Acknowledgements Thanks to Alan, Rob, Sue and Karen for researching and contributing their knowledge to this project. 1 P a g e
Introduction Like all dogs Cockapoos need to be groomed and if done with care they all enjoy it! Grooming should begin early, ideally as soon as you bring your puppy home. It gives them a great deal of physical attention and gets them used to being handled. Like training it also serves as fun early bonding that dog and owner can both get pleasure from to gain trust for one another. Whether you groom your Cockapoo yourself or pay someone else to do it it s important to be aware of all the attributes to a good grooming regime, and ensure it's designed specifically for your Cockapoo. After all you want your pride and joy to look his best and feel great! This book explains the most important information you need to know about grooming your Cockapoo no matter what style coat he has. You will learn a lot about his fur, ears and nails and how to keep him at his best so you are proud when taking him out. The American Teddy Bear Cut 2 P a g e
Table of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Grooming a Cockapoo Puppy The puppy coat The puppy grooming Kit 2. Nails Bathing 3. Grooming Adult Cockapoos Improper Coat Proper Coat Woolly coats Tight curly coats Wavy/ringlet coats Satin coats Straight coats The Puppy Cut The Cocker Cut 4. Grooming and health Ears Anal Glands Fleas 5. Grooming tools Brushes Hair dryers 6. How to Groom a Cockapoo in 10 Simple Steps 7. Tips from professional Groomers 8. How to choose a groomer Things to avoid 9. Get Started Traits Smooth Cockapoos Facial Furnishings Coat length Curl and texture 3. Cockapoo Styles The American Teddy Bear Cut The English bearded cut 3 P a g e
1. Grooming a Cockapoo Puppy The puppy coat The Cockapoo has two main coat types: the Poodle type 'woolly' or the Cocker type 'satin'. The Cockapoo puppy coat is relatively easy to look after regardless of the variations in coat your Cockapoo can have. If you are not familiar with the Cockapoo cross-breed then the common Cockapoo colours they are: Black White Cream Tan, beige to buff Red, including auburn and apricot colours Brown, varying from light to dark Sable, a brown colour with tipping and shading in black Silver - rare phantom (black, tan and white ) Brindle (subtle tiger stripped) - rare Roan (an even mixture of white and pigmented hairs) - rare Merle (commonly brown shades mixed with white or cream) - only in USA Two tone Cockapoos are often described as having a 'tuxedo'. For example, if they are predominantly black with a white torso they are wearing a 'black tuxedo'. Cockapoos can also have intricate markings or a patchy coat. They can also have freckle type spots called "ticking". American Cockapoos can have a merle coat, inherited from the American Cocker Spaniel and not yet seen in the UK. This makes the coat appear to have a mottled affect. A puppy only needs light grooming but it's good to be consistent so he gets used to it. Keep sessions short (5-10 minutes) and give him a few treats so he knows this is a special experience for him to enjoy. The puppy grooming Kit A simple grooming kit consisting of a comb, several brushes and nail clippers (specially designed doggy nail clippers). That's all you need to groom your pup until the adult coat comes in. The depending on what coat type comes in 'wolly' or 'satin' you may then want to either learn to groom an adult coat yourself or employ a groomer. Losing puppy fur After about eight months your puppy will lose or 'moult' it's lovely puppy fur. This is when the adult coat 'comes in'. From now on you will need to devote more time to grooming. The moulting phase only lasts a month to six weeks but will vary according to coat type. If you don't take care to groom out the puppy fur that is making way for the adult coat you will start to see a matting or a dreadlocking effect. Obviously this is undesirable as it's difficult to comb out and really it means you're not grooming him regularly enough. 4 P a g e
2. Nails Puppies need proper nail care from the early months of their life. Starting early will get them used to years of stress free nail trimming. Your Cockapoo's nails will need trimming every 2-3 months with specially designed dog nail clipper. If you do this yourself be conservative with the amount you cut off as his nerve ending are very close. Just trim the very end hooks. If you don't feel comfortable doing this any dog groomer will do it quite cheaply. Technique Hold your puppies foot and gently press down at the base of the nail. Cut back a little at a time until you get close to the pink part. Snip off the nail tips at a 45-degree angle being careful not to cut too far down. If you trim to far you ll catch the vascular quick, which will hurt the dog and bleed profusely. Keep some styptic powder handy which will help stop the bleeding if needed. Bathing Frequency of bath will vary according to how mucky your Cockapoo gets. If he's mostly home bound once a month will suffice. Also use warm water and a puppy friendly shampoo. Be careful to avoid getting the soap in his eyes and ears. Just use a damp cloth for those sensitive areas. After the bath towel dry him thoroughly and leave him in a warm room with the towel until he fully dry. Avoid letting him get cold as this could bring on illness. For more read this article on the Cockapoo For Life website, how to bathe your cockapoo for the first time. 5 P a g e
3. Grooming Adult Cockapoos There are two main types of adult Cockapoo breed coats and if you have not yet chosen your puppy you may want to think about this before your choose your dog as well as your breeder. Remembering the Cockapoo breed is a cross between Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle the coat can come closer to curlier or straight/wavy. Improper Coat All dogs lose hair at the end of each growth cycle but a Cockapoo with an improper coat is one with a thick undercoat that sheds seasonally. This type of coat is more common in F1 Cockapoos (1 st generation cross). Proper Coat A proper coat will have a thinner undercoat and will not shed seasonally. Woolly coats The woolly coat has tight curls and the satin coat has little curls or a wave and is smooth to touch. You might prefer a wire woolly coat rather than a silky satin one as these are the light shedding variety that has earned the Cockapoo the reputation as a hypoallergenic dog. Woolly coats are completely curly with a wiry texture which softens with good grooming. Woolly pups have less dander and you will know their coat style from the moment they're born. It means if you love the 'curly' look you can easily choose your puppy. This coat type requires grooming on a daily basis and also a trip to the professional groomer for a clipper cut when needed. Tight curly coats The tight curly coat absorbs dirt and mud so clipping the coat back to about 3-4 cms long makes it easy to rinse off and dry after fun times on muddy walks. This clip can be brushed when dry. Special attention must be paid to carefully removing the moulted 'undercoat'. It's a slow daily process. Taking your Cockapoo to a professional groomer every three months or so for a full wash and clip is a really good idea to compliment your own grooming routine. This will keep him smart and comfortable. Wavy/ringlet coats These Cockapoos can look glamorous with a full coat (up to 15 cms long). For those who wish to keep the coat long they will discover that twice a year the coat will moult over about a two week period. TIP: If you brush this full coat when dry it reacts rather like frizzy human hair as the brushing damages the hair shaft and breaks it so it then fluffs up into an 'afro' style. To prevent this the coat can be 'line' groomed whilst wet and soaked in coat conditioner. 6 P a g e