Connect with a verified veterinarian in minutes. Licensed vets are available 24/7 to answer your questions. No need to worry about your furry family member.
Cockapoos are excellent pet dogs with a rich poodle gene that makes their coat non-shed and hypoallergenic. Well, don’t get it twisted; not all cockapoos are completely non-shed. Some shed a little depending on the generation.
Regardless of the generation, be it the low shedding and non-shedding cockapoos, they all need to be groomed regularly. For the low shedding types, regular grooming helps to reduce the amount of hair they shed. While for the non-shedding types, regular grooming helps to clean out mattes, tangles, and danders.
Now that it’s clear that every type of cockapoo needs grooming, it’s imperative to know how best to groom a cockapoo. A cockapoo can be taken to a professional for grooming, but this can be somewhat costly, and considering the fact that grooming can be twice a month, you may want to do it yourself to save money.
So, how do you go about a DIY cockapoo grooming? Let’s look at each step.
Step A
Get the tools!
In the first step, getting the necessary tools is very important. The tools needed for grooming are:
A Clipper
A clipper is a tool used to shave a dog. So, get a specialized dog clipper for a smooth cut. The clipper comes with an assortment of blades in different sizes. Each type of blade applies to different body parts and hair level.
Scissors
There are some parts of a cockapoo that the clipper cannot work on. At such places, the ideal tool to use is the scissors. So, purchase one.
Grooming table
A grooming table is where your dog will stay as you groom him. Being a table, it elevates the dog to a good height for easy access when grooming.
Brush
The next item is a brush. A brush is a must-have tool that is necessary before and after a grooming session.
Thinning shears
Thinning shears is an ideal trimming and shaping tool.
Nail cutter
Nail cutting is part of the tools for grooming a dog. So, purchase a dog’s nail cutter.
Step B
Smelling the tools
The next step is bringing the cockapoo close to the tools to smell them. When this is done, your dog is already familiar with the smell of these objects, and none will seem foreign to him later on.
Note: The entire process will take a couple of hours (say about 2 to 3 hours). So, be patient and gently follow the steps. Do not rush through to avoid hurting your dog.
Review symptoms, medications & behavior to keep your pets healthy with a Vet Online in just minutes.
Ask a Vet Live NowStep C
Bathing, drying, and brushing
The next step that gets you rolling is bathing your dog. Bathing is an essential part of grooming. It helps to soften the body fur in preparation for shaving.
Next is drying. You can either blow dry or use a towel. Drying a dog’s body helps to obliterate water, such that the clipper is not disturbed while at work.
And the last part of this stage is brushing. Use a brush to straighten the hair and remove all tangles. Endeavor to get rid of mattes too.
Step D
Shaving the back and the sides
Note: Before starting this stage, get lots of treats to encourage your cockapoo to remain steady and cooperative while the grooming lasts.
Place your dog on the grooming table and using a clipper blade size of 10, start shaving the back. Begin from the base of the neck downwards. Keep repeating this up to down motion gently.
Next, gradually work your way to each side of the body.
Step E
Shaving the belly
Using the same blade size (or you could reduce it to size 8), proceed to your cockapoo’s belly. Be careful of the private region as you continue the up and down shaving pattern.
Keep the belly hair low to curb dirt from accumulating in that area. To get rid of the belly hair, especially towards a dog’s private area, cut in any direction convenient and safe. You could use scissors for some parts.
Step F
Shaving the legs and cutting the nails
Get your dog in a standing position (all fours) and use the clipper to shave the hair as short as possible. The legs accumulate more dirt, and, given this, reduce the hair to a low level. Shave from up to down here also. By shaving from up to down, this pattern doesn’t pull your dog’s hair, and so the shaving process won’t be painful.
Next, shave the paws. Shave the paws very low because they are what a cockapoo stands and walks with all the time, so there is no telling that they will be dirty.
Next, put your dogs nail cutter to use. Be careful at this stage, so you don’t cut the nails too short and cause them to bleed. Just reduce the nails length reasonably.
Step G
Shaving the face and ear
The face should be shaved using a clipper on both cheeks. Be extra careful here; stick to the cheeks and top of the head. At the top of the head, work the clipper down to the back of the head and neck. However, use scissors to cut the hair at the forehead, eyes area, and mouth.
Next is the ear. Be very careful here also as it’s easy to injure a cockapoo’s delicate ear. Use a 5-inch blade for the clipper since the hair around the ear is relatively short. Use the clipper around the ear area, then, switch to scissors or use a trimming shear for the inner part of the ear.
Stage H
The tail and general body trimming
Depending on how steady your dog is, you can use a clipper. Gently work the clipper from the edge of the back down to the tip of the tail. Alternatively, use scissors to cut the hair. Then use the thinning shears to trim it nicely.
If you used the thinning shears to trim the tail, then don’t return it yet. Use it to trim all the areas of the cockapoo’s body to ensure everywhere is level.
Next, use a brush to get rid the body of hair remains. After brushing, make adjustments to irregular parts again.
You are done!
As you follow these steps, it only becomes easier. You will get better acquainted with it over time.
Connect with a verified veterinarian in minutes. Licensed vets are available 24/7 to answer your questions. No need to worry about your furry family member.
Kim
Kim is a talented author, who loves animals especially dogs. She engaged in writing books and articles relating to animals a decade ago. Kim resides in Chicago with her husband and son. The family is the proud owner of a dog and a parrot (Jack and Lily). Kim wanted more than these two pets, but her husband put his foot down... She often visits elementary schools to talk to the kids about what she learned about pets and how they could learn from them.
Review symptoms, medications & behavior to keep your pets healthy with a Vet Online in just minutes.
Ask a Vet Live Now
