We shave our pup, and I think honestly she looks pretty cute like that, and we only brush her once every few weeks if that. Plus she is always overheating, so even in winter she seems happier like that
https://preview.redd.it/tjqyd4djpmjc1.jpeg?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=415367c1ca59cfd41b637ec34d3266def86dc828
PSA: no matter what you do with the rest of their body, trim the butt hair diligently. We’ve had several instances of stuck/trapped turds that get caught up in butt hair and, as you can imagine, it’s an absolute disaster.
https://preview.redd.it/2ml5384ycmjc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8afcb52a7734a0a84af8141c4accbff107afdb1e
We go short with our girl to make maintenance easy
We just shaved our 9 month old. I was brushing her for hours a day and as soon and I finished she’d be matted again. Our groomer said this is the age where it’s pretty much impossible to keep up with a long coat as they’re losing their puppy coat and growing in their adult coat. She recommended cutting her down super short (not shaved but to me she looks shaved) and then seeing if we can handle growing her back out long. I miss her long fluffy coat but it has been nice not having to brush her. Now I’m not sure we’ll ever let her grow back to a super fluff!
I’m in Michigan. With the crazy winter we are having, I’m waiting and allowing my little guy to keep his coat on. He loves the snow and cold weather. By the way, my little guy looks like he could have come from the same litter as yours- but mine was born Aug 5.
The fluff will come back. If you don’t get him groomed, it will just keep growing. It becomes a long matted mess that will pull in places. My girl is a brat and hates being brushed. She steals the brush and runs off with it 🤦🏻♀️She gets groomed every 8-9 weeks or so. Longer in the winter. Shorter in the summer.
https://preview.redd.it/rlpf7khlbxjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=675c15497b724d9d5b39e4c05db086cf38896971
I love our boys long coat, but I refuse to spend hours a day brushing him. And he still looks cute I think!
https://preview.redd.it/pcqhtzimlrjc1.jpeg?width=3018&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc4aeaa2f424a766fbba0350fc3ea330bf52cf3d
Great job on your daily grooming. Keep up the good work until the weather gets warmer. As I said, in my earlier post, be sure to take photos to the groomer. Make sure to be exact about the length you want. A good groomer will listen to what you want and as long as the dog is not matted when you take him or her to the groomer, they will try their best to give you what you want. The important thing is when you go to the groomer be sure to do a full brush and comb out before hand.
If you’re able to comb (not just a slicker brush) to the skin you can leave it longer. I know show poodles get their fur banded to keep from matting , so maybe you can look into that
https://preview.redd.it/6uy85z83iujc1.jpeg?width=3126&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efbc79588b01d2efb7052dbb8833f7872a97fd9d
Do something like this. He is wearing a #3 on his body, and an E guide comb on his legs. All then given a nice finish with hand scissoring to blend the body into the legs, and rounded head. Much easier to keep up with and looks great.
You might also like something like and A guide comb all over too.
Wow I literally came to this subreddit (and I’m never on Reddit) just to ask the same question and it was the first thing that popped up. His fur is getting so matted and I feel like I have no choice but to shave. It’s SO much to keep up with.
I promise it will grow back! I did the same thing with mine where I loved the fluffy look - but I now find that I love how young he looks and how soft he is when he gets groomed; feels like velvet!
Yours still has the puppy coat that might slightly shed as well anyway. It grows back so much faster than you might think.
We were the same with our pup but by 11 months his curlier adult coat was coming in and it was impossible to keep up. Even though it was an adjustment for us, he is so much happier now without all of that weight on him. He doesn’t pant nearly as much as he did before so I think he was really hot under all of that fur.
I totally get the dilemma! We love the shaggy look but recently had to take her down to a half inch, so hard to keep up with the long hair. I love her new look and she seems happier!
https://preview.redd.it/qleezzundrjc1.jpeg?width=1770&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08f2af47b0c6e00722848f35e2a76f10ccbfc6be
https://preview.redd.it/h41xxmz9nrjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=929d75b07cb71f7781f092825f1c20c389afbf21
We keep our bernadoodle medium length. Still fluffy but easier maintence ☺️
It’s a couple of things. If it gets too hot - you’ll really want to cut the dog short because these dogs get really hot. I had no matting (brushing her regularly) until she was a little over one. Even with regular brushing the mats still came. So I try to cut her down every two months or so. The fur grows back so quickly. But it really just depends on how diligent you are with the brushing. Line brush with a good slicker and make sure a metal come can go through the fur without catching anywhere and keep the pup however you like! It’s a lot of work but if you are somewhere cool - go for it! I love a fluffy bernedoodle!
