How to Cut a Cockapoo
Designer dogs, such as the cockapoo, are growing in popularity with dog enthusiasts. Cockapoos are a cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle, and are known for their docile, friendly nature. These dogs normally have a coat that is curly like a poodle, which requires frequent grooming. Cutting a cockapoo’s coat is the easiest way to keep it clean and free of mats.
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Things You'll Need
- Dog brush
- Scissors
- Clippers
- #15 clipper blade
- #1 blade comb
- Oatmeal dog shampoo
- Dog conditioner
- Towel
Instructions
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1
Brush the dog with a fine-toothed dog brush. Cockapoos have dense, curly hair that mats easily and needs to be combed at least once a week to prevent tangles. Trim any mats away with the scissors, taking care not to cut the skin as you remove the mat.
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Fit the clippers with a #15 blade and attach a #1 comb to the blade. The #15 blade is fine enough to cut through the curly cockapoo’s coat, while the #1 comb cuts the hair to an even length of an inch all over the body.
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Cut the cockapoo’s coat with the clippers, starting at the top of the neck behind the head and working your way back toward the tail. The grain of a cockapoo’s coat grows from its head to its tail, and cutting in the direction of the hair growth is necessary for a proper trim. Clip the entire body, leaving the head, legs and tail to be trimmed with scissors.
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Comb the hair on the front of the head down over the eyes, and trim it just above the top of the eyeball with the scissors. Brush the mustache down over the lips and trim the hair level with the chin to keep it from dragging in the dog’s food while it eats. Brush the hair on the ears straight down toward the ground, and trim off all but a half inch of hair from the bottom of the ear to keep them neat and tidy.
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5
Scissor the hair on the legs and the tail to even out the coat and remove excess coat. Stand the dog up and brush the hair horizontally away from the legs. Use the scissors to cut downward toward the ground, leaving approximately an inch of hair all around the leg. Hold the tail out horizontally in one hand and brush the hair straight down, trimming the tail hair to an inch in length. Cockapoos have longer hair on the legs and tail like a cocker spaniel, and it needs to be trimmed to prevent tangles.
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Bathe the dog to remove loose hairs and clean the freshly shaven coat. Place the dog in the sink and wet the coat with warm water. Add a handful of oatmeal shampoo to the coat, working it into a lather. Rinse thoroughly and apply dog coat conditioner, and allow the conditioner to sit on the coat for five minutes before rinsing. Cockapoos are prone to dry skin, and bathing with an oatmeal shampoo and conditioner will restore moisture to dry skin. Remove the dog from the sink and towel dry to prevent it from becoming chilled.
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Tips & Warnings
Cockapoos should be trimmed every four to six weeks to maintain a proper coat length.
Work slowly as you trim the dog to keep the clippers from overheating. Hot clipper blades can easily burn the dog. Press the blades against the palm of your hand every five or 10 minutes, turning them off for 15 minutes if they are hot to the touch.
