Pawsitively Spoilt
How to raise a happy & healthy oodle - tips from from dog experts to help you with the day to day challenges of raising a happy & healthy dog with love.
Pawsitively Spoilt
Tips for Grooming Your Oodle at Home
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Think grooming is just about keeping your Oodle looking cute? Think again.
In this episode of Pawsitively Spoilt, we're joined by founder of MyCavoodle Bella Moro, to share practical, easy-to-follow grooming tips every Oodle owner should know. From brushing and bathing to preventing painful matting and choosing the right shampoo, we cover the simple habits that can make a huge difference to your dog's comfort, skin health and coat.
So if you have an Oodle, you'll learn:
- How often you should brush and bathe your Oodle
- The most common grooming mistakes owners make
- What matting really is and why it's more serious than it looks
- How to choose the right shampoo for your dog's coat and skin
- Why proper drying is just as important as washing
- The essential grooming tools every Oodle owner should have
- How often your dog should still visit a professional groomer
If you've ever wondered whether you're grooming your Oodle the right way, this episode is packed with practical advice that will help keep them healthy, comfortable and looking their best.
About MyCavoodle
Mycavoodle is a proud Sydney-based business, 100% Australian owned and operated. Our mission is simple: to give Cavoodle parents the confidence, knowledge, and premium Cavoodle grooming products they need to keep their pups looking and feeling their best.
They have a growing community of 20,000+ Cavoodle customers worldwide and backed by over 1,000 five-star reviews - making us Australia’s go-to destination for Cavoodle grooming.
Join the Grooming course waitlist here https://6r1qqcpi1eq.typeform.com/to/a6PD5jcG
Find MyCavoodle here: https://www.mycavoodle.com.au/
Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mycavoodle.com.au/
Facebook - @mycavoodle.com.au - https://www.facebook.com/p/Mycavoodlecomau-100094669761055/
Join their Groom your Cavoodle at home Waitlist
Welcome back to the Positively Sport Podcast. If you've ever found yourself wrestling a Wrigley Cavoodle with a brush in one hand and treats in the other, then this episode is for you. Because today we're talking about all things grooming at home with Bella from My Cavoodle. From brushing and bathing to avoiding mats and making grooming less stressful for both you and your dog, we're covering the practical tips every oodle owner needs to know. So let's dive right in. Who's positively spoiled? If you have a spoiled oodle just like me and many others, then you're listening to the right podcast. Positively spoiled is a podcast focusing on helping you raise a happy and healthy oodle. And we know just how fussy, cute, loving, and sometimes challenging they can be. But hey, us two-legged can't resist a cute, four-legged face. I'm Tanya, Chief Porson, pet concierge, and temporary porant to many small dogs that are part of the extended oodle family here at Three Sports Dogs. As a lifelong small dog owner and temporary porrent to many other oodles and many small dogs, I have seen it all. And this podcast is here to help you raise the happiest and healthiest oodle that you can. And hey, we don't discriminate. So if you have any other breed of dog, you'll find the podcast relevant and helpful too. So pause up and let's get into today's episode. Hey everybody, it's Tanya here, Chief Porson at Three Sport Dogs, and the host of the Positively Spoiled Podcast. And today we're talking about a topic that uh some people might be a little bit scared of, um, but it's something that's super important, especially if you own an oodle, and that is grooming your oodles at home. Because uh there's lots of different parts to grooming, it's not just bathing them. Obviously, we've got to brush them and we should be looking at their nails and cleaning their ears and all the bits that go along with it. And it can be a little bit overwhelming, especially if you've got a new puppy, or you're not confident with everything. And I've got the perfect person to talk to about all this today. We are talking to Bella Morrow, who is the founder of Mycoverdal. Now, I um if you haven't heard of MicroVerdle, you must be living under a rock. Um, they have amazing products for oodles, and I use all um their products to bath our guests and my dogs. So, welcome Bella to the podcast.