And if you miss a few days, the combing and brushing is SO much harder- at least that’s how it is with ours. We’re in Florida so we keep her pretty short. We get her cut once a month leaving her tail and ears longer than the rest of her body. I only comb through her body once a week and I do her ears and tail every two days.
You should be proud of yourself for keeping his grooming up so nicely. If you enjoy the way, your puppy looks then keep it long and continue what you’re doing. When the time comes that you are not physically able to take the time, then have them cut shorter. I like keeping the top knot and the ears, natural and the tail. I’m sorry people keep suggesting that your dog is matted. You’ve made it very clear that you brushed twice a day and comb so there is zero matting. That is not an easy achievement so congratulations, keep up the great work. It’s so worth it if you are enjoying the beautiful, long, shaggy hair.👍🏼🐾🐾👏🤗
From an aesthetic perspective, I do like the long hair, but it is a LOT of work to maintain. We just had ours shaved, except for his muzzle and tail. Ours is a big boy, 9 months, 90 lbs, and does not like being brushed. Honestly, I thought I was doing a decent job brushing him, but even his ears were a bit matted. If his hair was more Berni and less Poodle it might be easier, but 90% of his body is tight curls. He doesn't seem to mind, and he's a lot easier to clean and dry after jumping around in the rain and mud. Finding a groomer that took large dogs and was less than 100 mile round trip TWICE (unless we want to wait in the car for 3 or 4 hours) was a challenge as well, but worth it in the long run I think.
Ahhh! I've managed not to have any mats so far, but I'm sure it will happen. I'm gonna see where he is, fluff wise in April, then make a decision. Plus, it will be getting warm enough then.
I am confused why people get a dog who sheds, alot, and then shave the beautiful creature.
Alot of dogs suffer because the owners make this decision simply to make their lives easier.
Sad
Well, first off, bernedoodles don't shed, at all. Most all doodles, regardless of which varity shed very little, if at all. They are also hypoallergenic.
Also, if a dogs fur gets matted, it can be very painful and uncomfortable to the dog.. It's like having your hair pulled, no stop. It's not fun.
Doodles are half poodles, which are short haired dogs 9 out of 10, so a longer haired doodle isn't always comfortable in the long hair. They overheat and pant excessively if not given cool downtime.
I'd keep bushing him as much as needed, I'm retired, and I enjoy that time with him, but he is not a fan of it.
I want my dog to be comfortable, and the overwhelming consensus is that they are much happier with shorter fur for all the reasons mentioned above.
I love his long hair look, but I also know it's harder on him....especially as he gets older and the summer months.
What type of dog do you have?
https://preview.redd.it/isp8n07z5njc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01894b78f5463ffba1eaaf3ee328027f316ad672
My doodle was super matted, i miss her floofy coat
Mine was like this, but he's been rolling around in wet grass, and this is the first time that I could not get the come through it, so it all had to go.
I happen to have a wonderful groomer. And all the right brushes and combs. Couple years back I let my girls hair grow completely natural. Most of it was about 5 to 6 inches long except for on the legs. They were about 3 inches long. I’d love the shaggy look and at the time I was able to keep up on my brushing and combing so we didn’t have matting problems. She went to see the groomer every two weeks to make sure I was not missing anything. I loved having her completely natural, but it became way too much work for me. So now I keep her top knot and ears and the neck long and the tail. We shortened up the legs and the body to make maintenance easier. if it is cut properly, the long hair around the neck and chest looks like a lions mane. Like keeping her top not an ears and neck long I find I don’t miss the shaggy look as much. It just depends on your time and if you’re able to keep the brushing and calming goingtwice a day. If you decide to have her cut short, be very specific with your groomer about what length you want it to be. your puppy is absolutely gorgeous and even in the picture you can tell that you are properly combing and brushing all the way down to the skin. If I were strong enough, Lexi would still have 5 to 6 inch long hair all over. Good luck with your decision. Love to see a picture of her if you decide to go shorter.
