Cockapoos are one of the UK’s most popular dog breeds, loved for their affectionate nature and adorable teddy-bear appearance. Their charming personalities, intelligence, and hypoallergenic coats make them a favourite among families and first-time dog owners.
As a mix between a cocker spaniel and a poodle, their fur can range from wavy to tightly curled. While their cuddly, soft coat is a big part of their appeal, their beautiful hair requires dedicated maintenance and owners must be prepared to put in the time and effort to manage their grooming needs. Setting up a regular grooming routine isn't just for aesthetics, it's essential in order to keep these wonderful dogs comfortable and healthy.
Grooming your cockapoo at home needn't be a chore! With early positive training and the right tools, grooming can be a rewarding experience, strengthening the bond between you for a happy, healthy, well rounded pet.
The Importance Of Grooming Your Cockapoo
Cockapoos have a coat that doesn’t shed like other breeds, making them a great pet for allergy sufferers. However as their hair grows continuously, it can easily become too long, tangled and matted without proper care. These high maintenance coats require extra time and resources, with clipping playing a significant part of your dog's coat management.
Tangled hair leads to matting, where the hair knots together in clumps. Mats form close to the skin causing causing pain, irritation, and lead to skin infections. Mats can form anywhere on the body but owners find their cockapoo's ears, groin, armpits, legs and tummy are the most prone areas to mats.
Home grooming is essential part of caring for your dog, not only to prevent matting but also to keep an eye on their overall health. Grooming gives you the chance to check your dog's body condition and detect lumps, bumps or signs of skin irritation that may need a vet’s attention. Catching potential issues early on often leads to more effective treatment.
Clipping the cockapoo's coat needs to be done every 6-8 weeks, but using a professional groomer can be costly. The more you can manage your dog's coat care yourself, the more you can save. Even if you do send your dog to the groomers for a professional groom, they will always appreciate a well maintained tangle free coat, saving them time, providing your dog with a comfortable exerience and the best possible finish!
Positive Grooming for Cockapoo Puppies
As grooming will play a large part of your cockapoo's lifetime care, introducing a grooming routine early is key to ensuring your puppy is comfortable with the process.
- From a young age, (8-10 weeks old) introduce your puppy to brushing, bathing, and handling their paws, ears, and face. Use positive reinforcement, such as treats and praise, to create a stress-free experience.
- Short, frequent sessions will help build their confidence, making grooming much easier as they grow.
- Start with soft brushes and introduce a slicker brush and comb. Our Essentials Pet Grooming Set contains everything you'll need to get started.
- Ensure they get used to the feel and sound of clippers and trimmers too. Even though they won't need to be clipped until they are around 6-8 months old when their adult coat comes in, getting used to the vibration and sound of these tools will make them feel more at ease when the time comes to trim their coat. Our cordless Showmate dog trimmer is the ideal introductory tool for puppies. It's low sound and vibration won't frighten sensitive dogs and in time, will make a wonderful and useful addition to any grooming kit.
- Book in an appointment with your local dog groomer for a puppy groom. Even if regular salon trips aren’t needed, puppy visits are still valuable for socialisation, exposing them to new people, sounds, and smells, helping build confidence in different environments.
Read our puppy grooming blog here for more tips.
Essentials Grooming Tools For Cockapoos
Brushing is the most important part of your cockapoo’s grooming routine. Aim to brush their coat at least three to four times a week to keep them knot free.
- Slicker Brush: A slicker brush is ideal for cockapoos, helping to remove tangles, and to fluff the coat before clipping to ensure a smooth, even clip.
- Combination Comb: These double ended combs are useful for tackling stubborn knots and completely brushing the coat through to ensure no tangles are left in the hair after brushing with the slicker. The narrow spaced teeth are ideal for grooming the more delicate areas with finer hair, such as the face and ears, whereas the wider spaced teeth are great for grooming the hair on the body, chest and neck.
Brushing Technique: Start by gently detangling any knots with your fingers or a comb before using a slicker brush. Always brush in the direction of hair growth, working in sections to ensure you cover the entire coat. When brushing the legs, start at the foot and work your way up each leg.