SPEAKER_00Oh, thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_02Absolute pleasure. Can you just tell people a little bit about Mycavoodle and how it came about and you know what you guys do?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I started My Cavoodle about five years ago now. I've always had a love of cavoodles since I was 11 years old. Uh, was one of my first dogs, and I fell in love with the breed, just how gorgeous they were, how loyal, everything like that. But we used to have a lot of grooming problems um in terms of like we didn't actually know how to look after her coat. So when we took her to the groomers, we used to have to get her shaved down quite a bit all the time, and the groomer used to scream at us like, you need to brush your dog, and we're like, okay, like how? What do we do? Like, what products do we use? All that. Um, and yeah, I always had problems bathing her as well, like with the shampoo and conditioner because I have really sensitive skin, I've got eczema and dermatitis. Um, and so we always used to have like I've used to have to use gloves. Um, so when I, you know, bought my cavoodle Bambi home in 2020 during COVID, um, I kind of like remembered that. And the first time I washed her, I I was like using gloves, and I used the same kind of shampoo I was using like 15 years prior. Um, and again, it was like causing me to be like itchy, and then I actually didn't realize she was actually becoming itchy and you know sensitive to it, and she didn't actually smell any better than before I washed her. So um I kind of had this epiphany one day when I was, you know, buying products online and testing them all out, and I just wasn't happy with them on her coat or how they smelt or how they felt, or you know, looking at the ingredients, like some of them don't even have the ingredients on the back, and so that was a bit concerning as well. And so I just went, why isn't someone doing this for just for cavoodles? Like, why hasn't someone made a shampoo and conditioner just for cavoodles? They were like booming at that time, very popular. I obviously was super passionate about them as well. So that's kind of how the first products and the ideas came to be. So that's how we've got, you know, the original coconut and pomegranate like shampoo and conditioner bottles. Um, and yeah, five years later, and we've served over like 30,000 customers all over Australia, so it's been yeah, pretty exciting.
SPEAKER_02And they smell so yummy. I know when I first got them, I would open them up, I'm like, I would have used this on my hair. Like, it smells so good.
SPEAKER_00And look, you can yeah, of that all the time. Like people say that. So I actually used it on my hair a couple times in film myself.
SPEAKER_02Oh, they smell that good, you could totally use it on your own hair, I'm sure. Um, let's talk about why so many cavo owners struggle with grooming at home. Because I think sometimes you exactly you're like, I know I should brush them, but they don't like it. And I think because cavoodles are so manipulative as well, and they give you those eyes, and like, no, no, I don't want you to do that. We just go, okay. But like, particularly with cavoodles, like, why is it that owners struggle?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um, I think you're right in the fact that they we sometimes see them as little teddy bears or little, we treat them as children when you know they are dogs, and and they uh we need to take care of them um and we need to be responsible for them. They can't, you know, brush themselves or anything like that. So that's where we obviously have to step in and do these things for them. Be an adult, right? And with cavoodles that are different to other breeds, you know, say like let's just say a purebred cavalier, they shed by themselves, they actually naturally do that. Cavoodles don't because they mix with the poodle, and then what happens is um they don't actually naturally shed their, you know, low hypoallergenic dogs, low shedding, or that that's you know why they're great with people for allergies and stuff. It basically still means you need to do that, you need to help them with that and brushing them. So a slicker brush, a comb are like a must-have for cavoodle owners. Um, because if you don't, then knotting, matting, uh, then you need that proper shave down, and then you end up like me when I was, you know, taking my dog to the groomer. And oh, why are they why are they fully shaved down? So I think it's owners just need to realize it's um they are high maintenance dogs, low maintenance in some areas, but they are still quite high maintenance dogs in terms of grooming, and a lot of people aren't told this. Uh, you know, I think more and more the education online it's helping. Um, and I'm trying to obviously get that education out there, but you know, uh maybe some breeders don't even know this typically themselves, so they're not educating the people that are taking their puppies home. They're just like, you know, here, have a puppy, that's it. Um, but not actually explaining, you know, how to take care of their coat, how to deal with the behavioural issues, how to deal with the the puppy eyes and the manipulation that they give you. So um, yeah, I'm just like really big on obviously doing that, educating people.
