Grooming and coat
Do poodle mixes need grooming more often than other dogs?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
Most Poodle mixes, including Labradoodles, Goldendoodles, and Cockapoos, need brushing several times a week and a professional trim every four to six weeks, more frequent than a typical shedding breed. This is because they usually inherit the Poodle's low shedding, curl trapping coat, which mats faster than a straight, shedding coat does.
Why the Poodle coat drives the schedule
Poodle mixes vary in exactly how curly their coat turns out, ranging from loosely wavy to tightly curled, but most inherit at least some of the Poodle parent's tendency to hold onto dead hair rather than shed it. This means even a moderately curly coated doodle usually needs brushing three to four times a week, considerably more than a Labrador or Golden Retriever parent breed alone would require.
The professional grooming schedule
Most Poodle mixes benefit from a professional trim every four to six weeks, similar to a purebred Poodle, both to manage length and to have a groomer check for any hidden matting that home brushing may have missed, particularly in dense, tightly curled individuals.
Individual variation is significant
Coat texture in a first generation cross can range widely even within the same litter, so two Labradoodle littermates can have noticeably different grooming needs, one closer to a low shedding curly coat and another closer to the straighter, shedding coat of the non Poodle parent, which is worth observing in the first year before settling on a fixed routine.
Key takeaways
- Most Poodle mixes need brushing three to four times a week due to their curl trapping coat.
- A professional trim every four to six weeks is typical, similar to a purebred Poodle's schedule.
- Coat texture varies significantly between individual dogs even within the same litter, so grooming needs should be assessed per dog.