Skip to Content

Should a Cockapoo Be Shaved & Clipped? (Explained)

Is your cockapoo’s hair growing out of leaps and bounds? Your non shedding pet is full of hair already and before you know it, they are all tangled.

If you think you’ve noticed matted hair on your pooch, it’s time to take on the clippers and scissors on your hands!

Should a cockapoo be shaved & clipped?

Your cockapoo does not have to be shaved completely but it is important to clip its growing fur regularly. Once a cockapoo reaches 7 to 8 months it would require a full grooming session so that its coat does not get matted or tangled. Cockapoos should be clipped or trimmed every 6 to 12 weeks.

Do you have to shave a cockapoo?

A cockapoo only needs to be shaved when its goat has not been groomed properly for a long time. When the coat grows so much that the hair becomes matted and tangled, then the cockapoo needs to be shaved.

How to shave a cockapoo?

When your cockapoo’s hair becomes matted, that’s when you need to shave your pet, unfortunately. With practice and caution, the following steps may help you with the process:

Stay calm:

When you are to shave your cockapoo, the very first instructions would go to yourself.

You’ll have to stay considerably calm during the process so that your pet can imitate you and also stay calm. Shaving your dog is challenging and hence we suggest you take time to learn the techniques before getting into it.

Secure your dog:

The next step requires you to secure your dog on a table and have a leash to keep the pet where it’s supposed to be. Without a leash, your dog would probably run off at the sight of the clippers. Hold your cockapoo’s head by holding its collar.

Shave the head first:

Shave the dog’s head first, by using a bigger blade on the clipper. Always stay an inch away from the eye area.

Shave tails and underarms:

Next, to shave the dog’s tail and underarms, use the clipper in conjunction with a comb. You would have to hold the comb in slight angles against the dog’s skin and shave off with the clipper at blade 10.

Blade down the body:

Depending on how long the cockapoo’s mats are, you can set the blade to 10 or longer, and shave down from the head down to the body, and up to the tail.

Shave the sides:

Following the upper body, shave the sides and then the limbs of your cockapoo. Following that, you may shave the belly of your pooch.

Give a cool bath:

To make sure your canine’s skin does not or burn from the shaving, give them a cool bath to calm their skin. Avoid hard rubbing right after the shave.

How should a cockapoo be clipped?

You’d need to clip your cockapoo once in a while before its fur gets too long and tangled. Here are the few steps to follow:

Bath them:

Before clipping your cockapoo, always bathe them with some good quality shampoo and conditioner. This makes their hair more manageable.

Put them on the table:

Whether it’s shaving your clipping, always place your pet on the table and bound to a leash.

Start with blade 5:

Start with blade 5, and clip the hair down the pet’s body.

Clip the belly:

Clip your cockapoos belly region, starting from the torso and downwards. Use blades 7 to 10 for the belly as you need to clip closer to the skin.

Clip the legs:

Next, you’ll use clippers on about 5 or 7 to clip your dog’s legs as short as possible.

This is the area where they accumulate most dirt and grime from the grounds. To clip your cockapoo’s paws, you can use shears, unless you intend to shave it.

Use blade 5 for ears:

For the ears, use blade 5 on your clippers while having scissors and shears towards the edges. For the ears, start from the top and go downwards.

Use your clippers downwards for face: 

To clip on the face, move your clippers downwards in addition to ballpoint scissors.

Clip tail with a long blade:

Next, clip the tail with the long blade on your clippers.

Use nail clippers to cut off nails:

You should also take care of your cockapoo’s nails. Use a nail clipper to carefully cut off the long nails.

Brush and comb properly:

At last, brush and comb your cockapoo all through its body, limbs, ears, and face. If you feel there are any uneven parts on your pet, clip those parts to size.

How should cockapoos be cut?

In order to give your cockapoo a good trim, you would need to first make sure that your cockapoo is used to the tools, sights, and sounds of grooming. Next, you may want to set them on a table.

