The Labradoodle wears one of three quite different coats, and knowing which one you have decides everything about grooming — frequency, style, and cost.
The coat
- Fleece — soft waves, low-shedding; the "classic doodle" coat and the most common.
- Wool — tight Poodle-like curls; lowest shedding, highest maintenance.
- Hair — flatter and more Labrador-like, often with an undercoat; it sheds, but mats less.
Fleece and wool coats mat readily, and because Labradoodles are big, matting happens at scale — a neglected coat can mean hours of dematting or a full shave-off.
How often should a Labradoodle be groomed?
Fleece and wool coats: every 6–8 weeks professionally, with line-brushing to the skin two or three times a week at home. Hair coats can stretch to 8–12 weeks with weekly brushing and deshedding. Whatever the coat, book the first groom young — a 30kg dog that hates the dryer is a genuine problem, for you and the groomer.
Popular styles
- Teddy bear clip — rounded face, even 10–20mm body; the standard doodle look.
- Lamb clip — shorter body with fuller legs; practical for muddy-walk households.
- Short sports clip — 6–10mm all over; the low-maintenance choice for swimmers and farm dogs.
- Natural tidy — for hair-coated Labradoodles: deshed, bath, and scissor-tidy rather than a full clip.
What does Labradoodle grooming cost?
Size puts Labradoodles near the top of price lists: expect £55–80 for a full groom on a medium or standard dog, and more in the South East or for very tall dogs. Miniature Labradoodles typically run £45–60. Matting surcharges are common and avoidable.
Between grooms
Line-brush section by section down to the skin — a comb must reach the root. Pay attention to the harness line, armpits, ears and tail. After swimming, rinse (chlorine and river grit felt the coat), dry, and brush. If the comb stops gliding through, book the groom sooner rather than later; doodle coats go from "slightly behind" to "shave-off" quickly.