The Rise of the Doodle

Doodles fill the grooming school one day in October.

BY AMBER MORI, LEAD GROOMING INSTRUCTOR AT PAWSPERITY

In the grooming industry, we see a lot of trends when it comes to popular dog breeds. As a groomer for nearly 15 years, I have seen the rising popularity of Corgis, Puggles, Frenchies, and many other breeds. However, none can compare to the ongoing popularity of the Doodle!

In our school, it is not uncommon for us to see up to 10 Doodles a day. These happy fluff balls are certainly taking over! And, while we love our Doodles, it does have a significant impact on the quality of education we can provide for our students in terms of exposing them to different breeds.

For the very few who may not know, Doodles are hybrids of poodles and other popular breeds. They are typically bred for each breed’s desirable traits, with the bonus of being (mostly) hypoallergenic. They include, but are not limited to, Golden Doodles, Labradoodles, Schnoodles, and many, many more new breeds. As previously mentioned, these pups are fluffy, and that plays a huge role in why they are so popular. Coupled with their energetic, sweet, and often goofy nature, it’s no wonder they have stolen the hearts of the world.

It is important for the prospective Doodle owner to know that a fluffy coat makes them a very high-maintenance dog. Their coat tends to get matted very easily if not brushed and combed daily. Most of the Doodles we see at our school are clipped to keep their hair shorter to prevent this heavy matting. This is great for those dogs and their families! However, our students are often faced with doing the same haircut on the same breed multiple times a day. We are looking to add more purebred dogs to our list of clients to offer more variation to the practice our students get while in our program. This will better prepare them for the professional pet grooming world. The students enrolled in our program will first learn the basics of grooming. As they advance, they must meet testing requirements to graduate.

Our program requires students to pass seven breed standard practicums, one of which is a Doodle. The other six include a Standard Poodle, a terrier, a double-coated breed, a silk coat breed, and two drop coats. We are looking for more Schnauzers, Cocker Spaniels, West Highland Terriers (Westies), and any other less common pure breed you may have. We are also very excited about our new school, as we will have room to accommodate more dogs getting groomed.

Would you do us a favor and tell your friends and family about the Pawsperity Grooming School? We would especially love to service pet parents of Schnauzers, Cocker Spaniels, Westies, and other purebred dogs. Go to Pawsperity.org to book an appointment or call 816.214.5376.