A leash is extremely important to keep your dog from running away every time you turn on the clipper. You may also want to keep treats at your hand just so you can keep them in position for a little longer.

What length should a cockapoo be cut?

The cockapoo’s fur should be cut to a medium length when it comes to its upper body. From the top of the head to the tail, your clipper can be held at blade no.5 for an appropriate size.

The facial hair should be kept longer than the rest of the body, and a 3rd blade size of your clipper should create a good length for facial hair. As for the paws, that is where all the dirt gets stuck and tangles can likely become too hard to brush off.

Keep the paws as shaved as possible but be careful not to scratch the skin. That is also where most matting is likely to occur, hence using a 10 on the clipper would be wise.

When should cockapoo have their first haircut?

For a cockapoo, the first haircut they need usually comes around when they are about 7 to 8 months. This is because around this time, they start to grow some adult fur as we say.

Remember that this time might come earlier if you do not brush your cockapoo in the first 6 months.  

With a little brushing and trimming around the paws and face, your cockapoo is sure to not need any haircut in the first 6 months. During this time, let them get used to tools and the sound of clipping through low maintenance.

How do you trim a cockapoo with scissors?

Trimming a cockapoo’s coat with scissors is different from trimming it with clippers. For using scissors, you will need a brush and a comb in addition. Here is what you need to do:

Get rid of the tangles:

Make sure to get rid of all the tangles by brushing your cockapoo from the head downwards to the body and tail. Comb the face and around the eyes carefully.  

Use short scissors:

You can either use shorter scissors or long blade ones, depending on how much to trim. How the face, short blade scissors give more precision.

Go along the curves for ears:

For the ears, assume a straight line and follow that as the ear curves out. Cut off the edges with a few inches off the skin.

Keep the scissors pointed downwards:

When you are trimming the legs and the paw with scissors, keep the scissors pointed to the downwards direction as you trim off the excess fur.

Brush the tail:

Before trimming the tails, brush all the tail hair downwards.

Brush all over:

Finally, brush out your pooch’s coat for an even look. Use short length scissors to even it all out at the edges and corners.

What is a teddy bear cut on a cockapoo?

The teddy bear cut on a cockapoo is the most famous of all cuts which makes the coat of the cockapoo look like a teddy bear. While the fur on the body is cut to be at least 2 to 3 inches in length and the hair on the head is kept longer.

The teddy bear cut also gives a round muzzle and shorter trim around the eyes. With the fluffy and messy body coat and medium length eyebrows, your cockapoo will surely look like a teddy bear.

Can I groom my cockapoo myself?

While you can certainly groom your cockapoo yourself, you’d need some kind of prior experience or learning before getting your hands on the clippers and scissors.

Take your time to learn the techniques and get used to the right tools. Know your dog well and keep your patience as you give them a trim.

Does cockapoo hair stop growing?

A cockapoo’s hair does not stop growing, but the rate of growth may slow down as the dog ages. When a cockapoo reaches 7 to 8 months, it starts to have its adult fur. They can grow fur up to 15 cm long as adults.

From then onwards, if you don’t groom and trim it regularly, your cockapoo is bound to have a matted coat before you know it.

When will cockapoo stop growing?

A cockapoo may stop growing after it has reached the age of 9 months old. For some cockapoos, they grow a few more months, but none more than 12 months.

A standard cockapoo can grow about a maximum of 18 inches when they approach 9 to 12 months.

For a dog like a cockapoo, which is non shedding with soft and thick fur, you may have to take care of its coat from the day you take it in as your pet.

Lack of grooming of cockapoos leads to tangled and matted hair, which would become hard to comb or trim.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Foods, Fruits & Vegetables – What Can & Can’t Cockapoos Eat?

Will My Cockapoo Puppy Go Curly?

Why Are Cockapoos So Aggressive?

Why Are Cockapoos So Clingy?

Why Are Cockapoos So Expensive?