Coat care

Coat care notes from the table

What we keep telling people at the counter, written down: brushing, matting, double coats, and what to check between grooms
Read the notes
How often does a doodle actually need grooming?
How often does a doodle actually need grooming?
Every doodle owner gets a different answer to this. Here is the one we give at the counter, why six weeks is the usual number, and how the brushing you do at home moves it in either direction.
Read it
All notes

Brushing, matting and the
things that go wrong

How often does a doodle actually need grooming?
How often does a doodle actually need grooming?
Every doodle owner gets a different answer to this. Here is the one we give at the counter, why six weeks is the usual number, and how the brushing you do at home moves it in either direction.
Read it
Matting: what causes it and how to stay ahead of it
Matting: what causes it and how to stay ahead of it
Mats are a timing problem rather than a grooming failure. Where they start, what causes them, why we will not cut through a tight one, and what to do in the fortnight before a groom.
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Why shaving a double-coated dog backfires
Why shaving a double-coated dog backfires
Every summer someone asks us to shave a husky. Here is what a double coat actually does, why taking it off makes a dog hotter rather than cooler, and what a de-shedding groom does instead.
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Getting a puppy ready for its first groom
Getting a puppy ready for its first groom
The first grooming appointment is not about the haircut. What to practise at home in the weeks before, why the dryer is the part that matters, and when a puppy can come in.
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Brushing a long-haired cat without a fight
Brushing a long-haired cat without a fight
Long-haired cats mat where you cannot see it, and they hide the discomfort until it is serious. How to brush one without a fight, where to check, and when to book a groom instead.
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What to check on your dog's paws between grooms
What to check on your dog's paws between grooms
Six weeks is a long time for a dog's foot. A two-minute check that catches most of what we find at the table, what a long nail actually does, and when to stop and call the vet.
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Tell us the breed and the coat, and we will
come back with a slot and a price

An owner collecting his freshly groomed beagle at the salon counter