Labradoodle
MIKA
Mika is a 21-month-old Labradoodle with a fine, scruffy, low-volume coat that behaves far more Labrador than Poodle. She’s sweet, wiggly, a little unsure of the clippers, and has been recovering from ear infections, which left her ears matted and caused a tiny hematoma at the tips.
Because her coat is thin and flicky and shows clipper marks easily, Michelle keeps the body at a maintainable medium length using the orange attachment, takes the legs just one length longer for balance, and uses the #4 blade underneath to tidy the belly and harness area where mats tend to form. The short ears are blended into a soft, rounded head shape with careful scissoring and plenty of thinners, which work best on this kind of delicate texture.
If you groom dogs who are a little scruffy, a little quirky, and don’t give you the easy oodle finish, Mika is your girl.
Part 1 Body Clip and Coat Prep
Michelle starts Mika’s groom with a medium-length orange comb on the body to keep her fine, low-volume coat looking fuller. Because coats like hers show every clipper mark, prep is everything. You’ll see how to back brush repeatedly, work with the grain, and use long, even strokes to avoid patchiness. Michelle also clips the neck, sets in the leg lengths, and shows how to adjust your approach for a young dog who is still building confidence with the clippers. This section sets the groundwork for an even, natural-looking finish.
Part 2 Face, Eyes and Head Shape
With her ears clipped short due to matting and recent ear issues, Mika needs a balanced head shape that doesn’t overwhelm the shorter ear length. Michelle uses careful clipper work and thinners to blend the ears into the head, tidies the cheeks, and keeps the owner’s request in mind to remove as much staining around the mouth as possible. You’ll learn how to protect eyelashes, how to map out the eye corners, and how to build the structure of the head using floor, walls and roof. This part is all about softness, balance and working respectfully with a coat that prefers to flick and separate.
Part 3 Legs, Feet, Underline and Tail
In the final section, Michelle works through each leg and foot, managing the uneven patches caused by chewing and sensitive skin. She shows how to tidy the pads and toes without over-shortening the foot, how to maintain angulation on the rear, and how to blend the underline that was clipped shorter with a #4 blade. You’ll see how to use thinners to even out flicky areas, keep the shape consistent from every angle, and finish with a neat, natural tail. The session wraps up with a full-circle check to make sure Mika looks balanced, tidy and true to her natural coat.
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Mika’s coat is fine, scruffy and low in volume. It behaves more like Labrador coat than Poodle coat, so it shows clipper marks easily and tends to flick out in random directions. These coats also struggle to look “full” when taken too short, so choosing the right lengths and prepping thoroughly makes a huge difference. Expect uneven patches, cowlicks and areas chewed thin by the dog.
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Because this coat exaggerates every mark, prep is the hero. Back brush repeatedly, fluff dry thoroughly and comb through until nothing else lifts. Michelle demonstrates how to re-brush between passes, check your progress, and use long, consistent strokes with the grain. A clean, well-prepped coat is the only way to achieve an even medium-length finish on dogs like Mika.
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With short ears due to matting and ear infections, the head shape needs careful balancing. Michelle shows how to reverse-clip to set the head length, protect eyelashes, mark the corners of the eyes and use the floor, walls and roof approach to build shape. Thinners are essential for blending the head into a short ear and for softening every transition on this type of texture.
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Mika’s legs have uneven density from chewing and skin irritation. Instead of trying to make the legs “perfect,” Michelle shows how to tidy the outline with thinners, tidy the pads and toes without over-shortening, and blend the shorter underline created with the #4 blade. The focus is on shaping what is there, not chasing impossible symmetry.
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Mika is young, a little nervous about the clippers, and recovering from ear discomfort. Throughout the groom, Michelle adjusts her handling, supports Mika’s body, keeps movements slow and steady, and works in positions that feel safe for the dog. This section quietly reinforces how small handling choices keep the dog comfortable and help the groom flow smoothly.
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