SPEAKER_02I think sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming as well because there are so many there can be so much information that you go, okay, I don't I'm not really sure what to listen to. It's overwhelming. There's so many different products that are out there. And if you've got a cavertal, you're like, well, am I brushing them too much or not enough? Or bathing them too much or not enough, and am I using the right thing? So I think it can be easy to be overwhelmed and go, well, it's I'm just not gonna do anything then because I'm just too scared to start, or scared to do the wrong thing as well. So that can be, I think, problematic.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, that's true. I that that is true. Um, I think yeah, there is a lot of sometimes conflicting advice um that you see. Uh, I think it's it just takes a little bit of common sense, actually, just like to think, okay, uh, can I see a mat? Can I feel a mat? Can I, you know, you just have to be aware of these things, uh, what products you are using on them. Are they itchy? Are they not itchy? Are they actually physically dirty? Everyone asks me, how often should I, you know, wash my cavoodle? That's like one of the top questions that we get asked, right? Um, and if you think about it, right? Look at us as humans, we're obviously washing our hair, let's say once, twice a week kind of thing. But um, it's not necessarily always dirty. So, like with cavoodle and dogs in general, we get advice from vets that's like don't overly wash them because it'll strip their natural oils and things like that, and it could lead to skin problems and things like that. But that's a blanket over all dogs, and what they don't realize is they could be talking about a German shepherd that has like a different purpose. They could be, you know, outside different type of hair, totally, yeah. Yeah, different type of coat completely. Whereas, like, you need to like look at a cavoodle and go, a cavoodle is usually for Australians right now, indoors, they're on the bed, they're on furniture. Um, you know, yes, you take it into the park and you take them out for walks and you take him out for adventures or the beach and things like that. If that's the case, and your dog has, you know, gone in the beach or rubbed it, uh, you know, rubbed themselves in dirt, obviously you have to wash them then, um, on top of their normal routine. So, you know, as a routine, one to two weeks is usually the most we hear from customers. Um, and the main important thing you need to think about is what products am I actually using on them to wash them? So if you are using something that is gentle, so let's just say, for example, you know, when you go to a hairdresser or and you buy the products on the shelf, why are they more expensive? Why are you paying $50 for a bottle of shampoo at a hairdresser compared to let's say head and shoulders, you know, at um it's very, very different products, yes. Very different products. It's the ingredients in them. The cost to make, let's say that one is, you know, quarter the price. So they can sell it for $10, right? But why is it costing $50 for a bottle at the hairdresser with good quality ingredients and you can feel the difference? It's because it actually makes a difference of the ingredients that you actually put in it and it costs more to make those. So it's just the same with dog shampoo. If you grab something off the shelf and it's cheap, um, ask yourself, why is it so cheap? Is it because they're using cheap ingredients? Is it because they've cut corners? Where is it made? Like all those things. So that's you know what you have to think about, obviously, when you're using it. Because if you are using something harsh, it can actually lead to skin problems and things like that later. Whereas if you, you know, invest in good quality products, you know, uh, it's it's a saying you you you know, you pay peanuts, you you get kind of like monkeys. It's the same.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. What are the biggest grooming issues or the big the biggest mistakes that you see owners making without even realizing that they're making them?
SPEAKER_00For like cavoodle coats, washing, brushing, like anything to do with grooming.
SPEAKER_02Like when it comes to grooming in general, like what are the things that people are just making these mistakes around and and yeah, may not even realize that they're going, Oh, I didn't even know I shouldn't be doing that or should be doing that.
SPEAKER_00I think the the most common one is like they don't actually know how often to brush their dog. Like they don't know how often to brush their cavoodle. Uh, they don't know how often to wash them or or when to groom them or how to groom them is probably I'd say the most. And they don't even know their coat type. So they're like, oh, I didn't know my cavoodle has a wool coat. Oh, I don't I didn't know my cavoodle has a fleece coat. That's probably the main one because if you know what they are, you're able to tailor the grooming routine to that, and you know what's more high maintenance and low maintenance, and and what they kind of need a little bit more in terms of products for their coat. They could even be using, yeah, just like the wrong products in general for them. They don't know.
