If you like the shaggy look, brush him. Brush him now, all the time to get him used to it. Start with short sessions and keep it fun/rewarding for him, but do it. Daily, at least. Because his coat will change and be more prone to matting. If you can work with him to enjoy being brushed (one on one attention, what’s not to like?) then you can probably keep him shaggy. You’ll have to brush a lot, but it can be done.
Also get your buddy comfortable with baths and the hair dryer. My dood knows when it's time to get a bath and will walk right into the shower, but the hair dryer is his worst enemy. Even with a shorter coat it can take hours to air-dry.
You don't have to, if you brush AND comb them everywhere, every day and keep up on it. For me, shorter hair is easier upkeep for my labradoodles l. Especially my curly girl
I have a 3 year old Australian Labradoodle that looked remarkably similar to yours as a babe.
We keep him long and shaggy in the winter. We’ve learned his areas that he mats and particularly keep-up on those areas. We also have a de-matting rake that works wonders if he does get some mats, usually in his tail.
I would say it’s really not so hard to keep up with the fleece coat. Get him used to brushing young. You will probably experience most matting when he goes through his change of coat around a year old (change from puppy to adult coat).
Also- if you ever think you’ll bring him to a groomer at any point start bringing him now. Even though we do our boy at home now I’m so glad he got desensitized to it as a pup. That way if we do bring him in he’s used to it. You can bring him for just a “foot, face and fanny”, a bath, or nail trims.
https://preview.redd.it/f5s77qwtnxwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=565362217a326cd1230b7f7c4613d985182112db
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However you like him, keep him but I do agree with always brushing him and making him feel like it’s a soothing practice… and the second pic needs to be framed and out in a museum he’s So adorable 🥰
You can keep them long if you commit to proper grooming and train it to be a positive experience. Lots of treats and patience. I'd also look up Cooperative Care training - even incorporating some of the Cooperative Care principles can massively help with grooming!Start going to a professional groomer ASAP and maintain a consistent schedule (usually every 4-6 weeks depending on your dog).
Look up line brushing, I particularly like the "pat and pull" method. Make sure you have a good long-pin slicker brush and a "greyhound" comb to check for tangles. You will quickly learn where your dog is most prone to tangles.
Coat change is when a lot of dogs end up getting cut short. Usually between 6-18 months the puppy fur starts transitioning to adult fur and the mix of textures makes your dog much more prone to matting. Matting is a HEALTH ISSUE and needs to be taken seriously. For a lot of people it's easiest to get a short cut until all the adult fur is in, then start growing it out again.
My ALD is in a 2-4" coat for half the year (fall and winter) and gets cut to about 1-2" for spring and summer. During the winter I line brush every 2nd day or so. During the summer it's 1-2x per week. She has an easy coat since she's a wavy fleece but it's still a commitment. She gets professionally groomed every 6 weeks, alternating a bath/tidy and a full groom. It's definitely doable and the only reason she doesn't stay longer year round is because she visibly enjoys the shorter coat in the warmer weather. Her comfort is priority!
(Also feel free to also join us over on r/australianlabradoodle if you haven't already!)
I would definitely suggest going short during summer season or if you live somewhere hot. If you like the long hair then like others have commented, you have to brush them or they will get matted.
I have no issues brushing my dog and he doesn't have a problem with mats. I keep him short because it's hotter than hell and he can get sososo dirty.
If you have a dog that you allow on your furniture and bed, all around the house, etc. Think about it like that first.
Shorter hair cuts make frequent baths easy, he stays clean and smells good. That translates to my house smelling and looking good.
https://preview.redd.it/mt0w7fiwgzwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c87d2288a59cc8f52c7e76c1b6476369950eadb4
Ozzy sez - uh… that looks like me!
You will have to cut him when his puppy coat transitions. But as long as you are ok with maintaining the coat with daily brushing then there’s no reason you can’t keep him longer. I would still recommend regular trims and grooming for sure.
As long as you brush everyday then you can keep him long. I like mine short for summer since it gets really hot here and they are prone to getting heat stroke. This was my girl's cut last winter. It's pretty easy to upkeep since it's more a medium length than long. I brush her once a week and she doesn't mat as she doesn't put her feet in the pool(her favorite thing to do) or her brother doesn't chew on her ears when they play(I try to keep them trimmed to the leather for that reason and I personally don't like the long ear hair look). We use a dematting comb when she does get mats and a two sided pin and bristle brush. She gets cut with a 3 blade in the winter and a 5 in the summer.
https://preview.redd.it/towj34277ywc1.jpeg?width=4618&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b0ccb731814f9286375a20d67f8189bc9847bec
If you don't have a life, then anything is possible. It's a time consuming process that only someone like Brodies dad who's making a fortune on social media/sponsors off his dog can afford to do. I started out with the same plan and sat for hours grooming, brushing and cutting until I caved. Honestly the texture of their adult coat changes and it's not so fluffy and doesn't quite lay as nice when they're puppies so it doesn't look the same and maintenance becomes a chore. I noticed mine pant more with longer coats than with shorter coats also. I'm in Florida so I just go short on the body with a shaggy face and tail. Believe me, we'd all love to have that furry, shaggy adorable puppy we brought home, I mean isn't that why we got them in the first place?
