mix ear canal is something that can easily be done at home. You will know it is time to start cleaning your Goldendoodles ears when
- There is visible wax of black gunk in the Goldendoodles ears
- There is so much ear in the canal you can’t see the skin
- There is an odour or staining on the fur in the ear canal
Cleaning Goldendoodle ears is easy and pain-free – so if the need arises don’t stress too much and refer to our guide.
Experts Advice: How Often Does A Goldendoodle Need To Be Trimmed in the First Year
The consensus answer is every 6-8 weeks for a Goldendoodle trim. You can trim your Goldendoodle at home!
- Make sure you start with an excellent Goldendoodle appropriate brush
- Wash your Goldendoodle with the best shampoo for the breed
- Trim and shave your dog using the best clippers on the market
- learn how to DIY nail cut your Goldendoodle to save scratches and money
You can follow guides like this YouTube video to show you how a groomer would cut your puppy’s hair. If you feel up to it – it is a worthy challenge! Even if it is not going to be a regular thing – I recommend everyone learns how to do a Goldendoodle puppy cut.
With that said – our awesome Groomers do an amazing job – and are usually worth the money if you can spare it! They can be magnificent at keeping your Goldendoodle calm and enjoyable.
When To Cut Goldendoodle Puppy Hair?
You should try not to cut Goldendoodle puppy hair until the coat begins to transition. Depending on the generation and coat type of your Goldendoodle, this can be subtle. For others, it is a very noticeable change.
Our experts recommended 5 months and older for grooming because Goldendoodle tend to be in the start of the puppy coat transition at this point.
This only refers to a whole body trim, as a hygienic and comfort trim of the paws, eyes, and around the butt are safe and common. Consider these early for your Goldendoodle’s comfort!
The change is so minor in some wavy coated Goldendoodle that you will not even notice it. For straight hair or curly, it can be a significant difference in softness. Cutting the Goldendoodle puppy hair at the right time (around 5 months plus) gives the easiest foundation for soft fur and easy maintenance.
An exception is if your Goldendoodle just ends up too dang shaggy before they hit 5 months. Some Groodles just have fast growing hair! It is unavoidable for such dogs to have a full body trim earlier.
Conclusions
You should start grooming your Goldendoodle early to get them used to the procedure. The first full groom will come around 5 months of age. This is an ideal time as the Goldendoodle puppy coat will be shedding. A Goldendoodle puppy cut and coat trim will keep your puppy looking and feeling fresh.
It is very possible to figure out the type of Goldendoodle coat early using these tricks.
You can wash a Goldendoodle puppy with shampoo and conditioner from a very early age. You should only wash when indicated till the dog is older. For puppies only wash when there is dirt or bacteria. Choose the best shampoo for Goldendoodle puppies based on reviews and testing.
You can safely groom a Goldendoodle at home, from cleaning their Poodle Mix ears, right through to full haircuts and groom following online guides.
For more information about Goldendoodles, consider reading our comprehensive Goldendoodle Vs Labradoodle breed guide.
If you enjoyed this article, consider checking out our extensively researched article about what do do if your Goldendoodle barks all the time. We figure out the causes, and find ways to minimise and eliminate problem barking behaviour. All from home, all for free.