SPEAKER_02That's a big one, like the coat type thing. I didn't know. I didn't know what type of coat Neo had. And it was like it was only when I was looking doing and I was like, oh, okay, he's got this type of coat. And even like all of our like guests, we have lots of different types of oodles coming and going there, got different types of coats, but now I go, oh, that ones are this and that ones are that. And so it like it does help to understand because they all look different, right? And they've all got different types of coats. So I think that is one that most people wouldn't know that there were different types of coats and what they are. Like that's huge.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I think that education point um helps you to determine like how the next steps brush them. Exactly. Yeah, so it's that education gap in between there because you know, yeah, groomers aren't often the ones that come out making heaps of content, sharing, you know, all these things, or breeders sometimes aren't as well in the dog industry. Some, you know, unfortunately, some things are kept a little bit like hush hush, or people don't know how to actually communicate these. So, you know, that's one thing I'm big on.
SPEAKER_02But groomers don't tell you either. I've never had a groomer say, Oh, he's got this type of coat, therefore, this is how we need to do things, or this is what you should be doing at home. So they often don't tell you either.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, some aren't specialized in oodles. So, you know, um we did a grooming course quite recently with a professional groomer, um, and he actually specializes more in cavoodles and oodles. Um, so he actually does know. Um, whereas let's just say, you know, some mobile person comes to your house, but they're always doing big dog breeds like German Shepherds or Golden Retrievers or Staffies or Bulldogs and things like that. They're probably not gonna know what um, you know, different types of poodle coats because they're not cutting them, right? When you're uh cutting these coats or combing these coats, it takes actually a lot more work. Like the amount of effort and work that goes into a cavoodle or oodle's coat is crazy. And that's obviously why, you know, the price to groom a cavoodle these days is not the cheapest compared to just washing a dog, blow drying it, and sending it back to the show.
SPEAKER_02Just going, I'll just give it a number one all over and we're done. Like, that's very, very different to actually giving it a proper haircut.
SPEAKER_00That's right. That you know, you don't see like um, you know, Maltesers got walking around with these nice little haircuts. Usually they're just like kind of like shaved down. But cavoodle owners don't want that, they want that cute little teddy bear, you know, Asian fusion type of um look, and and that comes from more of a specialized groomer, which which you know you have to go study those techniques or practice at them. Um, but I think they're popping up a lot more now because you know, cavoodles are Australia's number one breed now, and a lot of people are getting oodles, you know, labradoodles, spoodles, grudles, moodles, like all those kind of like doodle breeds. Um, and so they're kind of being forced to learn about these coats because otherwise they just have to kind of turn them away and go too hard. Or you get those people commenting on Facebook, like, oh my god, I took them to this groomer and they did a shocking job. And then look what they did. And you know, it's not uncommon. Um, I think one thing, you know, just on that question as well, like where do people make mistakes is not doing their research about who they get to actually groom their cavoodle. Um, because if you do take them to anyone and they don't have experience there, to be honest, I'd say you're better off cutting them yourself because you know what you want. Because if you take them to someone who doesn't practice on oodles on the daily and things like that, you're gonna be really disappointed. Unfortunately, that's what comes out on you know those Facebook groups and things like that. And people like groomers because they're not the groomers not educated on those coats and the client isn't educated. So if you have two uneducated about the same coat, it's it's just like a disaster waiting to happen.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so absolutely. Um, let's talk about we we spoke briefly before about brushing at home. So, how often should they actually be brushed at home? Is that something they should every day you should be giving them a quick juzge, or you know, is that too often? Like, let's talk about the brushy and the matting stuff because that's the stuff I think can really help and make a difference between a professional groom as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, for sure. Brushing on the daily um should be a must. Obviously, it's for some people when they hear, oh, I have to do that every day, it's like, whoa, too overwhelming.