When Do Labradoodle Puppies Need Their First Haircut?

If you are looking to buy a Labradoodle puppy, it’s important that you know the grooming requirements. 

The grooming for Labradoodles can be expensive and add on costs and time to owning a dog.

If you already have a Labradoodle puppy, you might be wondering when they should have their first grooming appointment. 

When Do Labradoodle Puppies Need Their First Haircut?

Most Labradoodle puppies get their first haircut around the age of 4 to 6 months and will then need regular grooming moving forward from then. Your vet and a local groomer should be able to advise you on the exact schedule of when should your puppy be groomed and how often they should have their haircut. 

Giving your puppy and adult Labradoodle regular haircuts is an important part of the grooming process.

In this article, we will go over tips and tricks for cutting your Labradoodle puppy’s hair. 

We will also discuss some other grooming techniques and grooming, in general, to help you know all the best care tips for your Labradoodle. 

What Age Should a Labradoodle Be Groomed?

Most Labradoodles get their first haircut around 4 to 6 months of age. 

Most vets and groomers recommend that your Labradoodle is fully vaccinated before they get any grooming services.

As the Labradoodle puppy starts to get their adult coat, they will need to get more regular grooming. 

The sooner you start the better because the Labradoodle will be able to adapt better to the grooming process and what it’s like.

Labradoodles adapt easily to new situations, so if they start to be groomed as a puppy, they shouldn’t give you or the groomer any problem while being groomed. 

How Short Should You Cut a Labradoodle’s Hair? 

This all depends on where you live, your dog’s activity levels, the time of year, and the lifestyle of your dog. 

In the summertime, you might need to keep their hair shorter, so they don’t get too hot and get uncomfortable. 

Letting their hair grow too long can also cause problems for them as it becomes harder and harder to maintain. 

What Style of Haircut Should I Give My Labradoodle? 

This all depends on your personal preference and how you think your Labradoodle will look with the haircut. 

Some are easier to maintain than others, so keep this in mind when choosing a style. Here are some of the most popular choices and how they look:

Teddy Bear Cut 

This is when the hair is slightly rounder and longer around the face and legs.

This is a common cut and makes your puppy look sweet and adorable. 

Puppy Cut 

Despite the name, this cut can be given no matter the Labradoodle’s age. 

It will give them shorter hair on the body and long hair on the head, much of how they naturally look like puppies. 

Lion Cut 

Much like the name suggests, this gives them a mane-type appearance. 

It’s not as popular as some of the other choices, but it’s something cute and fun to try if you want to give your Labradoodle a unique appearance. 

Short Clip 

This is the most popular choice during the summer or if you live in a hot climate. It’s a short and simple cut and looks

You will also spend less time getting out knots. This cut is easy to maintain and requires less grooming. 

It might be the ideal choice if you want to go longer between haircuts and grooming appointments. 

Long Clip 

This will still give your Labradoodle the same length of hair throughout their body, but it will be longer than the short clip.

It makes your Labradoodle look beautiful and really shows off its coat and fur. 

With this cut though, you will need to do more brushing and grooming. 

With longer hair, they are more likely to keep dirt in their fur which can make them itchy.

The dirt can also spread to your furniture and make your house dirty. 

How Often Does My Labradoodle Need a Haircut?

Hair trimming for your Labradoodle is recommended every 6-8 weeks. 

This is the same for ear trimming even though the hair around your Labradoodle’s ears may grow faster or slower.

Other grooming may need to be done more or less often. 

Brushing needs to be done the most often at 3-4 times a week. 

Nail clipping also needs to be done 1-2 times a week or your Labradoodle might be more likely to scratch you or things around the house. 

Bathing only needs to be done once every 4-8 weeks unless your Labradoodles spends most of their time outdoors and gets very dirty. 

How Much Is a Labradoodle Haircut?

This depends on where you live and the dog groomer you use. 

Groomers in the city or ones that come to your home will often be more expensive.

Some home dog groomers also require that you buy your own tools so the groomer can use them at your home. 

In this case, you will also need to spend money on tools and you will want to buy high-quality ones. 

Most haircuts run between $45-$100. Full grooming services might cost more. 

What Tools Do I Need to Groom My Labradoodle at Home?

With most Labradoodles, it’s recommended that you get them professional grooming. 

Their coats can easily become matted and cause problems that are often hard to fix at home. 

However, in between grooming appointments, you can still have some tools at your home to make sure their coat stays healthy and doesn’t develop knots. 

If you become comfortable grooming your dog at home with some practice and tips from your groomer, you might also be able to stop professional grooming services. 

The number one tool you need is a brush. It needs to be a high-quality slicker or pin brush. 

You will be using this brush often, so make sure it’s good quality and can last you for at least a few years. 

Daily brushing needs to be done with your Labradoodle, so keep this in mind when looking for a high-quality brush. 

If your lab’s coat already has knots and mats, you will also need a comb as a brush will not be able to do the best job to pull the knots out. The comb needs to be durable and sturdy. 

You might also want to use the comb to smooth the fur around their paws, faces, and ears. 

You will also need dog clippers and scissors. 

Clippers will do most of the hair cutting, but you should still consider getting a good pair of scissors. Scissors are also better than clippers for some areas such as the paws, face, and inner ears. 

If you are feeling very advanced and want to make your Labradoodle look professionally groomed, then consider getting some dog shears. 

Dog shears allow you to blend the different lengths of your dog’s hair to make them look like they just left the salon. 

If you are grooming them at home, you are probably also cleaning and bathing them at home. Make sure you have ear cleaning products to clean dirt and germs out of their ears. 

You will also need detangler sprays and shampoo. 

You can spray them with detangler spray before putting them in the bath as this will allow the knots to effortlessly come out of their fur. 

Shampoo can then be used for bath time. 

Labradoodles don’t need to be bathed too often of they might develop skin allergies and sensitivities. 

Nail clippers are one of the last items on the list. 

Make sure you trim them carefully and don’t cut past the red part of the nails as you don’t want to make them bleed or cause injuries to their nails. 

If you plan to groom your Labradoodles regularly, you might also want to consider getting a grooming table. 

This will ensure your Labradoodle doesn’t run away or escape while you are trying to groom them.

It will also help you as you groom them because you will be able to stand up rather than constantly leaning over. 

Final Thoughts 

Most Labradoodles are given their first haircut between the ages of 4 to 6 months. If you aren’t sure the exact age, you can always consult with your vet or the groomer you plan to use. 

Make sure to find a groomer that specializes in Labradoodle fur or poodle coats so you know your dog will be in good hands when they go to get groomed. 

You will also need to get them groomed more regularly as they grow older. 

This will ensure their fur doesn’t get matted and they stay healthy. 

During the summer, you might want to consider getting them short haircuts because you don’t want them to get hot or be uncomfortable in the heat. 

There are many different haircut styles to choose from so you can find the one you like the best and the one that looks the cutest on your Labradoodle.