Will My Doodle’s Double Coat be Ruined if It’s Shaved?

There seems to be this common myth going around that Doodles are double-coated. But is that true, and what happens if a Doodle is shaved?

“I’ve been reading some articles on how it’s not recommended to shave a double-coated dog. Our Doodle was groomed yesterday to 1/2” and now my wife is freaking out about it.”

-Debbie W., reader

Let’s discuss!

As one groomer put it:

Coat Types and Doodle Genetics

If we really want to get technical, let’s touch a bit on dog coat types and Doodle genetics.

Doodles with a fleece, curly, or wavy coat will not be affected by trimming or clipping. Doodles with a wiry coat might be affected by shaving – albeit minimally (if at all).

Dogs with wiry and harsh coats, such as wire-haired Terriers, Huskies, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and Collies, have a double coat that theoretically regulates their body temperature…if they’re not utterly overburdened by coat. The primary reason not to shave these dogs is that the undercoat grows back quicker than their topcoat (guard hairs). This makes them look silly and causes their coat to physically feel differently.

This is not so for a Doodle. As we know, Doodles are Poodle-mixes. Poodles are [perceived to be] single-coated. Single-coated dogs do not grow an undercoat like the above dogs, and therefore are not seasonal shedders (if they shed at all). Like Poodles, you have to cut Doodle hair eventually because it will never stop growing.

So unless you have a Doodle with high genetic makeup of a northern/harsh-coated breed, he is fine to shave.

So Debbie, rest assured that your Doodle’s coat is going to be just fine, and that his recent summer cut probably just made him feel a lot better.