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00The reason why it's overwhelming is because people don't do it on the daily and they leave it too long. And then what happens, it becomes harder and the dog isn't used to it as often. So then what happens? It becomes more of a struggle. You find more knots, it takes more time. But let's just say, in a very, very ideal world, right? You've got on your dog, you know, cut every day. If you are maintaining and growing them, you know, let's let's call it you've gone for an afternoon walk, you've come home, you've given them a little brush. The reason why knots and mats happen are a few reasons: friction, moisture, um, you know, not using the right products. It's uh it's a lot of friction usually. Um, it's the rubbing of just naturally, you know, them either walking or rubbing up against things like carpets or furniture or blankets or things like that. It could even be you're putting them in a harness. The harness is naturally while they're walking, rubbing on them. A collar as well, people don't often realize as well, but like collars cause friction and rubbing. When the when your dog eats, like especially cavoodles, they've got those beautiful long ears and the muzzles, you know, that nice getting shaped. Um, it's going into the food, it's going into the water. And then these things cause, you know, that stinkiness or the matting or the nodding, you know, in the ears and stuff like that. And people don't realize those are just like the little daily things that just they that happens. Um, so if you are doing things right and desensitizing them to brushing on the daily, and it doesn't have to be a big thing, it's like sit on the couch, make it part of the routine while you're watching TV. Um, you know, before you go to bed, keep the the brush on the bedside table if they sleep with you at night and just give them a little, you know, a brush in the high friction areas. Um, and literally five minutes. Five minutes. If if there's no knots, it shouldn't take more than five minutes.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I think that's a a good point about building into your routine because mine I'm usually covered in oodles, so I'm gonna so it's easy probably if they're sitting there and they're curled up next to you on top of you, just go, oh, I'm just gonna give you a little brush while you're curled up. And then it doesn't become a negative thing for the dog either. It's easy for you to do, and you you're doing what you need to do without it making being this big dramatic thing because we know that oodles can be very dramatic about everything. Um, but yeah, I don't I think putting that into a routine makes perfect sense, and it's easy to have a cup, you can have a brush next to your lounge and one next to your bed or whatever, and just have them where you can just grab them and just be like, let's give you little little juz and stuff. And I think it's being mindful of it as well, of because we're all so busy of going, I just need to make sure I give them a quick little brush before bed or after a walk or whatever that whatever works for you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and it just it'll make the whole routine so much easier and also get them used to like, oh, this is no, this is part of my routine. We sit down on the couch, yeah, and mum watches TV and and she just brushes my leg, you know, even just like um you know, for puppy families and things that are bringing new cavoodles and noodles home, touching their legs, getting them used to that brushing and desensitizing them from a really young age, so then later on they don't have these problems. So the reason why people have problems is they don't do it when they're a puppy because they've got a puppy coat and they are more soft and they don't really have coats that necessarily detangle unless they are, you know, really doing a lot of friction things or rubbing against or you know, dirt and things like that, and then you're not brushing and cleaning them when that happens or washing them. Um, so when they get to the adult stage, then they're not used to that. It's like, oh my god, they're bringing out a brush, what's that? Like, and they like that's when I get emails saying, People, um, that my puppy's biting my brush, like you know, he's biting the brush, he doesn't like it, or you don't really know what the hell it is. Yeah, yeah, they've seen it before, or they're starting it too late. So as soon as you come home, like literally from the day you bring your puppy home, unfortunately, you know, you don't really have um much control when they're at the breeder, but really a good cavoodle breeder should be brushing their puppies um and desensitizing them every day or second day as well, like as part of their curriculum, um, which is what I used to do with like my puppies as well before they get sent home. But sometimes it is just a nature thing, and some puppies can be a little bit more anxious and not like things more than others. So sometimes you just got to work with the puppy and the personality you have as well.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um, let's talk about um shampoo, because obviously, you know, that's what you guys do so well. Um, there is so many different shampoos on the market. If you get if you walk into a pet barn or one of those stores or um super. Markets or go online and stuff, like there's all these different things that obviously pop up. There's all these different catchphrases used, so like natural and biodegradable, and you know, and a lot of that is marketing fluff as well. And I recognize that because I understand this stuff, but a lot of people don't. What should owners actually be looking for in a good shampoo? So if they're picking up the bottle and can read it, or they're looking online, and hopefully there's ingredients advertisers to what's in it. What are the most important things that that you need in a good shampoo for an oodle?