Doodle Grooming Guide: How to Care for Curly-Coated Dogs in Port St. Lucie
It may seem like nothing short of magic, how your dog can go from looking scruffy and dirty to perfectly fluffed and fabulous in just one short visit to Shampoochi- but we can assure you there’s a lot more to it than the wave of a wand. In this quick doodle grooming guide, we’ll tell you exactly what happens behind the scenes to give you a better understanding of the grooming process, and to help you learn some home grooming tips for doodles to keep your pup looking fresh and fab between their spa days.
The Shampoochi Treatment
At our Port St. Lucie grooming salon, we only use the best grooming products available to get your dog squeaky clean. Getting rid of all dirt and oil with a high-quality shampoo and then sealing the hair follicles with conditioner leaves the coat soft, shiny and smelling great. After the bath, a high-powered blow dryer is used to not only dry your dog, but to straighten the coat and get as much volume as possible. Finally, the coat is brushed and combed to ensure there are no mats or tangles. All these steps are crucial to getting the smoothest, most even haircut possible.
Choosing the Right Schedule
Now that you know how the magic happens, it’s time to answer the very common question: “How often should I have my dog groomed?” The truth is, it really depends on two major factors: the length of their haircut, and how much maintenance you do at home between visits. If you like to have your dog in a nice short haircut, you can go a bit longer in between visits. On the other hand, if you like your dog to have a longer, stylized trim, it’s best to book your spa visits monthly to keep them looking fresh and tangle-free. Similarly, if you don’t enjoy -or don’t have the time or energy for- keeping up with brushing, you’ll want to book your dog’s appointments more frequently.
Why At-Home Care is Critical
After bringing home your newly groomed pup, a few factors will determine how long their new trim stays looking fresh and fluffy. When it comes to curly coats, moisture -whether it be going for a swim, or just plain old humidity- will cause the biggest changes in their groom. As soon as that nicely fluffed out coat gets a bit of moisture on it, the curls will begin to tighten up. Of course your pup will still look as cute as can be- no worries there, but once the curls start to set back in, tangles can start to form as well. With a few dog grooming tools for curly coats- a slicker brush and a comb- and a little time you can keep your furry friend’s coat looking fluffy and tangle free.
How to Brush Like a Pro
The absolute best thing you can do to not only keep your dog looking their best after their spa day, but also ensure that you can get the haircut you want at their next one, is to be consistent with brushing. Remember, before your Shampoochi day spa groomer can begin your pup’s haircut, they must ensure that every little tangle is out of the coat. If there are too many, or they are so tight that brushing them out would be painful, the only option left is to use a shorter clipper blade that can fit underneath the mats.
So, how do you properly brush your dog to prevent this from happening? Using a light mist of conditioning spray and then brushing thoroughly line by line is the best way to make sure you’re brushing all the way down to the skin. After you’ve gone over your dog’s whole body, it’s always a good idea to go back over with a comb, just to be sure no tangles were missed by the brush. This should be done every few days, as once tangles start to form in the coat, they get out of hand very quickly.
Doodle Bathing Tips
Should you decide to bath your dog at home between spa days, here are a few tips to help ensure the best results. After wetting, shampooing and rinsing your dog’s coat, it’s important to follow with a conditioner to keep their curly hair nice and hydrated. Conditioner also makes brushing the coat much easier -in fact, you can even gently brush the coat during the conditioning process for an even better experience. Once you’ve rinsed the conditioner and towel-dried your pup, you can either blow-dry them or let them air dry. If you choose to air dry, you’ll want to brush them out once they’ve partially dried to prevent the hair from drying in tight curls and then brush again once they are totally dry. The brush should glide nicely through the clean and conditioned coat, and will take no time at all to complete.
At Shampoochi Day Spa, we make it easy for Port St. Lucie doodle owners to keep their dogs looking their best, with our flexible appointment options. Whether you want to come in seasonally and maintain your pup’s coat at home, or come in for frequent tidy-ups, we’ve got you covered. Our staff are experienced in all coat types and know just what your pup needs to get the best quality haircut possible. This is one of the many reasons we believe we are one of the best doodle groomers in Port St. Lucie.
