Last Updated on September 7, 2026
Cavoodles are generally low care dogs that do not need much to be happy. The coat is the exception. That curly, Poodle style fur mats and tangles easily, so a bit of regular care goes a long way, and most of it you can do yourself at home. Here is how to groom your Cavoodle to keep that coat looking and feeling its best.
Start with a bath
The first step is a bath. Washing the coat clears out the oils and dirt trapped in your Cavoodle’s fur, and skipping it makes grooming harder down the track, since a dirty coat is more likely to build up into mats and tangles.
A matted coat is where the fur clumps and tangles together, usually from irregular grooming. It can be anything from uncomfortable to genuinely painful for your dog, so a proper grooming routine is a must.
Use the right tool for the job
Once your Cavoodle is bathed and dried, it is time to brush from head to tail. The right brush for their coat makes everything easier. A two-sided dog brush is ideal. The wire pin side works the tangles loose, so take it slowly and let them come apart on their own, then go over the coat with the bristle side to bring out the shine.
Brush their coat often
How often you brush matters just as much as how you do it. Aim to brush your Cavoodle several times a week to keep the coat in good shape. Brushing after a bath is worth doing too, since a wet coat left to dry on its own is far more likely to mat.
Work through the coat in sections, starting with the smaller, more manageable areas before moving on to the rest. The back legs are a good place to begin, since you can work the tangles out as you move up the body. Just like with our own hair, you do not want to be dragging a brush down through knots. Take extra care around the face, since nobody wants a stray bristle near an eye.
Grooming is a bonding activity
Do not worry about grooming too often, because Cavoodles genuinely enjoy it. Spending time with you is their favourite thing in the world, so a brush is quality time as much as it is coat care. Your Cavoodle will love you all the more for it.
Trim if needed
Cavoodles can have a long, silky coat or a shorter, curlier one. Whichever your dog has, it is worth keeping the hair clear of their eyes, since it can block their vision and, in bad cases, cause irritation or injury. If you are not confident trimming around the face, leave it to a professional groomer.
What if my Cavoodle gets matted fur?
Matted fur is never fun, but there is a fairly simple fix at home. You will need a de-matting comb and a good dose of patience, with yourself and with your Cavoodle.
Work through the matted patch slowly and carefully, easing it apart as you would a stubborn tangle rather than yanking at it. If your dog gets fidgety, let them take a break, because having their fur tugged for too long is annoying for anyone. Once they have settled, have another go, and reward them with a treat for their patience.
If a mat is close to the skin or too tight to work loose, leave it to a professional groomer rather than risk nicking your dog. The real fix, though, is prevention. Brushing several times a week clears out the loose hair before it has a chance to knot up, and it keeps the coat shiny into the bargain.
Nails count as grooming too
Do not forget to trim your Cavoodle’s nails. Use proper dog claw clippers rather than a regular nail trimmer, and cut carefully, staying clear of the quick, the pink part where the blood supply runs into the nail. If your dog has dark nails, take a little off at a time and stop once you have trimmed the very tip.
When to see a professional groomer
Plenty of owners handle grooming at home, but a professional groom every so often keeps things on top. In Australia a Cavoodle groom usually costs somewhere around $80 to $120 a session depending on where you are and the state of the coat, and most Cavoodles do well with a visit every six to eight weeks. A badly matted coat can cost more, which is one more reason to keep up the brushing in between.
Keep your Cavoodle happy
Regular brushing is one of the simplest ways to keep your Cavoodle comfortable and happy. With a bit of attention their coat looks and feels its best, and when you groom your Cavoodle you are not just caring for them, you are strengthening your bond at the same time. Groom regularly and you will keep your Cavoodle’s coat as healthy as it can be.