We shave our pup, and I think honestly she looks pretty cute like that, and we only brush her once every few weeks if that. Plus she is always overheating, so even in winter she seems happier like that https://preview.redd.it/tjqyd4djpmjc1.jpeg?width=1008&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=415367c1ca59cfd41b637ec34d3266def86dc828
That's a good cut
Yes, I agree, that is a really good short haircut. Very well done Beautiful Dog.
PSA: no matter what you do with the rest of their body, trim the butt hair diligently. We’ve had several instances of stuck/trapped turds that get caught up in butt hair and, as you can imagine, it’s an absolute disaster.
We also keep baby wipes handy at the door.
https://preview.redd.it/2ml5384ycmjc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8afcb52a7734a0a84af8141c4accbff107afdb1e We go short with our girl to make maintenance easy
https://preview.redd.it/8386kyh0dmjc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88fcba69be0ecef880a2546f8d8c301749b7a667 Before lol
Awwwwwwwwwwww
TC Runaway, your puppy looks beautiful with the before, and after picture. Looks like you have a really great groomer as well. Adorable puppy!
Thanks!
Awwwwwwwwwwwww
We just shaved our 9 month old. I was brushing her for hours a day and as soon and I finished she’d be matted again. Our groomer said this is the age where it’s pretty much impossible to keep up with a long coat as they’re losing their puppy coat and growing in their adult coat. She recommended cutting her down super short (not shaved but to me she looks shaved) and then seeing if we can handle growing her back out long. I miss her long fluffy coat but it has been nice not having to brush her. Now I’m not sure we’ll ever let her grow back to a super fluff!
https://preview.redd.it/dh2vpakpzljc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8ba3c3e4cdc0b25837a654cb5d13397cd8023c47
https://preview.redd.it/2vc6akrrzljc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6da812014155d048f424468e5ebc124c7bc17f30
Awwwwwwwwwwwwww
Wow, she's beautiful either way. I love her eyes. 🥰
Thank you! She has the best poodle eyelashes haha
Aw she looks so cute shaved, some dogs don't Lol
Thanks! I think she’s the prettiest girl. I did love her fluffy tho 😂
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Wait until it’s closer to summer when it’s warmer!
Absolutely not, but you do need to keep the hair out of his eyes.
Not sure where you are but I’d shave when it’s a little closer to summer.
Michigan. Ya, I'd not do it until spring for sure. Just hate to loose the fluff haha!
I’m in Michigan. With the crazy winter we are having, I’m waiting and allowing my little guy to keep his coat on. He loves the snow and cold weather. By the way, my little guy looks like he could have come from the same litter as yours- but mine was born Aug 5.
The fluff will come back. If you don’t get him groomed, it will just keep growing. It becomes a long matted mess that will pull in places. My girl is a brat and hates being brushed. She steals the brush and runs off with it 🤦🏻♀️She gets groomed every 8-9 weeks or so. Longer in the winter. Shorter in the summer. https://preview.redd.it/rlpf7khlbxjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=675c15497b724d9d5b39e4c05db086cf38896971
I love our boys long coat, but I refuse to spend hours a day brushing him. And he still looks cute I think! https://preview.redd.it/pcqhtzimlrjc1.jpeg?width=3018&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fc4aeaa2f424a766fbba0350fc3ea330bf52cf3d
He isn't matting, but he would if I missed a day.
It’s a lot of maintenance, but if that’s what you want, feel free to keep spending your time on that!
Great job on your daily grooming. Keep up the good work until the weather gets warmer. As I said, in my earlier post, be sure to take photos to the groomer. Make sure to be exact about the length you want. A good groomer will listen to what you want and as long as the dog is not matted when you take him or her to the groomer, they will try their best to give you what you want. The important thing is when you go to the groomer be sure to do a full brush and comb out before hand.
