Everything You Need to Know About Coat Care for Your Australian Labradoodle

The Australian Labradoodle can have different coat types: Fleece, Curly fleece and Curly. These 3 coat types essentially need the same care, but the brushing frequency does differ.

How often should you brush an Australian Labradoodle?

That depends entirely on the type of coat. Simply put: the curlier the coat, the more prone it is to tangling. The colour of the coat also plays a role. As a rule, the lighter the coat, the more prone it is to tangling.

– Fleece: easy to maintain, hardly tangles.

– Curly fleece: slightly more intensive, but very manageable.

– Curly: requires a lot of attention, tangles quickly.

During the coat change – a process that starts around the age of 8 months and can sometimes take up to a year – it may be necessary to brush every 3 to 4 days. After this period, around the second year of life, brushing once a week or every other week is often enough. Provided you use the right technique and tools.

For puppies up to around six months old, brushing is purely to get them used to it, so use a soft puppy brush. At around 5 to 6 months, replace it with, for example, the green ActiVet brush.

How often should you wash an Australian Labradoodle?

From a young age (puppy), it is good to wash your Labradoodle every 2 to 3 weeks, purely to get them used to the ritual.

During the coat change, regular washing is more important than ever. Every 2 weeks is recommended, because a clean coat tangles far less quickly – provided you rinse thoroughly, use conditioner and blow-dry the coat with a water blower. After the coat change, washing less frequently is fine. But here too, a clean coat tangles less quickly than a dirty one. And it smells lovely, too.

How often a Labradoodle needs washing also depends, of course, on their lifestyle and the length of the coat.

Common coat care mistakes

1. Only brushing the top layer – matting starts at the skin.

2. Using the wrong products – avoid harsh products.

3. Not enough blowing and fluffing with the blower – this leads to more tangles instead of fewer.

Which products are best to use?

• A good brush and brushing technique.
• A natural shampoo
• A nourishing coat spray
• A good water blower.

The Dry Shampoo and Conditioner Spray from Frenky Lewis is a natural spray with a lovely fragrance. An excellent coat spray and a good detangler.

Tangles and mats: prevention is better than cure

Prevention is better than cure. Brushing out extreme tangles is not pleasant for the dog and bad for the coat.

Do the seasons affect the coat?

No, Australian Labradoodles do lose hair, but not like other dogs that go into moult. The Australian Labradoodle has one long coat change in their life, and after that they lose a number of hairs daily, just like humans. These hairs remain in the coat, and we have to blow and brush them out.

Nutrition & coat health

A healthy gut flora shows directly in the coat. Many doodles suffer from stomach and intestinal issues.

Signs of insufficient care

Tangles and debris in the coat are the clearest sign. This becomes clearly visible when checking with the water blower.

Tips for washing your Australian Labradoodle

• Always make sure the coat is tangle-free first. So blow out the coat, and check for tangles, twigs, grass and sand in the coat.
• Remove tangles
• Use the right shampoo and conditioner (preferably a natural one, such as Frenky Lewis)
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Dry with a towel and a water blower.

How often should you visit the groomer?

On average every 8 weeks. Some areas (sanitary areas, paws, ears, eyes) need touching up in between.

A familiarisation session from 10 weeks of age, and then every 4 weeks as a wash-and-familiarisation session. All of this helps prevent stress during coat care. A grooming session can easily take 3 hours. You need to build this up slowly.

Have the coat shortened at 6 months. Take (online) courses, ask your groomer questions, and trust professional advice. Together you will get through the coat change.

About Buddha Doodle Spa

This blog was written by Nicole, from Buddha Doodle Shop. She says: "Online and in the salon, I work with many breeders affiliated with the Wala and the Alaeu. Online training courses are a very handy tool to start with coat care calmly and from your own home. On Buddha's Doodle Spa you will find various documents you can download, including on frequency and a step-by-step plan for the best way to care for the Australian Labradoodle coat.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog! I hope you have picked up valuable tips to make caring for your Doodle's coat easier and more effective. Do you have any questions or would you like more advice? Don't hesitate to contact me at info@buddhasdoodlespa.com. I am happy to help and ready to answer all your questions. Good luck with your Doodle's coat care!"