Help w/Labradoodle

[arlaede]

I groom this wonderful Labradoodle, Lexie, every week (well, bathe weekly, groom every 3.) She has the biggest nose! Her owner and I are having a horrible time trying to figure out what do do with her face. Right now I use a 3/4 on her body, at times have used #1 attachment comb. I've suggested growing the sides of her face out to try to balance the nose/make it appear shorter, but every time we start that it isn't long and the owner wants the face taken down a bit Any suggestions would be welcome!

[arlaede]

After reading some previous labradoodle posts...I must say I'm thankful this one comes in weekly! I always just put her in the tub first, takes about 30 min to HV dry her & finish with fluff drying. Bath/Dry/Minor trim - 45/55 min, full groom maybe an hour and a half. She's an angel, just does what I say, stays in tub, no loop grooming or drying, turns around on command. She even goes in "her" crate when done and sits there, door open, waiting the couple minutes til she goes home. I don't use cage dryers on anything.

[olive]

You could still take the face shorter(trim the top of the head, chin and muzzle) but don't touch the hair on the cheeks, except to even it up. I really don't have any other help, she may just be blessed with a big nose =) She's a cutie though.

[olive]

Just looking over the pics again and thought maybe you could try growing out the sides of the top knot to blend into the ears.. so there is no definite separation.. that may balance her head out a bit.

[sittingpretty]

What if you left more under the jaw and thinnned out the top and sides of the muzzle? Wouldn't this make it look longer and less wide/ blocky? Also, just trim/shape-up the sides of her head/cheeks, no major clipping. Just a suggestion.

This is the 1st parti Lab-Doodle I've seen. What were her parents like, do you know? I have only 1 lab-doodle, she is black, sort of charcoal. The other I've seen is red. They are much easier than the golden doodles, soo much less hair!!


sittingpretty

[DBT]

i think the dog would look best with a 10# poodle face , but maybe not what the owners want

[Fast Ellie]

Go look at the thread I posted "Groomed by 4Sibes". Yeager is a doodle I do. I use a 7f on his face and cheeks and leave a short must, sorta round. Fits him.

I think the hair on her cheeks does make her face look longer.

[arlaede]

Thank you! LOL...that's the first thing I did, it lasted about 2 months and then the owner thought it's top know looked strange. I'll suggest it again and tell her to just hang in there longer!

Just looking over the pics again and thought maybe you could try growing out the sides of the top knot to blend into the ears.. so there is no definite separation.. that may balance her head out a bit.

[arlaede]

Good idea here too, I'm going to suggest all ideas I get to the owner. I'll find out about her parents and let you know!

What if you left more under the jaw and thinnned out the top and sides of the muzzle? Wouldn't this make it look longer and less wide/ blocky? Also, just trim/shape-up the sides of her head/cheeks, no major clipping. Just a suggestion.

This is the 1st parti Lab-Doodle I've seen. What were her parents like, do you know? I have only 1 lab-doodle, she is black, sort of charcoal. The other I've seen is red. They are much easier than the golden doodles, soo much less hair!!


sittingpretty

[arlaede]

Yep, that would work, but as you know most "doodle" owners have a strong aversion to anything "poodle like!" But I will mention it!

i think the dog would look best with a 10# poodle face , but maybe not what the owners want

[Debbiedogs]

Personally -

The dog's muzzle looks too big while the topknot is too small. I would reverse those proportions, even though it would look "Poodle-y".

Even if you take the face way down with a #3, it is still fuzzy but will not have that droopy/shaggy look. I would NOT add to the length underneath the jaw/chin, myself, I think it will just look like a goat or something.

But that's just my take.

[brownlikewoah]

The dog's muzzle looks too big while the topknot is too small. I would reverse those proportions, even though it would look "Poodle-y".

Even if you take the face way down with a #3, it is still fuzzy but will not have that droopy/shaggy look. I would NOT add to the length underneath the jaw/chin, myself, I think it will just look like a goat or something.

But that's just my take.

I agree with this, give him a bit of an afro

[pooh13]

The dog's muzzle looks too big while the topknot is too small. I would reverse those proportions, even though it would look "Poodle-y".

Even if you take the face way down with a #3, it is still fuzzy but will not have that droopy/shaggy look. I would NOT add to the length underneath the jaw/chin, myself, I think it will just look like a goat or something.

But that's just my take.

I agree with this too ,but I would square off the topknot more to reduce the poodly effect. also less scissoring from the top knot to the ear line, basically less ear definition

[arlaede]

Thanks for everyone's input! Went over options with owner today and settled on square off the head, grow it out over the ears some. I can't talk her into making the face any shorter

I checked about her parents - her father was a Parti Standard Poodle and the mother was a Labradoodle with wild crazy hair. My clients only saw pictures of the parents. I think they are lucky to have such a good dog!