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, this is a really good question. How long do we have? Um my background is uh business, and one of the companies that I actually used to work for was a manufacturing business, and we used to actually produce things like shampoos, conditioners, soaps, um, and it used to be in like human bathrooms and things like that. So one of the things that I saw there and I had to work through was the core, like the low quality of these things and the ingredients in them, um, because you know, they were being um put in mass distribution and they had to, you know, they had to meet certain profit margins and and things like that, right? Um, but seeing that it made me think, I go, oh that ingredient, like, you know, that harshness on the skin. I was like, but what's it actually doing to us, right? So I hated these low standards that were getting kind of like approved. Um, and it made me really think when I was creating this brand while I was working my full-time job and working on the idea behind my cavoodle, is that you know, sometimes you don't see what's behind the label or the ingredients that you do see, like people aren't like doing enough research on it. So if people are using a gentle or shampoo and and don't have to, you know, with the marketing side of things, let me let me try to break this down more easily. Natural, organic, you know, all those marketing words, there's not really too much regulation in the pet industry right now. So if you are gonna choose a brand, I would go and do your research and be like, okay, why have they created this brand? One, a lot of people don't share the story behind that. Um, that's what I'm big on. I'm sharing about why I actually created this product because I had a problem to solve. I'm not just like creating it to create it and to make money. It's more, it is more towards a passion of mine. I am a cavoodle mum. I am, you know, I've owned cavoodles. I understand their coats. I'm passionate about that. So the reason why I created mine was because it's like, okay, I need it to fix this specific problem. Cavoodles have sensitive skin. I want them to still smell good. I need the coat to be soft, fluffy. Um, I don't want it to leave it itchy or dull, or I need it to be shiny, I need it to smell great. Um, so I went in with intention building mine. So you need to look behind the intention of some brands. Are they doing it because it's like, is it for a specific coat? Is it because they want to claim naturalness or organicness? So an a natural product you need to be careful with, because if it's sitting on a shelf in like a bottle like this, um the you need something to keep it stabilized. So people don't understand the chemistry behind some of these products. So if you don't have a preservative in your product, uh, and it could be a natural preservative, like citric acid is actually a natural preservative that could be used, or sometimes it is like more a synthetic preservative. But if you don't have that, it causes mold and bacteria, if that makes sense. And when you know, and sometimes when people say organic, that's great. Like you're using all natural products, but how does it work on the dog's coat? Does it leave them oily? So if you're using it, does it clean them as well?
SPEAKER_02Like, yeah, does it actually do what it's supposed to do?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, correct. Does it do like what is the purpose of this? It's great to say I'm an organic product and you know I'm using all these, you know, ingredients, but what's what's the purpose behind them? Are those organic ingredients actually made to do what you need to do? Um, you know, I have organic stuff here because I have sensitive skin, but the feel of it, it's oily. It's a bit sometimes, it's it's great for my skin because I have dry skin, but my husband doesn't have dry skin. And he goes, Oh, this is like too oily for me, but it's organic. So it really depends on what you're trying to achieve. You know, one thing that my um boss used to say is a lemon, right? Is all natural. People can use that to clean things, clean benches, clean, but would you put lemon into your eye? It's natural though. So it's it, you know, no, because it would it would hurt. So and and that was like a big mind-blown moment for me because I was like, not all natural products, it doesn't mean it's good for right for everything, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Correct. Yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so if I because I'm like, if I created something myself, it's all natural, I'll put some lemon and I'll do some baking powder. And people say that they create dog shampoos at home um on their own. I'm like, oh no, what are you doing? You don't know if it's stable, you could be mixing the wrong things together, like more damage. You can do more damage. So, like, are you doing the right research? You know, some people don't put the ingredients on labels. Why? What are you trying to hide? What's in there?