Dealing with Mats: If you find any mats, use a de-matting comb or gently tease them apart with your fingers. Never attempt to cut them out with scissors, as it's easy to accidentally injure your dog by catching their skin. Instead, you can use a dog trimmer or A5 clipper with a close cutting No. 10F blade to nibble away underneath the mat, close to the skin. If your dog has quite a few mats in their coat, it's best to seek help from a professional groomer.
- Nail Clipper: Keep nails in good shape and health with our scissor style nail clippers. Nail clipping should be done every 2-3 months to avoid overgrowth and discomfort.
- Shampoo: Always bath your cockapoo before you clip them to ensure a smooth finish and to keep your clipper blades sharper for longer.
- Grooming Scissors: Grooming scissors are ideal for creating a rounded shape to the face for that cute teddy bear look plus trimming the legs, around the foot, pads, ears and tail for a polished finish.
- Dog Clipper and Combs: An A5 dog clipper with a set of combs is the ideal choice for clipping your cockapoo. A5 clippers can be used with a range of clipper blades and combs to give you a vast choice of clip lengths depending on your preferences.
- Dog Trimmer: A small, quiet, cordless trimmer is handy for trimming delicate features such as the hair around the pads, face, eyes and sanitary areas.
Bathing Your Cockapoo
Cockapoos should be bathed every 4-6 weeks, or as needed if they get particularly muddy on walks! However avoid bathing them more often as this can strip the coat of their natural oils, leading to dry skin.
TOPTIP: Always bath your dog before you clip them to keep your clipper blades sharp and give the best finish.
- Best Shampoo to Use: Choose a mild, dog-friendly shampoo that’s free from harsh chemicals. A sensitive skin formula can be beneficial for puppies and dogs with allergies or dry skin. We love these all natural formulations by Wildwash.
- How to Bath Your Cockapoo: Use lukewarm water and ensure you wet the coat thoroughly before applying shampoo. Lather gently, paying attention to the paws, underbelly, and behind the ears. Rinse well to remove all product residue.
- Drying: Towel-dry your cockapoo first to absorb excess water, then you can use an ordinary hairdryer on a low setting (to avoid overheating their skin) to speed up drying the coat. Brush as the hair dries to prevent tangles from forming.
Watch Lauren Emily Dog Grooming prepare this lovely cockapoo for grooming below.
Clipping Your Cockapoo
Clipping is necessary to keep your cockapoo’s coat at a manageable length and should be carried out every 6-8 weeks. Here's our guide for a simple home pet trim.
- Best Clippers to Use: Our professional A5 Cockapoo Dog Clipper Sets come with a range of comb attachments to give you a choice of clip lengths. If you're unsure which combs to choose, try the longest comb first. You can always go shorter if needed! The No. 10F blade that comes with the clippers is also an ideal blade used alone without guards for clipping the sensitive areas like the face, paws, and sanitary areas.
- Clipping Prep: Gather all the tools you'll need to groom and set up the space in a quiet spot, when your dog is feeling calm and relaxed.
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How to Clip:
- After bathing and drying, brush out the coat thoroughly before clipping to ensure an even cut.
- Starting with the body, choose a comb attachment and place this over the clipper blade to achieve your desired clip length.
- Holding the clipper like a large pencil, keep the blade level with the skin and clip in the direction of hair growth to create a natural looking finish.
- You can use a longer comb for the top of the head and legs if desired.
- Using the No. 10F blade, trim the hair under the paws level with the pads to prevent dirt from accumulating.
- You can also use the clipper and No. 10F blade to clip the lower tummy and anal areas to maintain hygiene.
TOPTIP: Frequently apply clipper oil to your clipper blades during clipping (every 3-5 minutes) to reduce friction and heat generation and keep your clipper working smoothly.
Watch our tutorial grooming guides with our Cockapoo Dog Clipper Sets by Lauren Emily Dog Grooming on YouTube here.
Using Grooming Scissors for a Polished Look
Grooming scissors are essential for creating the signature cuddly teddy-bear look of a Cockapoo.
