# Possible new owner...



## KirstyH15 (Jun 6, 2012)

I am thinking about getting a Cockapoo but am concerned about the amount of grooming which they might need. I dont want to commit myself to a puppy only to find out 8 months later that I cant keep up with the grooming which the dog might need and the dog be suffering with a matted coat as this would not be fair on the dog. 

I would probably keep the coat short as I like the look of the teddy bear clip. Is this easier to keep matte free? 

How long does it take to groom a cockapoo from head to toe and how often to keep them matte free?

I really dont want any dog to suffer due to my lack of knowledge when I bought them.

Thank you for any advice and experiences in advance.

Kirsty


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Welcome to the forum Kirsty. I keep my dog's coat short and this makes it very low maintenance grooming wise. It does mean regular trips to the groomers though so means I spend more on his hair than mine but at least one of us looks good!!


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

Cockapoo coats are definitely high maintenance, sorry to say 
If kept short they are definitely manageable, but the longer they are the harder they are, we take ours to be cut very short so that the coat can just start again if matts begin to appear, it does grow pretty quickly though so it would be regular trips to the groomer if you weren't going to clip your pup yourself.
Let us know if you decide to go for a cockapoo or not, they're amazing dogs, the grooming is the only problem I could find with one


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Hi and welcome to the forum. 

You are right to think carefully about the amount of grooming a Cockapoo needs. Their coats vary, some need more grooming than others but the matting can be a problem if you do not keep on top of it and have the confidence to deal with it. I can do most things but I am still learning and gaining confidence in handling my dogs when grooming them.

I had been keeping Daisy's coat long which I was able to do fairly easily but I have to say after a daily walk in the woods and collecting god knows what in her coat everyday I recently decided to cut it shorter.  She still looks lovely but we just brings back a few less twigs every day!

My other Cockapoo has a coat like a lamb, much denser and curlier and this needs to be kept much shorter otherwise it she starts to look more like a sheep! 

Having the right equipment also helps and we will all be happy to help with advice on products and brushes.

I would say that when the adult coat came in at around 8/9 months old was the worst time with Daisy's coat. Matts were appearing daily!  Once this stage had passed though her coat settled down and was much easier to keep on top of. 

p.s. Karen you always look lovely!


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## EvaClareEva (Oct 11, 2011)

Hi Kirsty I have a 2 and a half year old Cockapoo and I used to love the longer coat but now I keep her body short it is so much easier to deal with I keep her face a little longer but I much prefer it being short and she still looks good as you can see her body shape x


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

Ditto - I bought Izzy because I love the long shaggy fluffy dog look. However after trying to manage the coat I now keep her short and have no problem what so ever. I bought clippers and scissors as recommended by others on here and they are perfect. If you want a long haired dog it is always going to need grooming. Poos are so lovely and as short haired are still amazing little friends and cuddly and their hair doesn't shed, so no hoovering as you get with other short haired dogs. So buy one and buy some clippers!


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## anndante (Oct 26, 2011)

Polly has been clipped twice and is nearly a year old and there haven't been any major grooming problems apart from her hating us going near her legs! But the only mats that have developed have been on her ears, where her legs join the body, and a little one or two in her tail. But we don't let her coat get too long.


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

It's also worth taking care when choosing a puppy ..... if you choose a pup at around 5/6 weeks old the breeder should be able to advise what sort of coat he/she will have. They do vary quite a lot.

The curly poodly coat will be harder work, and probably best kept short.

A loose wavy coat is much easier and possible to keep long and shaggy if you don't mind the little twigs, etc being brought into the house.

They are all low-shed but the curlier coats seem to shed the least.


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