Bernedoodles shed very little, which is why so many families with allergies look for one. What that coat does instead of shedding is hold on to what it loses — and if it is not brushed, it mats.
Start before it matters
Begin brushing in week one, when there is barely anything to brush. A puppy that has been brushed since it came home will lie down for it at two years old. A puppy that meets a comb for the first time at nine months, in the middle of its coat change, will fight it, and the groomer will have little choice but to clip the lot off.
A simple routine
- A slicker brush and a metal comb — the comb is what tells you whether the brushing actually worked
- Ten minutes, two or three times a week, right down to the skin rather than over the top
- Extra attention behind the ears, under the collar, in the armpits and on the back legs
- A professional groom every eight to ten weeks
The coat change
Somewhere between eight and fourteen months the puppy coat gives way to the adult coat, and for a few months the dog mats far more easily than before. This is the moment most families suddenly need a groomer. Brush more often through it, keep the length shorter if you need to, and it passes.
Ask us before your first groom. We are glad to tell you what to ask a groomer for.
