The Cockapoo is probably the single most common dog on my table, and it is also the one that catches new groomers out, because no two of them wear the same coat. One arrives with a tight, Poodle-ish curl, the next with a soft loose wave that mats if you look at it wrong, and the one after that with something in between. The Cocker and the Poodle behind them can throw the coat in almost any direction, so the skill with a Cockapoo is reading the individual coat and then delivering the look the owner almost always wants: a soft, round, teddy-bear finish. Here is how I work through one.
Reading curly versus wavy
A curlier, wool-type Cockapoo coat sits closer to the Poodle end: it holds shape well and scissors crisply, but it packs down and mats near the skin if brushing has been neglected. A wavier, fleece-type coat is softer, flatter and often the worse matter of the two, because owners underestimate how quickly a loose wave felts behind the ears and in the armpits. Both need brushing right down to the skin, and both suit a teddy trim, but the curlier coat gives you a sharper scissored outline while the wavy coat gives a softer, more natural one.
Step one: prep and honest mat assessment
Line-brush the whole dog with a slicker and follow every pass with a comb. If the comb will not travel to the skin, the coat is not brushed out, however good it looks on top. Check the classic Cockapoo trouble spots: behind and under the ears, the armpits, the groin, the collar area and the backs of the legs. Be honest about the state of the coat before you commit to a length.
Welfare note: If a Cockapoo comes in pelted or matted close to the skin, the kind decision is to clip the coat off short under the mat with a longer comb over the blade, not to spend an hour hurting the dog for a length you cannot safely save. Explain to the owner why, and set a shorter maintenance schedule going forward.
Step two: the bath
Wash in a gentle shampoo suited to a curly or wool coat, and use a light conditioner to help the coat comb out and scissor smoothly. Rinse thoroughly, because product left in a curly coat causes itching and dulls the finish. Do not bath a matted coat and expect to save it, as water tightens mats.
Step three: high-velocity dry
The HV dryer is essential on a Cockapoo. A curly coat that is left to air dry or scrunched up will scissor badly and lump. Blast the coat straight as you dry, brushing it out with a slicker as you go so it finishes fluffed, dry to the skin and standing off the body. A properly stretch-dried coat is what lets you scissor a clean, round outline.
Step four: clipper work and setting the length
Most owners want length left on, so this is a comb-over-blade job rather than a close clip. A snap-on comb around 13 to 25mm over a #30 blade sets a lovely teddy body length, and you clip with the coat for a soft finish. For a shorter, easier-care summer trim, drop to a shorter comb, and for a very matted dog, go shorter still under the felting. Clear the sanitary area gently with a #10 blade, and do the pads and between the toes with the #10 as well. If the coat under the front legs and in the groin is prone to matting, a short clip there keeps the dog comfortable between visits.
Step five: scissoring the head
The head is where a Cockapoo groom is won or lost, and it is almost entirely scissor work. Comb everything forward and up, then scissor the head into a soft, round dome, blending the cheeks, the sides and the top into one continuous curve with no flat spots or corners. Round the muzzle so it reads full and teddy-like rather than shaved, and keep the eyes clear enough to see comfortably without scalping the stop. Scissor the ears to a rounded, tidy length that frames the face, and blend where the ears meet the head so there is no hard join. Curved shears help enormously here for following the round shape.
Step six: legs, feet and finishing
Comb the legs out and scissor them into clean cylinders, keeping them full and straight rather than tapering to thin ankles. Scissor the feet round and tidy so they finish neat under the leg. Blend the clipped or comb-set body into the scissored legs so there is no visible line, and level the skirt and chest. Comb through the whole dog again, stand it off, and correct any lumps or dropped lines. The finished Cockapoo should read as one soft, round, balanced teddy from every angle.
Breed type versus the teddy trim
The Cockapoo is a crossbreed, not a Kennel Club pedigree, so there is no formal breed standard to trim to, which is exactly why the teddy trim has become the accepted salon look. What matters is coat type rather than a written standard: a curly or wool coat scissors to a crisper outline, a wavy or fleece coat to a softer one. There is a plain description of that coat variation on the Cockapoo Wikipedia page, and the PDSA Pet Health Hub is a sensible reference for coat and skin health to share with owners. The single most important thing you can pass on is that these coats need brushing to the skin between grooms, or the next visit becomes a clip-off.
Frequently asked questions
What blade or comb should I use for a Cockapoo teddy trim?
Most owners want length, so use a snap-on comb (roughly 13 to 25mm) over a #30 to set the body, clipping with the coat for a soft finish. Use a #10 for the sanitary area and feet. Go shorter under any matting.
How do I scissor a Cockapoo head?
Comb everything up and forward, then scissor a soft, round dome that blends the top, cheeks and sides into one continuous curve. Round the muzzle full, keep the eyes clear, and blend the ears into the head. Curved shears make the round shape much easier.
A Cockapoo has come in badly matted. What do I do?
Clip the coat off short under the mats with a longer comb over the blade rather than brute-forcing a de-mat, which hurts the dog. Explain it to the owner and set a tighter grooming schedule so it does not happen again.
Why do Cockapoos mat so easily?
The Cocker and Poodle coats combine into a soft, dense coat that felts quickly, especially the wavy fleece type. Friction points like the armpits, ears and collar mat first. Only regular brushing right down to the skin prevents it.
Written from the salon floor by Lucy, City & Guilds Level 2 & 3 qualified groomer and owner of Fluffs, a one-to-one dog grooming salon in Wigginton, York. For more professional grooming guides, explore the Fluffs grooming blog.