“How often should we come in?” is the question we get most at the salon, usually while a freshly fluffed cavoodle is being buckled into the back seat. The honest answer: it depends on the coat, not the calendar. Here’s the schedule we actually recommend, based on the dogs we see most around Manly and the Northern Beaches.
Wool and fleece coats: every 4–6 weeks
Cavoodles, spoodles, groodles: the beloved oodle family. These coats never stop growing and never stop matting, especially with daily beach swims and harness wear. Four to six weeks keeps a teddy bear cut looking like a teddy bear rather than a tumbleweed.
Wire and hand-stripped coats: every 6–8 weeks
Schnauzers, westies, and most terriers hold their shape longer, but the beard and furnishings still need regular attention, and a proper breed cut keeps the outline crisp between visits.
Drop coats: every 4–8 weeks
Maltese, shih tzus, and lhasas in full coat need the short end of that range. In a shorter pet trim, you can stretch to eight weeks comfortably.
Double coats: every 8–12 weeks
Labradors, golden retrievers, border collies. These coats mostly need de-shedding, a proper bath, and a tidy, not clipping. (Please don’t shave a double coat; it rarely grows back the same. We’ll always talk you out of it, gently.)
The beach factor
Salt water, sand, and lagoon swims all speed up matting. If your dog is a daily swimmer at Curl Curl or Freshwater, rinse with fresh water after each swim and shorten your grooming cycle by a week or two.
Not sure where your dog fits? Send us a photo when you book and we’ll recommend a schedule: no guesswork, no upselling, just what the coat needs.