Doodle Dog Grooming Kit: 12 Necessary DIY Grooming Tools

In theory, grooming a Doodle at home seems easy. All you need are some scissors, right? Hmmm…maybe – if you don’t mind embarrassing your Dood with a mediocre, choppy haircut. But if you don’t want your poor pup to be made fun of by all the other dogs, you’ll need to have all the right tools in your personal dog grooming kit on hand. Let’s get into it!

You can follow along by watching this video:

12 Necessary Tools for a Doodle Owner’s Dog Grooming Kit

1) Slicker Brush

Depending on their generation, a Doodle may have curls, a straight coat, or a wavy something-in-between. Either way, slicker brushes have fine wire bristles and are useful for brushing out matted hair and tangles. If you have a Doodle, you ought to know how important it is that this brush is in your dog grooming kit. Here is a superb long pin slicker brush we recommend for Doodles.

2) Metal Comb

A metal or steel grooming comb is ideal for preventing knots and matting all the way down to the skin.

A metal comb assists in getting rid of loose hair, tangles, and dirt in your Doodle’s coat.

Use this in conjunction with the above Chris Christensen Big G to line brush, and your Dood will be set for life.

3) Clippers

Finding the best clippers for your Doodle is imperative to the aesthetic success of the groom! It’s tempting to purchase the cheaper ones, but the fact of the matter is that Doodles look best with the help of heavy-duty clippers due to their long, thick, curly coats.

Recommended clippers for Doodles are any that have multiple operating speeds with at least 3400-4400 spm (strokes per minute). This is because these can more effectively cut through thick Doodle hair like a hot knife through butter. We also recommended detachable blade clippers so you can interchange blades for various lengths and styles.

I personally use this clipper to groom my Chloe at home:

Bonus Recommendation: Paw Trimmer

This grooming tool is particularly useful for trimming hair around sensitive areas such as paws, eyes, ears, face, and rump. It is highlighted for its low noise feature, which is beneficial in keeping pets calm and comfortable during grooming sessions.

4) Clipper Blades

Speaking of interchangeable blades, the Andis clipper pictured above comes equipped with a #10 blade, which will make your Doodle pretty darn near bald. For various lengths and Doodle styles, you’ll want to snatch up another blade or two. See this page for more information and recommendations for clipper blades.

5) Clipper Guards

Clipper guards – also called clipper guide combs, comb guides, clipper attachments, attachment combs, or clipper combs – are attachments for your clipper blade. Their purpose is to control the amount of hair that will be cut by the clipper. They are great for people who want to keep their Doodle’s hair longer than a blade by itself can achieve. This is a wonderful addition to any Doodle owner’s dog grooming kit. See this page for more information and recommendations for clipper combs.

Most brands of clippers, blades, and clipper guards are interchangeable. For example, I personally use the Wahl Professional Animal Stainless Steel Attachment Guide Comb Set with my Andis clipper.

6 & 7) Grooming Scissors and Thinning Shears

For a neat, clean-cut look on your Doodle, grooming scissors are a must. Here are some Doodle grooming scissors and shears we recommend.

Doodles look great when their hair is styled, and that’s where thinning shears come into play. Not only are they helpful in removing mats and tangles, but they will also help blend different hair lengths on your Doodle.

8) Nail Clippers

Don’t forget that you’ll need to trim your Doodle’s nails to prevent nail overgrowth, injury, and discomfort. Here is a pair of Doodle nail clippers we recommend.

9) Alternatively: Nail Grinder

A dog nail grinder is the second type of nail trimming tool you can use. A dog nail grinder is essentially an electric, motorized nail file.

A nail grinder can help to lessen any anxiety associated with the nail trimming process. In addition, dogs are able to quickly acclimate to the noise and vibrating sensation of a dog nail grinder, which makes them easier to use for everyone involved.

Apparently, the only dog nail grinder tool that professional groomers recommend is a Dremel-brand rotary tool.

10) Detangler Spray

Detangler spray is a MUST for Doodles. There are a variety of dog detangling sprays and leave-in conditioner products on the market that groomers and Doodle owners swear by. Spray/apply these onto your Doodle’s coat while brushing. Here are some great recommendations:

11) Dog Hair Dryer

It may seem like an annoying extra step, but blow drying your Doodle’s hair is an important one. After using a dog hair dryer, your Doodle’s hair will be straight, fluffy, clean, and much easier to brush through.

Usually air drying is not recommended because it can cause fungus growth in between the paw pads or under the armpit, and can also cause more serious problems like an ear infection. If a dog with long hair or an undercoat is left to air dry, it may cause matting of the fur and other skin problems like hot spots.

Here are some recommended dog hair dryers:

12) Grooming Table

For those of you who are feeling a little ambitious in your at-home Doodle grooming endeavors, a grooming table will definitely be a huge help in keeping him from moving around too much and potentially messing up his own cut. If you don’t want to DIY a home grooming table, here are some commercial grooming tables we recommend:

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