Ruby and Pepper have very different fur - Ruby's is more 'Poodly' and Pepper has more of a loose curl. Because of this, their grooming needs are very different so I decided that it would be a good idea to attend the course again with Pepper.

Pepper has only had one trip to the groomer before and has never been clipped so I wasn't really sure how she was going to react to it! At 7 months her fur has grown into a beautiful shaggy coat but it has started to get a little more difficult to maintain, she can't see and in the hot weather it is probably not very comfortable for her! There is also the risk of her adult coat starting to develop which could mean an increase in matts.

Pepper's blue roan coat has been developing beautifully since we have had her. She started off almost white with two clear black patches, and then started to develop a darker grey at the root, lightening to the white at the tips. I know that when she is clipped the white is going to go but am interested to see what colour variation is underneath.

Here are some pictures of our day:

She was completely exhausted, bless her! 6 hours of grooming was quite tiring for both of us!

One of the worst things about owning a Cockapoo is the need for continual grooming! Their coats have a tendency to matt and because their fur grows very like our own hair, they need to be clipped to keep a nice shape!

Grooming costs around £35 - £40 depending on the amount of grooming that is required so you can imagine that now having two dogs this can be quite expensive!

My friend Karen, another Cockapoo owner, recommended a course that is run at Merrist Wood College near Guildford called Pampered Pooch. It is a one day course that you attend with your dog where you complete a full groom with instruction. A few of us with Cockapoos booked on the course which we attended today!

We arrived and were welcomed by Dinah, the instructor, who gave us an introduction and then came to discuss any specific areas to work on with each of us, and then we were off!

Step 1 - Brushing Out - make sure all of the matts are removed before bathing
Step 2 - Bathing
Step 3 - Blaster - a blaster is a high powered tool that is designed to remove the water from the coat
Step 4 - Drying - using a brush to lift the coat as it is dried
Step 5 - Clipping - using the clippers to shorten the coat and create the shape that is required
Step 6 - Finishing - using scissors to tidy up the coat and shape the face

Here are some pictures of our day: