How to groom an oodle breed and what you need

Checklist: 

  • Slicker Brush 

  • Stainless Steel Comb 

  • Clippers. Oodle breeds have beautiful long, thick, curly coats. They need the torque and power of a heavy duty clipper 

  • Clipper Blades. You'll need at least two different blade lengths in order to achieve a cut that looks...socially acceptable 

  • Attachment Combs. Great for if you want your Oodles hair longer than what a blade will allow 

  • Grooming Scissors and/or Shears. To neaten everything up and blend different lengths 

  • Nail Clippers or Nail Grinder 

  • Detangler Spray OR 50:50 ratio of water and Conditioner in spray bottle 

  • Hair Dryer 

1. Section by section brush your Oodle with your Slicker Brush. You should be brushing in a way that you can see the skin in each small section you're working on.  

2. Once you've worked through the coat with the Slicker Brush and feel you've made your way through most of the knots and tangles, use a Stainless Steel comb to double-check that all knots and tangles have been removed. Remember that water will actually make mats worse, because they'll make them tighter. This is why it's so important to remove all mats before washing.  

3. No matter how short you want your Oodle's coat, it is absolutely still best practice to completely wash and dry before clipping. This is how you maintain the life of your blade and clipper and ensure are safe, smooth and efficient clip. Wet the coat thoroughly with warm water, lather *dog-specific shampoo right down to the skin, rinse out completely.  

*dogs' skin have different pH levels to humans and even baby shampoo isn't suitable. Chocolate isn't good for dogs...neither are human hair products! 

4. Repeat the previous step but with doggie conditioner. Conditioner is really important because it replaces any moisture that has been lost from the coat or skin. Conditioner is especially important for Oodle breeds that have thick, curly hair prone to knots, tangles and mats.  

5. Dry first with an absorbent towel followed by a blow dry on low heat held at a safe distance from your pooch.  

6. Time to clip! Whether your Oodle has a fleece, wool or hair coat, it's always best to upgrade to a heavy or super duty rated clipper where your budget allows. Oodle coats are beautiful and why so many people gravitate toward these breeds, but with this much beauty comes great responsibility. Or more accurately, great torque and power.  

a) Remember to always oil your blade before beginning (5 points- 3 on the front of the blade and 1 on each side).  

b) A safe blade to use if your new to clipping would be a #5FC. Leaving the hair at 6.3mm and FC simply referring to "Finish Cut" where the teeth are all the same length thus leaving less room for error or injury and providing a smooth finish.  

c) As you clip, whether you're using a bare blade or attachment combs, it's always best to stop every few minutes to check how hot the blade is and brush out the build up of hair (you can use an old toothbrush).   

d) Clip the top half of your dog first. This includes the back, back of the next, chest and the top section of the bag legs. These areas tend to have thicker coat so you might want to adjust the speed on your clipper to a higher speed.  

  • You should be clipping in the direction of the coat. If you're new to clipping take your time understanding how your dog's coat lies. You don't want to end up with racing stripes!  

  • When clipping the back, don't go too far down the sides because if you have a look at your dog, you'll see the hair grows in a slightly different direction.  

  • If you find any loose skin as you're clipping, make sure to pull it smooth and tight, to prevent the skin from becoming stuck in the teeth of the blade. 

    e) After you've made it through the bulk of the top half, check to see how smooth the clip looks. If you find it looks a bit 'choppy' just go over your work a second or even third time for a smoother finish.  

    f) Now time to clip the head, neck and face. You can choose to keep these areas the same length as the top half, or keep the face slightly longer with a longer blade or attachment comb. Of course you don't have to clip the face, you can trim with grooming scissors or shears if you feel confident. Take extra care around the eyes, mouth and ears. These areas are delicate, sensitive and can be daunting for both dog and groomer, especially if either are new to grooming. Go slowly and take as many breaks as you need. Use your most reassuring and calm voice and remind yourself that this is a strange process for your dog.  

    • Thinning shears or grooming scissors can then be used to neaten up the face and blend between different lengths. You're really just looking for any stand out lengths that look like they don't belong.  

    g) On to clipping and trimming around the ears. This step is especially important for Oodles as they are prone to ear infections. As this area is sensitive and the hairs are thin, it's really important you check the blade isn't hot. You can gently clip over the main part of the ear to remove the bulk of the hair (like you did for the body) and use scissors to bring shape back to the ear. To trim inside the ear, use scissors and try to keep them as flat as possible.  

    h) Next you'll clip the legs, feet and paws. For the legs you'll be following the same technique as above; clip in the direction of the hair right down to the tops of the feet. As you begin to work on the paws, make sure you're really careful of the Carpal Pad and Dewclaw. You may find these areas difficult to work around with the Clipper so you may need to go in with scissors. Around the paws you'll want to choose a blade or attachment comb that will achieve the closest shave. Take extra care of any little knots or mats hiding between the paw pads. If you need to trim a mat out in this area, you'll need to move extremely slowly. Most dogs will be quite uncomfortable. Try to gently separate the mat from the skin and trim, little by little, underneath the mat.  

    i) Now it's time for nail maintenance. You can use nail clippers, a nail grinder or a combination of both for this step. If your dog has black nails this step can be difficult and needs to be done really slowly, because the quick of the nail isn't visible from the outside. With the nail clippers, cut the nails down by a sliver each time. Whatever the smallest amount of nail you can manipulate is, clip that. Bit by bit. You should eventually see a small dot appear- this is the quick and this is where you need to stop. If you keep clipping, it will start to bleed as there are blood vessels here. With a nail grinder, start at the tip of the nail and slowly move the grinder back and forth over the nail. Again, you will need to be vigilant to avoid the quick.  


j) The last step is the sanitary trim. This includes the belly, around the genitals, tail and rectum. These are very sensitive areas. If you're wanting a recommendation for a blade length for this area, use a #10 blade. Start by lifting the tail up and trimming in short, gentle strokes around the rectum. You can use the edge of the blade on a slight tilt, rather than pressing the whole blade flat. Try not to bring the whole blade over the top of the rectum as you may accidentally nick the skin. When trimming around the genitals, you always want to clip from the outside moving toward the centre.

Please contact our team for any queries you may have :

Phone : 02 9683 7816

Email : sales@kramarimports.com.au