[bramble]

Hello Everyone, I'm new to posting. I have a 8 month old Cockerpoo she has a few little matts in her coat, which I am trying to get out. But was wondering if I keep her coat regularly brushed and cared for, do I have to have her clipped. She is beautiful the way she is and don't really want to have her hair cut short!

Thank you in advance

 

[Dylansmum]

I feel the same way and will be interested to hear the replies.

 

[kendal]

http://www.lespoochs.com/brushes.asp theas brushes are the best ive ever come across. 8 months is when the adult coat startys to come thrugh and causes problems with the puppy coat. best bet is to take her to a groomer and get the to show you how to keep her matts to a minimum.
they way i do it is when i find a matt i take scissors and cut down going in the same direction has the hair, that brakes the matt alowing the brush the brake the matt up smaller.

 

[kendal]

forgot to mention, you don't have to have her cut short, i know a number of people who keep their cockapoos long, but they brush their dogs every day and take their dog to a groomer at least every 6 to 8 weeks. to get a trim, just make sure you tell them exactly whats you want, some groomers get a little clipper happy and will just clip the dog down. depending on her coat type it my be difficult to keep her as long as you want.

i would like to keep my girls a little longer but in the weather we have had recently i am regretting it. i have just finished dematting my girls so i can take them to my work tomorrow to clip them down as they are just to long, we considering their las clip was in September its not surprising that they are very hairy. they we ment to get done before now but with the snow we have had i couldnt get to the groomer i use and she has now move so cant use her any more.

look for photos and show the groomer what you want. but yes she will need a haircut.

 

[embee]

It will depend on coat type and I think there is a lot of variation from cocker like to poodle like and everything in between.

I had Flo groomed and clipped last summer and regretted it - she came home looking like this... (More like a poodle than a cockapoo)

She hasn't been cut since and now looks like this with lovely long, soft, scraggy fur I can sink my fingers into.....

Her fur is around 3 inches long but is quite loosely crimped, not that curly, so doesn't seem to mat that much. I brush her about once a week and sometimes have to spend a little time in the evening brushing out the odd matted bit while she is having a hug. I don't like using scissors in case I nick her so I just gently work on matted bits with a small slicker brush and they come out.

I must say I've never noticed her coat change from puppy to adult, like others have mentioned on the forum and it didn't seem to start matting more as she got older. She is now 14 months.

I take Flo to the groomer about every two months to be thoroughly washed and brushed through and will just get a light clip next time no shorter than 2 inches.

Now if I had 4 dogs like Kendal I would probably think differently as I would probably be brushing dogs for at least 1 hour per day if kept too long!!!!!

Also each dog is different and some tolerate or even love brushing and grooming, others hate it. It would be impossible to keep a cockapoo's fur long if they hated being brushed.

 

[bramble]

I think I'll keep her coat long for as long as I can manage to maintain it myself with the occasional visit to a groomer. She doesn't mind being brushed for a while but gets bored and fed up if I take too long, so will just have to see, also think I will have to wait and see if her coat changes, (hope fully I'll be lucky and she'll be like flo!) at the moment it is so soft and loose curls so easier to get matts out. I too am worried about using scissors as she fidgets and would hate to nip her.

Thank you everyone for all your advise.

 

[wilfiboy]

Cos it keeps growing you'd have to at least keep trimming it. Just make sure you are specific with a groomer what you want maybe take some photos... as i ve said before I killed myself laughing the first time Wilf was cut dont think I impressed the groomer and she wanted to keep him short so that the job was easier for her but if i d have wanted a short haired dog Id have got one .. I wanted a lamb. But his coat had started to grow outwards and had lost its shine and was almost sarting to look frizzy.. I've found the more its been cut its got curlyer... just know what you want and ask for it x

 

[parapluie]

I definitely like the longer look much better!

 

[bramble]

"Light trim all round" booked

Cos it keeps growing you'd have to at least keep trimming it. Just make sure you are specific with a groomer what you want maybe take some photos... as i ve said before I killed myself laughing the first time Wilf was cut dont think I impressed the groomer and she wanted to keep him short so that the job was easier for her but if i d have wanted a short haired dog Id have got one .. I wanted a lamb. But his coat had started to grow outwards and had lost its shine and was almost sarting to look frizzy.. I've found the more its been cut its got curlyer... just know what you want and ask for it x

Well I've been brave and booked a grooming appointment..........so watch this space. Will post before and after pictures!

 

[wilfiboy]

Who are you using .. I used Plush Puppies .. she s mobile and comes to the house in a fully equiped transit . Who ever you use Id show them pictures of what you want.. especially if they have nt done a cockapoo before x

 

[bramble]

Who are you using .. I used Plush Puppies .. she s mobile and comes to the house in a fully equiped transit . Who ever you use Id show them pictures of what you want.. especially if they have nt done a cockapoo before x

Oh wow, what a coincidence Plush puppies is who've I've booked. I see her van everyday as my little boy goes to the same school as her kids, so thought it would be handy! was think of showing her pics of your flo if you don't mind!

 

[paul1959]

We had Jess cut on New Years eve. I gave the groomer strict instructions not to 'scalp' her and we were very happy with the results.

Pics to follow.

 

[bramble]

Oh goody looking forward to seeing them!

 

[embee]

We had Jess cut on New Years eve. I gave the groomer strict instructions not to 'scalp' her and we were very happy with the results.

Pics to follow.

Look forward to seeing pics as I'm still trying to find something in between crazy looking poodle that my groomer came up with and 3 inch long mop. I love the long look but it is taking a while to brush each evening and a challenge when she comes in from an hour long off lead, cross country romp in the mud and through dry winter burrs

 

[paul1959]

Before

After

Sorry only Iphone pics but it gives you the idea.

 

[bramble]

I too love the long look, but am struggling with the black dog that comes back from walks too!!!!!!
Did you every read a book called "Harry the Dirty Dog"? well if you did, that's my bramble ha ha

 

[parapluie]

Paul, I love the before shot!

 

[wilfiboy]

Mandy/Bramble ... Deb spends ages she took over 4 hours the first time she cut Wilf but said she wanted to take her time so that he would find the experience ok .. then after that he would give her a cockapoo greet every time . I used to ask forthe top of his head leaving long cos once she cut it short to his head, always didhis face lovely .... not like a poodle like I've seen another cockapoo in Halifax. But quite likes to cut body short so stipulate that you dont want it clipping so short but if you.ve got a picture should be ok. I know which school your at surprised I have nt seen you I walk most mornings in the woods by the rocks after school dropoff time .... although muddy at the mo x

 

[embee]

Bumped into someone on a walk who has 2 wheaten terriers with really similar coats to cockapoos. She clips her dogs herself and she's offered to come round on Wednesday to show me how to give Flo a tidy up with clippers and let me know what I need to buy. Will let you know how I get on...

 

[bramble]

wilfiboy (Karen) - thanks for picture, wilfiboy looks lovely, not too short, and I think I've seen the poodle looking cockerpoo your talking about that's why I'm so worried about getting her clipped! Wow 4 hours, not sure if Bramble will have the patience for that, did you stay with her when she did it, I was hoping to so I could get a few tips. I tend to walk at the rocks at the weekends and then when the evenings get lighter I'll be there, so its only a matter of time before we bump into each other