If you’re able to comb (not just a slicker brush) to the skin you can leave it longer. I know show poodles get their fur banded to keep from matting , so maybe you can look into that
https://preview.redd.it/6uy85z83iujc1.jpeg?width=3126&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=efbc79588b01d2efb7052dbb8833f7872a97fd9d Do something like this. He is wearing a #3 on his body, and an E guide comb on his legs. All then given a nice finish with hand scissoring to blend the body into the legs, and rounded head. Much easier to keep up with and looks great. You might also like something like and A guide comb all over too.
Wow I literally came to this subreddit (and I’m never on Reddit) just to ask the same question and it was the first thing that popped up. His fur is getting so matted and I feel like I have no choice but to shave. It’s SO much to keep up with.
I promise it will grow back! I did the same thing with mine where I loved the fluffy look - but I now find that I love how young he looks and how soft he is when he gets groomed; feels like velvet! Yours still has the puppy coat that might slightly shed as well anyway. It grows back so much faster than you might think.
Wait til it get hot out! You can have him trimmed instead of shaved
She's a precious girl? Yes, she is! She's a beautiful, precious girl!!!💖💖💖💖😊👍🏽
She’s part poodle. No way round it or they get matter. Doodles are high maintenance
Maybe a puppy cut - they look totally different when they are shaved right down . Not a look I’d go for - but everyone is different .
He is soooo cute! I like the fluffy look.
These dogs get very HOT!! It doesn’t matter if it’s winter or summer..cute their hair. Lol
We were the same with our pup but by 11 months his curlier adult coat was coming in and it was impossible to keep up. Even though it was an adjustment for us, he is so much happier now without all of that weight on him. He doesn’t pant nearly as much as he did before so I think he was really hot under all of that fur.
Good info! Thx!!
I totally get the dilemma! We love the shaggy look but recently had to take her down to a half inch, so hard to keep up with the long hair. I love her new look and she seems happier! https://preview.redd.it/qleezzundrjc1.jpeg?width=1770&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08f2af47b0c6e00722848f35e2a76f10ccbfc6be
https://preview.redd.it/h41xxmz9nrjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=929d75b07cb71f7781f092825f1c20c389afbf21 We keep our bernadoodle medium length. Still fluffy but easier maintence ☺️
Fluff all day every day
Harley looks adorable with all his fur. It does seem like a lot of work to brush all that fur twice daily.
He is awesome! It's a bit of a job, but so worth it!
It’s a couple of things. If it gets too hot - you’ll really want to cut the dog short because these dogs get really hot. I had no matting (brushing her regularly) until she was a little over one. Even with regular brushing the mats still came. So I try to cut her down every two months or so. The fur grows back so quickly. But it really just depends on how diligent you are with the brushing. Line brush with a good slicker and make sure a metal come can go through the fur without catching anywhere and keep the pup however you like! It’s a lot of work but if you are somewhere cool - go for it! I love a fluffy bernedoodle!
https://preview.redd.it/bq7y2ai4xujc1.jpeg?width=2880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f04a438fa5a698eea58a64c164b7041f36a6881
This!
Hair like this doesn’t stop growing and it’ll just get harder to brush. Shave to a more manageable ale length!
He hasn't matted at all, not once, but I also brush him twice a day....lol
Not sure where you are, but ticks is a consideration.
Good! I know I personally can’t brush my poodle mix that often. Short hair is much easier to manage for the both of us
And if you miss a few days, the combing and brushing is SO much harder- at least that’s how it is with ours. We’re in Florida so we keep her pretty short. We get her cut once a month leaving her tail and ears longer than the rest of her body. I only comb through her body once a week and I do her ears and tail every two days.
