Sheepadoodle Grooming: What To Ask Groomers For

Sheepadoodle grooming is a whole new world if you haven’t owned a doodle before!

I get questions, emails or DMs all the time about Zion, our sheepadoodle, but questions about his haircut – specifically, what to ask the groomer for, is by far the most frequent!

“What do you tell your groomer to get Zion’s hair like that?”

sheepadoodle grooming with a teddy bear cut face on the dog

Table of Contents

What To Say To Your Groomer To Get That Teddy Bear Doodle Look

If you like Zion’s look, this post should help you get the exact language and photos to use to communicate with your groomer what kind of hairstyle you like.

It took us almost TWO years to figure out how we like Zion’s hair to look!! Have you experienced the shock/sadness of picking up your sweet pup from the groomer who looks nothing like you were expecting? Turns out, figuring out how you like all that fluffy hair cut is more complex than you think!

Life with our big fluffy guy who doesn’t shed comes with a cost – quite literally: all the sheepadoodle grooming.

sheepadoodle with a teddy bear grooming cut

He gets a regular bath and cuts every 6 weeks. I thought the expense would be the hard part of sheepadoodle grooming. But I had no idea it would take trial and error to figure out just the right hair style!

What Is A Doodle Teddy Bear Cut?

A Doddle teddy bear cut is the first phrase you want to get familiar with, because it’s what you are looking for if you like Zion’s hair. A teddy bear cut is a hair cut on a doodle (or poodle!) in which the hair is the about the same length on all parts of the body – legs, body and face.

a sheepadoodle groomed — A Doodle Teddy Bear Cut

Details To Tell Your Sheepadoodle Groomer For A Doodle Teddy Bear Cut

Zion is 75lbs, so our groomer uses a razor on his body and scissor work around his face.

Notes About His Body:

We have them cut about one length all over. Remember the doodle teddy bear cut!
Most groomers offer a “sanitary” on the private parts, and shave all around that area. You of course want this.
Trim down the tail enough to make it look like his fluffy puppy tail. Those are the words I use to describe what I wanted to my groomer the first time, because if it is cut too much it looks like a rat tail. If you don’t cut enough it’s unruly and stringy.

Notes About His Head

Teddy bear face is the phrase you want to use again here. It should not be longer on the top part of their head.
We have Zion’s face cut at 1/2″ all around
Keep the ears trimmed close, the same length as the body. The hair should not be flowing (this helps avoid mats too).
No scoop. Groomers might shave down the area on the bridge of the nose, between the dog’s eyes, because that hair grows quickly. It’s called a scoop, because it looks as if the hair is just scooped out. I understand why this is done, but I dislike the scoop so much. See the pic below?

sheepadoodle with a scoop between eyes — A scoop on the face

If you like the doodle teddy bear cute a scoop is not what you want. A scissor trim between the eyes instead is better.

You don’t want a mustache or beard. THIS! It took me so long to figure this one out! Back in 2020 when our groomers shut down due to lock down restrictions, Zion ended up having to get shaved because of all his long hair. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized I didn’t like the mustache. I saw how happy and puppyish he looked without the mustache! Now we always ask the groomer to trim his snout in a short, cylinder shape, but not shaved down like a poodle. The snout hair should stand out and away from their nose, instead of falling over and down in a mustache shape. This makes their faces look fluffy and happy! Make sure all the hair around the nose stands straight out.

Cut the cheeks short. They should be also standing straight out, similar to the hair around the snout.

sheepadoodle grooming with teeddy bear cut

Sheepadoodle Grooming Issues: The Perfect Groomer Might Not Be the Most Convenient Groomer

Just like you don’t go see any old hairstylist – we don’t send Zion to the groomer on our side of town. Using a talented doodle groomer familiar with the teddy bear cut makes this easier from the start. We always go ahead and schedule the next few appointments when we pick Zion up – this is especially important because the groomers fill quickly!

You need a groomer that specializes in doodles, so ask other doodle owners for referrals. It’s not easy – but sheepadoodle grooming issues are probably the hardest part of owning this fluffy pet.

a sheepadoodle groomed fresh on a bed with a teddy bear cut

Hairbrush You Need At Home

If you wait too long in between appointments without brushing, you’ll get a build up of mats in their fur, leaving your dog no choice but the dreaded shave. Pink skin on a doodle is not a look! Trust me, I speak from experience!

These are the only two hairbrushes we use on Zion to make sure he doesn’t need shaves. We have never had to buy anything else because they are such high quality. Buy them once – they’ll last your dog’s lifetime!

What If I Don’t Like The Way My Dog Looks?

If the groomer gave your dog a haircut you weren’t a fan of, it could simply be miscoummication, or there could be reasons (matting usually is the biggest one). Bring in several photos of doodles with the hairstyle you prefer for your next visit. Be clear and very specific with your language about what you like and don’t like from the photos. This will help both of you.

Don’t say vague things like “super short”, that can mean different things to different people.

giant sheepadoodle — Zion in desperate need of a trim

If you’re not an extroverted person, communicating your needs directly with your groomer might feel uncomfortable – but they will appreciate your (polite of course) descriptive language and details.

When Zion was still a pup, I brought in photos to our groomer and she let me know that those hairstyle weren’t possible yet with Zion’s puppy fur. The photos I brought were all of older dogs with mature fur. I had to wait for his baby undercoat to grow to achieve that look! It’s better for both parties when you communicate, so don’t hesitate.

Sheepadoodle Groomers Cost in 2023

Expect to pay a premium because a doodle’s hair is known to be tricky! This year the average price of a doodle groomer cost between $80-$120 before tip. In our area of NC, we pay around $90 to our groomer for our 75lb Sheepadoodle.

Do I Tip Dog Groomers?

Yes, tip your groomer well! It is a service where you are expected to tip. But more importantly, it’s crucial to have a good working relationship with your groomer, and a tip shows you recognize and appreciate their hard work. I suggest at least 20%, especially when they are doing what they can to accommodate our requests.