Your Doodle Has a Hair Appointment. ✂️

Fourteen years of doodles, countless lessons learned, and a whole lot more to this than the haircut.

Before anyone comes for me: health and temperament matter more than a haircut. Obviously.

Now that we've established that we're responsible adults, can we admit we care what our

doodles look like? 😂

Because we do.

We love the fluffy faces. We have opinions about ears. We save pictures of other doodles. And

when they come home from the groomer looking particularly fabulous, suddenly the camera

roll has 47 new pictures of the dog.

I get it. I'm one of you.

For over a decade, I've been pairing genetics to create coats that are beautiful and easier to manage. I wanted the fluff too.

And now for my confession…

I shave my own dogs. 😂

Because…life.

Some of you LOVE the long coat and will happily do what it takes to keep it beautiful. I love that

too. But kids happen. Vacations happen. Swimming definitely happens around here.

So these days, I'm pretty firmly on Team do what works for you and your doodle.

You can bring the picture. You can’t bring the hair.

You know when you go get your own hair done and bring a picture? I want THIS.

Meanwhile, that woman has three times your hair, completely different texture, and apparently

lives somewhere humidity doesn't exist.

Your stylist looks at the picture. Then she looks at you.

She can only work with what you brought her. 😂

Same with your doodle.

You can absolutely walk into the groomer with a picture of a gorgeous doodle with a long, wavy

coat. But if yours walks in halfway to dreadlocks, we may have a problem.

And if the doodle in your picture has that huge fluffy teddy-bear face and yours barely grows

hair around his face? Your groomer can't create furnishings that aren't there. That part comes

from genetics.So if your doodle doesn't have the same hair as the doodle in the picture, it's not necessarily the

haircut.

Wait. Is that my dog?

There is something uniquely doodle about dropping off one dog and picking up what appears to

be an entirely different one.

Sometimes it’s, “I LOVE IT!!!”

And sometimes it’s, “Who is this skinny little creature and what did you do with my doodle?” 😂

And then there's your dog's reaction. Which one do you have?

The one who comes home prancing around, looking fabulous and ready for a date? Or the one

who would really prefer you didn't look at him?

You know which one you have.

The haircut has to work with the life.

A long, fluffy doodle is gorgeous. One who swims all summer is also…a lifestyle choice.

Sometimes all those plans you had for your doodle's hair meet actual life. And there's nothing

wrong with deciding that a shorter, easier-to-maintain coat works better for both of you.

Ah yes. “Please don’t poodle my doodle.”

If you have a doodle, there's a pretty good chance you know exactly what that means.

Keep the face. Keep the fluff. Please don't send me home with a poodle.

I get it. I've had groomers I absolutely loved and haircuts I absolutely loved. I've also picked up a

dog and thought…

Well. Hair grows. 😂

A good groomer? Keep the number.

Over the years, I've done the regular grooming salon, mobile grooming, and DIY. For a while, I

had a groomer I absolutely loved who came to my house and groomed several of my doodles in

my master bathroom.

Was there hair everywhere afterward? Yes. Did I have to clean my bathroom? Also yes.

Did I love and appreciate that woman? Soooo much.

She was patient, talented, and wonderful with my dogs. When you find a good one, you keep the

number.

And about that DIY…

COVID took that to a whole new level. So I bought the stuff. Actually, I probably bought ALL the stuff. 😂

And I did full grooms. Some turned out pretty good. Some…

Hair grows.

But somewhere in all that buying and actually using it, I figured out what I really needed, what

made my life easier, and what I would absolutely buy again.

And yes, I gained a whole new appreciation for a talented groomer along the way.

So what would I actually buy again?

Turns out, buying a ridiculous amount of grooming stuff does have one advantage. You figure

out pretty quickly what you actually use and what you don't.

I've put the things I'd buy again in my Grooming Must-Haves.

SHOP THE GROOMING MUST-HAVES →

The fresh grooms. The long coats. The short cuts. And everything real life throws in between.

I've loved watching doodles become part of families for years.

Turns out, there's a whole lot more to talk about than puppies. ❤️

Shop the Grooming Must-Haves