- Face & Eyes: Clean the eyes by wiping them with a ball of cotton wool and plain water for each eye. Use bull nose scissors with rounded-tips or curved scissors to carefully trim around the face, shaping it into a soft, rounded look. Thinning scissors can help remove excess hair in front of the eyes, improving visibility while maintaining a natural appearance. To soften any harsh lines, use thinning scissors to shape the muzzle and beard.
- Ears & Tail: Trim the ends of ears to keep them neat but still fluffy, avoiding excessive length that could lead to tangling. Similarly, shape the tail to maintain its plume-like effect while keeping it tidy.
- Paws & Feet: Round off the excess hair around the paws using curved scissors, ensuring a neat finish. Bull nose scissors are great for trimming the hair beneath the pads if you prefer to use scissors rather than your clippers for the feet. Take care not to dig between the toes, as you may catch the thin membrane of skin there. Instead, gently pull out the excess hair from the toes and trim them level with the foot. This will help to prevent dirt from collecting between the pads and mats forming.
Below: Cockapoo grooms - Before and After by Lauren Emily Dog Grooming
Seasonal Grooming Tips
- Spring & Summer: Keep the coat slightly shorter to help your cockapoo stay cool, especially during heatwaves. Regular trimming also reduces the risk of grass seeds getting trapped in the fur and causing injury. Don't clip the coat shorter than a No 1 comb attachment (3mm) to ensure they have enough hair coverage to protect their skin from the sun's rays.
- Autumn & Winter: A longer coat provides extra warmth, but continue with regular brushing to prevent matting caused by damp weather and mud. Dry your cockapoo thoroughly after wet walks to avoid skin irritation. For very adventurous dogs, keeping their coat shorter may be much easier to maintain than longer locks. For shorter coats, be sure to provide them with a well fitting doggy coat when out and about to keep them warm and dry.
Tips for a Happy, Well-Groomed Cockapoo
Positive groom training from an early age ensures a stress-free grooming experience for both you and your cockapoo.
Regular brushing is essential to prevent matting and maintain a healthy coat.
Clipping and trimming every 6-8 weeks keeps their coat manageable and your dog comfortable.
If in any doubt, seek advice from a professional groomer to ensure your cockapoo’s coat is kept in the best condition.
By following these steps, you can keep your cockapoo looking and feeling great all year round. Home grooming not only saves money but also strengthens your bond with your pet.
Grooming is an art form but with practice, you'll get better at achieving the look you want for your dog. The beauty of grooming at home is the flexibility—it can be done at your dog's pace, without rushing through a full session in one go. If you need personalised advice for grooming your cockapoo, our friendly and knowledgebale team is always happy to help!
How much does grooming a cockapoo cost?
For a professional cockapoo groom, the average cost is around £40-60 in the UK and needs to be carried out every 6-8 weeks to keep on top of your dog's coat. This is a very reasonable cost given the groomers expertise, time and running costs in a busy salon. However, over the lifetime of your pet, this cost can soon add up. In contrast, grooming your cockapoo yourself is much less. The cost of a Masterclip clipper set with 4 comb attachments starts at just £129.99 and with correct use and care can last for many years. Our A5 clipper blades are made from high quality steel and are readily re-sharpenable too! So why not give home grooming a try?
What age should I start grooming my cockapoo?
You should start grooming your Cockapoo puppy as soon as they are settled in their new home, usually when they are around 8-12 weeks old. Start by introducing basic grooming practices like brushing to get them accustomed to handling and make the process positive from the start. This early experience is crucial for setting a good foundation for them to enjoy being groomed over their lifetime. They can have their first puppy groom at the groomers once they have had their second vaccinations between 10-12 weeks of age.
How much does a cockapoo need to be groomed?
For the first six months, a cockapoo puppy only needs brushing for about 10 minutes, 4–5 times a week, using a basic grooming kit (comb, soft brush and slicker brush). Treats and praise will help make grooming a positive experience.
From around 8 months old, the adult coat comes in, and matting can become an issue if dead hair isn’t brushed out. Cockapoos don’t shed much, so frequent grooming is essential. A thorough brush 2–3 times a week, along with trimming around the eyes and beard if needed, will help keep the coat manageable. Clipping is recommended every 6-8 weeks with bathing beforehand. Nails should be trimmed every 2-3 months to keep them short and in good condition.