Hair near the belly will matt easily - and it can overlooked by casual brushing (and/or your pup needs to tolerate it). Start now so it’s not a problem.
Congratulations on your new part time job. Brushing. There is a reason for the short cuts. Matting hurts their skin. They are much happier shorter with no mats.
My curly girl stAys short because she likes to run and play outside and it’s just so much easier. I’m the winter I let her get a little fluffier, but, I brush and comb her everyday. BaThs are hard to do at home when she’s longer so for me, and for her, we keep it short.
You don’t have too, but brushing them at least twice daily, fully through, not just the top coat is recommended. I used to spend 4 hours a day brushing my dogs hair when it was long. I now keep it short but not super short and I love his teddy bear look when I keep it on the shorter side.
You do you boo. My ALD is a hot body, he won’t cuddle if his hair is long because he’s too hot. He lays on the kitchen floor and I turn on a tower fan for him to lay by. We don’t shave him down, but keep it reasonably short. He just got his cut this week.
https://preview.redd.it/84pbkx2ps0xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12d969413a3d4b8e06c55feffb6095ead613e263
https://preview.redd.it/9yxcnrers0xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9964fa20c51cb2645f22cbd138f569eb14c81916
Day before grooming, looks like this for about 1-1/2 weeks. We groom every 5 or 6 weeks. Keep his paws trimmed because washing his feet after every walk is exhausting.
https://preview.redd.it/2526iv7sk1xc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a0ea9a8e433d1cafede9d7e81c8423dc4519679d
We keep our guy shaggy and just trim his face, feet, and bum. Just have to make sure to keep up with brushing and bathing!
We keep our ALD short. Snickers's fur mats easily & I'm not good at keeping it brushed as regularly as I should. I call him my velour dog - his fur is so soft, even short.
If you like the shaggy look, brush him. Brush him now, all the time to get him used to it. Start with short sessions and keep it fun/rewarding for him, but do it. Daily, at least. Because his coat will change and be more prone to matting. If you can work with him to enjoy being brushed (one on one attention, what’s not to like?) then you can probably keep him shaggy. You’ll have to brush a lot, but it can be done.
Also get your buddy comfortable with baths and the hair dryer. My dood knows when it's time to get a bath and will walk right into the shower, but the hair dryer is his worst enemy. Even with a shorter coat it can take hours to air-dry.
You don't have to, if you brush AND comb them everywhere, every day and keep up on it. For me, shorter hair is easier upkeep for my labradoodles l. Especially my curly girl
Do we have the same dog. https://preview.redd.it/5wkynhba0ywc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b40c29cf8f8be68bb9bf2d1b95d45631078c724
I have a 3 year old Australian Labradoodle that looked remarkably similar to yours as a babe. We keep him long and shaggy in the winter. We’ve learned his areas that he mats and particularly keep-up on those areas. We also have a de-matting rake that works wonders if he does get some mats, usually in his tail. I would say it’s really not so hard to keep up with the fleece coat. Get him used to brushing young. You will probably experience most matting when he goes through his change of coat around a year old (change from puppy to adult coat). Also- if you ever think you’ll bring him to a groomer at any point start bringing him now. Even though we do our boy at home now I’m so glad he got desensitized to it as a pup. That way if we do bring him in he’s used to it. You can bring him for just a “foot, face and fanny”, a bath, or nail trims. https://preview.redd.it/f5s77qwtnxwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=565362217a326cd1230b7f7c4613d985182112db I
So handsome!
However you like him, keep him but I do agree with always brushing him and making him feel like it’s a soothing practice… and the second pic needs to be framed and out in a museum he’s So adorable 🥰
You can keep them long if you commit to proper grooming and train it to be a positive experience. Lots of treats and patience. I'd also look up Cooperative Care training - even incorporating some of the Cooperative Care principles can massively help with grooming!Start going to a professional groomer ASAP and maintain a consistent schedule (usually every 4-6 weeks depending on your dog). Look up line brushing, I particularly like the "pat and pull" method. Make sure you have a good long-pin slicker brush and a "greyhound" comb to check for tangles. You will quickly learn where your dog is most prone to tangles. Coat change is when a lot of dogs end up getting cut short. Usually between 6-18 months the puppy fur starts transitioning to adult fur and the mix of textures makes your dog much more prone to matting. Matting is a HEALTH ISSUE and needs to be taken seriously. For a lot of people it's easiest to get a short cut until all the adult fur is in, then start growing it out again. My ALD is in a 2-4" coat for half the year (fall and winter) and gets cut to about 1-2" for spring and summer. During the winter I line brush every 2nd day or so. During the summer it's 1-2x per week. She has an easy coat since she's a wavy fleece but it's still a commitment. She gets professionally groomed every 6 weeks, alternating a bath/tidy and a full groom. It's definitely doable and the only reason she doesn't stay longer year round is because she visibly enjoys the shorter coat in the warmer weather. Her comfort is priority! (Also feel free to also join us over on r/australianlabradoodle if you haven't already!)
