GROOMING TIPS: CUTS FOR COCKAPOOS

Any new owners of cockapoo puppies or adult pets are probably wondering how much maintenance their new pet needs. Even as seasoned cockapoo owners, some of us may not fully understand the traits of our dogs coat. Here we will briefly discuss the cockapoo coat and give grooming cut ideas that work well on the cockapoo breed.

A cockapoo has hair that grows on a continual basis, just the same as human hair. The upside to the hair that your pooch has is that its hypoallergenic and even most people with allergies can tolerate this breed as pets. The down side is, the growth means that you have to groom your cockapoo regularly and make sure you brush out and maintain the coat between grooms. If you are a brave sort, you can groom at home. Our pup Albion has never been one to sit still without being on one of those groomer’s tables. But for others this may be an option. If you don’t groom at home, but don’t know how to tell the groomer to cut your dogs coat, here are a few cuts that are common and cute for the cockapoo.

The Puppy Cut

The puppy cut is a full coat cut where the hair is cut to a relatively uniform length and is generally fairly short. You can tell your groomer that you want a low-maintenance cut that will last at least three months of time growing out. Be warned though, the puppy cut is not going to look like a pure breed cut, so if you like the classic poodle or cocker look, you may not want to go with this. Another name for this cut is also theĀ summer cut. It’s good for hotter weather because it is short and will help your dog will stay cool!

The Teddy Bear TrimThe Cocker Cut

You can also go with the more classic look of the cocker cut. This is when the hair on the head and the bottom of the dogs body is left long. The groomer will still trim around the eyes and shorten the hair around the body, but the hair will be longer than a puppy cut overall.

This gives a more recognizable look as a cockapoo, since it closely resembles a cocker cut, but remember: this will need to be maintained more frequently, most likely every 6 to 8 weeks. You will also need to keep the fur on the bottom of the body, the forming of the “skirt”, clean and free of tangles.

Another cut cut is the teddy bear trim. This leaves a rounder face on the cockapoo and fluffs out around the legs. The hair would be trimmed to about two to three inches and the face is left a little longer. The fur around the eyes would be trimmed back. This is a cute cut, but is another that you would want to get redone about every 8 weeks, depending on your preference.

The important thing to remember is your cockapoo’s comfort and well being. If you like a particular way that you have seen a dog cut, ask for it. Make yourself clear to the groomer and, if possible, continue with the same groomer so you don’t have to explain yourself over again all the time. Bring a good photo in, perhaps on your mobile phone if it has a good camera, of what you want. If you are not clear to a groomer when it comes to the cut on a cockapoo you could come home with many different looks.

So make sure you know what you want your dog to look like, and communicate it!