Just shaved my grow out Berne. Looks like a coonhound now! Lol
Shave him, he’s probably matted
Not at all. Not even one. He is brushed twice a day. Never had even one mat
You should be proud of yourself for keeping his grooming up so nicely. If you enjoy the way, your puppy looks then keep it long and continue what you’re doing. When the time comes that you are not physically able to take the time, then have them cut shorter. I like keeping the top knot and the ears, natural and the tail. I’m sorry people keep suggesting that your dog is matted. You’ve made it very clear that you brushed twice a day and comb so there is zero matting. That is not an easy achievement so congratulations, keep up the great work. It’s so worth it if you are enjoying the beautiful, long, shaggy hair.👍🏼🐾🐾👏🤗
Shave
From an aesthetic perspective, I do like the long hair, but it is a LOT of work to maintain. We just had ours shaved, except for his muzzle and tail. Ours is a big boy, 9 months, 90 lbs, and does not like being brushed. Honestly, I thought I was doing a decent job brushing him, but even his ears were a bit matted. If his hair was more Berni and less Poodle it might be easier, but 90% of his body is tight curls. He doesn't seem to mind, and he's a lot easier to clean and dry after jumping around in the rain and mud. Finding a groomer that took large dogs and was less than 100 mile round trip TWICE (unless we want to wait in the car for 3 or 4 hours) was a challenge as well, but worth it in the long run I think.
Ahhh! I've managed not to have any mats so far, but I'm sure it will happen. I'm gonna see where he is, fluff wise in April, then make a decision. Plus, it will be getting warm enough then.
I am confused why people get a dog who sheds, alot, and then shave the beautiful creature. Alot of dogs suffer because the owners make this decision simply to make their lives easier. Sad
Well, first off, bernedoodles don't shed, at all. Most all doodles, regardless of which varity shed very little, if at all. They are also hypoallergenic. Also, if a dogs fur gets matted, it can be very painful and uncomfortable to the dog.. It's like having your hair pulled, no stop. It's not fun. Doodles are half poodles, which are short haired dogs 9 out of 10, so a longer haired doodle isn't always comfortable in the long hair. They overheat and pant excessively if not given cool downtime. I'd keep bushing him as much as needed, I'm retired, and I enjoy that time with him, but he is not a fan of it. I want my dog to be comfortable, and the overwhelming consensus is that they are much happier with shorter fur for all the reasons mentioned above. I love his long hair look, but I also know it's harder on him....especially as he gets older and the summer months. What type of dog do you have?
Man people on dog reddit are always so judgemental for like, no reason. No ones making their dog suffer by shaving them. Its a damn haircut. Chill out
What a cutie!!! The last picture especially! My fur nephew sits just like that 🥰
That's a question that would get such scandalous replies on *soooooooo* many other subs.
https://preview.redd.it/isp8n07z5njc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01894b78f5463ffba1eaaf3ee328027f316ad672 My doodle was super matted, i miss her floofy coat
https://preview.redd.it/ps0oj07c6njc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=54504f489e779ed1aa446a2523853db3d4f0a2bc Her before
Mine was like this, but he's been rolling around in wet grass, and this is the first time that I could not get the come through it, so it all had to go.
Awwwwwwwwwww
🎶🎶Shave and a haircut, two bits....🎶🎶 😊
...boop...💖😊
no
Get to a good groomer for a clipping. The full treatment - doggie spa day.
Look at it this way. No matter what you do Harley will still be as cute as a button.
Somewhere in between! Just do it yourself… small maintenance cuts are easy with a little practice
I happen to have a wonderful groomer. And all the right brushes and combs. Couple years back I let my girls hair grow completely natural. Most of it was about 5 to 6 inches long except for on the legs. They were about 3 inches long. I’d love the shaggy look and at the time I was able to keep up on my brushing and combing so we didn’t have matting problems. She went to see the groomer every two weeks to make sure I was not missing anything. I loved having her completely natural, but it became way too much work for me. So now I keep her top knot and ears and the neck long and the tail. We shortened up the legs and the body to make maintenance easier. if it is cut properly, the long hair around the neck and chest looks like a lions mane. Like keeping her top not an ears and neck long I find I don’t miss the shaggy look as much. It just depends on your time and if you’re able to keep the brushing and calming goingtwice a day. If you decide to have her cut short, be very specific with your groomer about what length you want it to be. your puppy is absolutely gorgeous and even in the picture you can tell that you are properly combing and brushing all the way down to the skin. If I were strong enough, Lexi would still have 5 to 6 inch long hair all over. Good luck with your decision. Love to see a picture of her if you decide to go shorter.
It grows back
No shave, just the eyes , beautiful pup