There was more hair on the table than left on Annie!
This was a good weekend to give the entire gang a bath and trim… warm air and sunshine. Plenty of dirt landed in the sink after a week of rain. Yes – it was much-needed rain and my gardens are looking great… but I’ve been mopping the muddy floor multiple times this week. Hopefully, mud season is behind us… hopefully.
With four dogs, I make it a two-day process. Day one, everyone gets bathed and day two, trimmed. With the dog tub, it’s quick and easy. Takes 10 minutes each dog… lather up with shampoo, rinse, apply conditioner, rinse again. Done.
Trimming takes much longer, of course, and since I’m in no way a skilled groomer, it’s a slow process for me. That is except for Violet, the Australian Labradoodle. With Vi, it’s a snip here and a snip there – mostly around her eyes to be sure she can see through all her hair and around her paws. I also trimmed the hair on her tail because I don’t like the bushy-tail look on these dogs. I prefer having the tail-hair stay short and curly like the rest of the coat. So, I took 5 minutes and snipped these areas on Vi and she was off outside playing in the field.
Violet – ready to play
James – always the patient fellow in any circumstance…
James, Annie, and Lily got their full trim and manicuring. James took a good hour and a half to work on (he had a lot of extra hair on him), Annie and Lily took about a half hour each. They really enjoy the one-on-one time with me while they’re on the table, and it’s a race to see who jumps aboard the grooming table first.
Lily waits her turn…
I had actually planned to save easy Violet for last, but she’s quickly learned that this is a fun, treat-filled activity – so while the other three were mulling things over in their minds, Vi literally sprung up on the table and looked at me as much as to say, Me first! Not only is it fun for them, but I enjoy it too…. and they really love being clean and trim.
The Gang – ready for a treat…
Do Australian Labradoodles have undercoats that keep them from overheating in the summer? Albee (Standard Poodle) doesn’t have an undercoat, and he’s been getting terribly hot lately. Today I shaved him all the way down – it’s his “summer hairdo.”
Caroline – I consulted with Australian Labradoodle breeder Sunny Goodwin of Berkshire Hills Labradoodles for the correct response to your question. Here is what she said: “ALDs don‘t have an undercoat. Dogs do not sweat through their skin, but rather their tongue. So their hair doesn‘t make them hotter and in fact keeps the sun off them. BUT, they do cool off by feeling cooler surfaces. SO I tell people to shave their bellies so they can feel the cooler floors, ground etc. I like my dogs shorter in the summer for ticks and quicker drying, but if you do give them a short cut, give them time to acclimate to the heat and sun so they don‘t over heat. They could get sunburned as well.”