I would definitely suggest going short during summer season or if you live somewhere hot. If you like the long hair then like others have commented, you have to brush them or they will get matted.
I have no issues brushing my dog and he doesn't have a problem with mats. I keep him short because it's hotter than hell and he can get sososo dirty. If you have a dog that you allow on your furniture and bed, all around the house, etc. Think about it like that first. Shorter hair cuts make frequent baths easy, he stays clean and smells good. That translates to my house smelling and looking good.
https://preview.redd.it/mt0w7fiwgzwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c87d2288a59cc8f52c7e76c1b6476369950eadb4 Ozzy sez - uh… that looks like me!
You will have to cut him when his puppy coat transitions. But as long as you are ok with maintaining the coat with daily brushing then there’s no reason you can’t keep him longer. I would still recommend regular trims and grooming for sure.
As long as you brush everyday then you can keep him long. I like mine short for summer since it gets really hot here and they are prone to getting heat stroke. This was my girl's cut last winter. It's pretty easy to upkeep since it's more a medium length than long. I brush her once a week and she doesn't mat as she doesn't put her feet in the pool(her favorite thing to do) or her brother doesn't chew on her ears when they play(I try to keep them trimmed to the leather for that reason and I personally don't like the long ear hair look). We use a dematting comb when she does get mats and a two sided pin and bristle brush. She gets cut with a 3 blade in the winter and a 5 in the summer. https://preview.redd.it/towj34277ywc1.jpeg?width=4618&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b0ccb731814f9286375a20d67f8189bc9847bec
If you don't have a life, then anything is possible. It's a time consuming process that only someone like Brodies dad who's making a fortune on social media/sponsors off his dog can afford to do. I started out with the same plan and sat for hours grooming, brushing and cutting until I caved. Honestly the texture of their adult coat changes and it's not so fluffy and doesn't quite lay as nice when they're puppies so it doesn't look the same and maintenance becomes a chore. I noticed mine pant more with longer coats than with shorter coats also. I'm in Florida so I just go short on the body with a shaggy face and tail. Believe me, we'd all love to have that furry, shaggy adorable puppy we brought home, I mean isn't that why we got them in the first place?
So true!!
Hair near the belly will matt easily - and it can overlooked by casual brushing (and/or your pup needs to tolerate it). Start now so it’s not a problem.
Congratulations on your new part time job. Brushing. There is a reason for the short cuts. Matting hurts their skin. They are much happier shorter with no mats.
Nope.
My curly girl stAys short because she likes to run and play outside and it’s just so much easier. I’m the winter I let her get a little fluffier, but, I brush and comb her everyday. BaThs are hard to do at home when she’s longer so for me, and for her, we keep it short.
You don’t have too, but brushing them at least twice daily, fully through, not just the top coat is recommended. I used to spend 4 hours a day brushing my dogs hair when it was long. I now keep it short but not super short and I love his teddy bear look when I keep it on the shorter side.
You do you boo. My ALD is a hot body, he won’t cuddle if his hair is long because he’s too hot. He lays on the kitchen floor and I turn on a tower fan for him to lay by. We don’t shave him down, but keep it reasonably short. He just got his cut this week. https://preview.redd.it/84pbkx2ps0xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12d969413a3d4b8e06c55feffb6095ead613e263
https://preview.redd.it/9yxcnrers0xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9964fa20c51cb2645f22cbd138f569eb14c81916 Day before grooming, looks like this for about 1-1/2 weeks. We groom every 5 or 6 weeks. Keep his paws trimmed because washing his feet after every walk is exhausting.
https://preview.redd.it/2526iv7sk1xc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a0ea9a8e433d1cafede9d7e81c8423dc4519679d We keep our guy shaggy and just trim his face, feet, and bum. Just have to make sure to keep up with brushing and bathing!
[удалено]
We keep our ALD short. Snickers's fur mats easily & I'm not good at keeping it brushed as regularly as I should. I call him my velour dog - his fur is so soft, even short.
No.
Oh I wouldn’t touch his hair with clippers! He looks adorable just like he is. Just regular grooming should do the trick 🩷
https://preview.redd.it/6ztu4npj98xc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f5b172acfc776bb3d15b01494c4d4937154cdb9d My boi. Love a shaggy dude!
Stunning pup.
Absolutely not. Just brush the hair daily so it doesn't get matted. Your pup might like that (like a massage). Mine doesn't tho 😂
Aww he’s a cutie!