6 Steps to A Perfect, At-Home Doodle Face Grooming

If you’re anything like me, you know your doodle’s face is so darn cute when it’s fluffy. But, you also know that it doesn’t stay fluffy forever. When overgrown, it can look quite scruffy and become an issue when it starts to disrupt their living. For example, their long eyebrows can get in the way of their vision. Or, their long beard can get in the way of them eating. Therefore, having a doodle face grooming routine at home is essential. It keeps them from looking too scruffy between professional grooming sessions and makes sure they can keep living their best life!

As always, we strive to bring you up-to-date, research-based information on dog diet, health, and nutrition to give your best friend the long life they deserve. 

This post is all about the 6 easy steps to a good at-home doodle face grooming routine. 

6 Easy Steps to A Perfect Doodle Face Grooming

Their hair can get too long and really become an issue. Whether it’s a long water beard or dirt getting stuck in their hair, there are a multitude of issues when you do not maintain your doodle’s fluffy coat. Here is how to start at-home face grooming:

#1: Get The Material Ready

You’ll need to get the material ready. There are only 3 essential supplies you’ll need. 

• Rounded scissors: You will use rounded scissors for the bulk of the cutting
• Blending shears: The shears help to blend any sharp lines and create the perfect round fluffy look

This is what we use. It is a simple dog grooming kit from Amazon that has a pair of rounded scissors, blending shears, and a fine tooth comb.

• Treats: if your dog has never had grooming tools around their face, this is a necessary step to ensure you create a good first grooming experience.

These are our favorite treats: Stewart Freeze Dried Beef Liver Dog Treats.

#2: Learn The Different Parts to Focus On

Playing it solely by looks is one way, but definitely not the most effective, productive, or easy way to do it. Taking some time to learn about the different parts of their face makes the process much more intentional, and in turn, productive. 

There are multiple parts to consider, which I’ve put into this nice diagram of my bernedoodle Jill, who was severely overdue for a grooming appointment. Don’t worry, she went to the groomers shortly after.

There is the top of the head, eyebrows, nose bridge & between eyes, mustache, beard, jawline, ears, & under the ears. 

Before Jill’s grooming (diagram with all of the different parts of the face)

After Jill’s grooming: Which do you like better?! Let me know in the comments!

Knowing about the different parts makes the whole process just a little bit smoother. It’s easy to plan, knowing what areas to focus on. If you can’t get everything done in one day, you can start with the top to the nose bridge, and finish the mustache and around the head the next day. 

#3: Find a Model Doodle To Copy

The best way to make sure it will look good is to follow someone who has already made it look good! Take a moment to find your favorite model doodle. With my bernedoodle, I like the face to look round, which means her ears will be cut a little shorter and not to the end of her beard. Maybe, you like the ears long. We leave the eyebrows shorter because we don’t want it getting in the way of her vision. However, you might like longer eyebrows. The world is your oyster, and once you find the right model doodle, remember some of the key features of their face for reference!

#4: Learn the Right Technique To Handling Your Doodle’s Face

There are two common ways of holding your doodle’s face to ensure they do not move (as much!). The first is to grab them by their beard hairs with a light grip. This will keep them from pulling their head upward or sideways. 

The other way is to grab lightly around their nose. With 4 fingers under the chin and the thumb over the nose, you will have a solid grip on their head. This will keep their nose in place, especially if you are working on areas near their eyes. 

#5: Brush Through Their Hair

All doodle face grooming sessions need to include a brushing session beforehand. If their hair is matted, it is going to be very hard to make a proper even cut.

Using a fine toothcomb, brush through all parts of their face before beginning, especially around their mustache area. 

#6: Start Trimming!

There you go, you can start trimming with the round scissors. Start slowly and start with small cuts at a time. They will inevitably be curious and will move around, so take your time. Once you’ve cut the hair to the desired length, take the blending shears and blend away until the face is rounded and fluffy to your liking!

Conclusion

There you go! An easy 6-step to start at-home doodle face grooming. It truly is a must-do, whether you are planning to welcome a new doodle furry friend, or are a veteran wanting to get rid of the extra hair on their face properly.

Let me know how it goes in the comments. Was your dog steady and patient, or was it chaotic the first time you tried to trim their face?