SPEAKER_02Um, what sort of ingredients should we be looking for though? So, like, are there certain things where you go, they're good ingredients? I can look at the bottle and go, yep, that's good. Or and there's stuff that I go, oh, I don't know really sure about that thing. Like, what's the good stuff that we we need to be looking for?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so things like parabens, sulfates, all those kind of things that kind of like dry the coat out, it's best to avoid those kind of things. Um, and if you are gonna use products with hydrating ingredients, you gotta also make sure they're like still cleansing and gentle as well. So a lot of the um, you know, I can't speak for other brands, but what's in my products specifically, you know, a lot of products are just water-based as well. That's if you look at any proper bottle, like that should be the first ingredient. And when you read a label, you go from, you know, uh what's first there to what's at the end of it. That tells you just like our food, when people list ingredients on food packages, what's the most of something and what's like the least of something at the end. So, you know, I've got things like Camilla oil, I've got things like coconut oil, I do have aloe vera in there, I've got uh, you know, the vitamin E, I've got like oat, but it's not like overly just one thing, it's multiple things, and I've used actually coconut-based cleansing ingredients which are naturally derived and like plant-based. So they're still, but they've got chemical terms, so that's the other thing people don't understand when they're reading a bottle. It might like it's not that it's a bad ingredient, it's just the scientific name that you need to have on the bottle. Sometimes for legal reasons, sometimes, you know, if you want to get into retail and stuff like that, or depends if you know, if you're at a marketplace and you're just selling a bar of soap, no one's regulating you, right? You don't have to put correct details on there. But you know, we're moving towards getting to a stage we want our products to be, you know, uh everywhere around Australia. So, but people might look at my bottle and go, oh, what's polyquarotinum seven? Like, oh, that sounds very chemically, right? But it's literally just an ingredient that's naturally divided that helps soften and detangle hair. Like, so every ingredient was very focused.
SPEAKER_02As you said, like it sounds like a chemical, you just go, oh, that sounds a bit weird. It's like red dye number five. Like it's you know, like you just go, oh, and I think that's part of the problem though, right? Is because without the regulation around this stuff, and with it and by having to change those terms, and instead of saying, you know, coconut oil or whatever the term might be, and having to use a you just go, what the hell does that mean? It's the same with dog food. I uh, you know, we did an episode last year where we spoke about dog food labels and does more expensive doesn't mean better. But people don't realise, and I didn't even realise like what we should be looking at on labels, and it's the same with other products like shampoos. And I think that's a confusing thing for people is they just look at all these products, and most of the time we don't know. We're going, I'm assuming these are gonna be okay. Like, and that's why I think it's important to have these types of conversations because if we can educate people about what they should be looking for and what they should be avoiding, it helps them when they're making those decisions, going, okay, yeah, this is what I need, um, versus oh, that's probably gonna be a bit harsh for my dog.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and food is so much easier. Like, I would I would love to label food because it's just it's actually more straightforward. Whereas like chemicals are different, you have to list them sometimes a different way. I actually, the way I did it originally, because I hated the way chemicals are listed on bottles because you do question, like even me, I'm not gonna be able to do it. Yeah, what does it mean? Yeah, I was doing that. So I was actually thinking in the mind of a cavoodle owner and said, okay, if I looked at this bottle myself, I'd be like, oh no, I don't like the ingredients in there, or what's this, or what's this name, and I'd have to research things. So I totally understood that. I actually put brackets after each um ingredient, and I actually explained kind of like what it did. Um, but then when I was speaking to a manufacturer and she looked at my label, she goes, you know, that's you can't like that's kind of incorrect in terms of like you shouldn't really do that if you're going on the shelf of a store. Like they don't really want you to do that, it's not the way it should be done.
SPEAKER_02But yeah, educating people, so this is part of the problem, right? Because you're trying to do the right thing and educate people and say, This is what it actually is. And then they go, Oh, no, no, no, you can't, you can't be transparent. That's not right, that's not allowed.
SPEAKER_00Like it's just exactly. So it kind of like blows my mind, and you have to kind of go in between two worlds, and you're, you know, that's why I probably haven't got my products in, you know, massive retail stores. Because to be honest, I don't love the way they do things because I feel like it's not right. Like, I do want to be more transparent, and I do have that on the website, but um, and you can't do it on your website, and no one's gonna tell you what you have on there, but apparently on the bottle, the way things need to be labeled, there's a certain legal aspect to it. Um, and then I guess there's the right aspect, and it's just like a moral ethics kind of thing. So I think it's choosing a brand that you, you know, can relate to that feels like they're on a mission and they're doing something, you know, for your dog as well. Um, I think is a big part of it. There are, you know, other great Aussie brands um, you know, that I've tried and liked. However, they didn't suit my Cavoodle's coat. Like that's that's all it was. Like I loved this brand, great marketing, all that. I used it on my cavoodle. One, it just weighed down her coat, made it dull. It didn't make it like soft or shiny, but like she advertises it really great as very similar to mine, you know, um, almost all like all natural and things like that. But she was also using natural scents. So oh, that's the other thing with scents and synthetic fragrances and stuff like that. People always, they're like, oh, but it's you know, don't use synthetic fragrance. And that's fine if you're completely aiming for like low, low tox lifestyle, and but you have to understand natural fragrances actually can be more of an irritant than synthetic fragrances, and I I'll kind of explain this a little bit more. So a synthetic fragrance gets made every time exactly the same because it it's just the way it's made, right?
