Having been involved with the breed since there were less than 10 of us in the United States breeding Australian Labradoodles we have a great deal of experience with the breed. We have been there and done that or had the tried and failed experiences and know the tried and true methods for dealing with almost everything you can ask regarding the Australian Labradoodle. Sadly, we witness so many owners asking the same things within social media groups and getting bad advise from novice owners who have yet to solve the same issue with their dog. Many times the advise they give is dangerous, damaging to the dog and human relationship. Sort of like the blind leading the blind.
Now you can stop asking novice owners and ask a professional. Below are some questions we've taken from random doodle groups and answers that you might find helpful. If you don't see your problem solved below, feel welcome to ask us.
Ask A Pro
Ask a Professional to Help Solve Your Problem
Ouch- I am sorry to hear this.. Be sure that there is no matting of the hair in that area.. ie comb it daily.
I recommend having your veterinarian do a skin scraping to see if your dog has a fungal, yeast or bacterial infection. If this has already been done I would look at his food/treats to be sure that they do not contain wheat, rice, corn, soy or oats. These ingredients often harbor mold that and when they don't they are the major causes of yeast growth in the body which causes inflammation ie itching.
If it is truly a nervous tick, you can start learning about animal behavior so that you can help apply some routines that reduce this stress.
I wouldn't recommend a shampoo to solve the problem! Oatmeal is often used incorrectly. Oatmeal is a drying agent and can make itchy skin worse by drying out the skin. Oatmeal should only be used for overly oily skin issues or to spot treat open wounds that need to dry out.
There are a few problems that can happen when bathing at home or over bathing your Australian Labradoodle. Using lower quality store products or products like baby shampoo meant for humans will leave your dog's coat in a condition that isn't ideal, drying the coat out, drying the skin, leaving buildup on the skin and coat which attracts dirt and causes matting. Water pressure in your home likely won't rinse everything out of your dog's coat. The use of a human dryer to dry the coat afterward can burn the skin but if you leave the coat to air-dry you can attract bacteria which causes itching and odor too. All around- the use of poor quality products, not property getting the coat clean and dry can make your dog itchy and smelly. It is a cycle. We recommend professional grooming once a month and daily brushing in-between visits to help manage the coat of your Australian Labradoodle. If the groomer uses a high quality product you will be fine. You can however buy Quadrapet yucca formula and take it in for your groomer to use during your dog's appointment. See link below for my favorite shampoo for your groomer.
To be honest though shampoos and allergy testing aren't the solutions I would seek first. I would ask the vet to do a skin scrapping to check for mites. They are a common cause of itchiness in dogs and are everywhere. Then have the vet run a nutritional scan to see if your dog has a nutritional deficiency. If a dog is lacking vitamin D, copper or zinc you can see itchiness too. These are the first two things I would check.
Other things you can do are treat from the inside out. Providing your dog with a high quality fish oil. The product I like best (linked below) has the highest levels of Omegas (3, 6 & 9), Fatty acids, EPA and DHAs proven to support skin and coat health among other things. Filling in the mixing links that cause nutritional deficiencies like pro and prebiotics and treating the nervous system can help. The fish oils along with the pro and prebiotics linked below are products that we use with our dogs every day.
Products We Recommend that Might Help In This Situation
•Salmon Oil
•Salmon Drops in a treat form
•Pro & Prebiotics
•Shampoo
•Deodorizing spray
•Wipes for the face, feet and fanny or spot cleaning
If you are new to the products above you can use the discount code of INTRO4U to earn 20% off. There is a money back guarantee on every product! Go ahead and set the items up on auto ship and earn points that you can use later toward more product. No worry, you can always skip or move ship dates too.
•Make sure your groomer is using a top of the line product. They wash a lot of dogs and some groomers will use a lesser quality product to help save money within their business. You can take your own products but I caution you not to use lesser quality products from the store to manage your ALD's beautiful coat.
Products We Recommend that Might Help In This Situation
•Salmon Oil
•Salmon Drops in a treat form
•Pro & Prebiotics
•Shampoo
•Deodorizing spray
•Wipes for the face, feet and fanny or spot cleaning
If you are new to the products above you can use the discount code of INTRO4U to earn 20% off. There is a money back guarantee on every product! Go ahead and set the items up on auto ship and earn points that you can use later toward more product. No worry, you can always skip or move ship dates too.
Buying quality tools no matter what the subject is, is always important. Consider buying a cheap brush that doesn't really do the job or falls apart after a few months or a year. Only to replace it again and, again and, again with different products that keep failing.
I really don't care for the Chris Christianson brush at all. I prefer the Les Pooch or Activet brushes and a standard metal comb.
We have every Les Pooch brush there is but only ever use two of them. Our favorites are the purple (or maroon) double wide brush and the red mat zapper. Yes, I think they might cost more than the CC product that was asked about but I have to be honest.. the Les Pooch or Activet brushes work better! I have had my brushes for nearly 20 years. I haven't needed to replace them and they are in like new condition except for the one that a dog chewed on...
Products We Recommend
•Les Pooch Brush brought to you by our friends at The Doodle Country Store
If the average owner spent the first year with their dog attending obedience classes they would have a wonderfully amazing dog that everyone could enjoy. Just like with our children we do not send them to kindergarten or elementary school and expect them to have mastered all of the skills needed to navigate life as a successful adult.
Our dogs are puppies until about two years of age.
•Make sure your groomer is using a top of the line product. They wash a lot of dogs and some groomers will use a lesser quality product to help save money within their business. You can take your own products but I caution you not to use lesser quality products from the store to manage your ALD's beautiful coat.
Products We Recommend that Might Help In This Situation
•Salmon Oil
•Salmon Drops in a treat form
•Pro & Prebiotics
•Shampoo
•Deodorizing spray
•Wipes for the face, feet and fanny or spot cleaning
If you are new to the products above you can use the discount code of INTRO4U to earn 20% off. There is a money back guarantee on every product! Go ahead and set the items up on auto ship and earn points that you can use later toward more product. No worry, you can always skip or move ship dates too.
There is no simple answer. Well, actually there is a very simple answer however it is likely one that you won't like. Most think having a trained dog is hard. The truth is, having an untrained dog is hard. You pick Your hard. Take your puppy to training, don't wait until he has bad habits, don't stop after puppy class, don't stop after novice. Training is a lifelong love affair and you get out of it what you put into it. If you have attended a year of classes and your dog is still jumping, you're either in the wrong class, not participating (living the life at home), or are reinforcing bad behaviors but expecting your dog to be good on his own. Dogs are opportunistic and do what works for them. Enroll in obedience classes, attend, practice, walk the walk, and keep training until the end.