SPEAKER_02There's a formula to it, so it's made yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_00You can make it in bulk, you can make it all natural scent, uh, it's derived from something natural, right? Let's just say it's a crop of plants, it is something that is naturally made out in nature, okay? Crops change, things are sprayed on crops, things, you know what I mean? Like, how can someone lots of variables?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's not the same, yeah. It's lots of variables, yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, how can we be allergic to grass? How can we be allergic to plants? How can we be allergic to that's natural, it's not man-made, right? Yeah, um, but we are. I'm I'm allergic to like a lot of natural things, even you know, why are people allergic to or they can't tolerate milk or they can't, you know, there's there's reasons behind that, and it's the same with almost looking at fragrances and saying natural isn't always better depending on what you want out of it. So a synthetic fragrance does last longer, you know, but also you've got to remember these fragrances aren't the most like the most prominent ingredient in a bottle. Um, sometimes they can just be a really, really small 0.01 increment, but a synthetic fragrance will last longer. So, you know, we do have um an all-natural fragrance now, which is the Manuka Honey and Kelp, and we've got you know our original coconut and pomegranate. And you know, honestly, like they both last very similar to each other, and they're both quite like potent. Um, however, I have found people just uh go towards more the synthetic fragrances than the natural one, even though they say that you want all natural smell, yeah, it's different. They smatural and synthetic fragrance do smell a little bit different, right? That's why people open a bottle of watermelon shampoo and go, mmm, this is amazing. But normal watermelon doesn't smell like that, it's a synthetic watermelon. Um, so it just depends on what you want to achieve, I guess, and and how low tox or non-tox you want to be. Low tox, you can still use synthetic fragrances, and it's just a really tiny smidge in there, right? And it can last longer. A natural one, maybe it's a bit more or or less, or the same kind of thing, but it might not last as long. And it is obviously a more natural type of sense, so it you know goes quicker.
SPEAKER_02And I think the key is people need to educate themselves and take some accountability and responsibility to do that. As dog owners, that is our job to educate ourselves around all the different stuff. So the grooming and the food and the behaviour and all the parts that that come with owning a um an oodle in particular, is that that's our job is to don't just go, I'm just gonna go and buy a cute little puppy and then expect it to behave and you know it's gonna be this perfect little thing. It's it's like, no, no, no. There's so much involved, and it's there's it's a lot of work. And as a parent, as a as a porant, um, you know, we need to take some accountability for for that and spend some time doing the research, asking the questions, reading labels, understanding things more, and and and you know, and looking at what's best for our particular dog, because what's right for the dog next door doesn't mean it's going to be right for for our dog as well.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I went against you know what people were saying. I kind of went with my gut on that one in terms of you know, uh, there's a lot of pressure sometimes out there. It's like it needs to be all natural, it needs to be all organic, and then if it doesn't work, people won't come back and buy it. So the product kind of speaks for itself at the end of the day, right? You might go in with the idea of like this is what I want, but if it doesn't actually work the way that they say, so I would rather be transparent and honest and be like, the reason why I chose the synthetic fragrance is people want their dog to smell better after they've washed them and they want them to smell better for longer, right? When you go to the groomer, you you're not asking them what products they're using on your dog, really, are you? You're just you never have exactly, exactly. But then when people are buying something, they're they're looking at every little label. But if you if you've gone to the groomer. I never thought of that. You're just they're using whatever cheap product they can get for the cheapest amount to wash as many dogs as possible, right?
SPEAKER_02And you don't know what I never thought of that. That is crazy. I can't believe I haven't ever because you're right. Like, you what why are you worried about like the shampoo you've got at home when you've taken the groomer and they're using whatever on them anyway?
SPEAKER_00Like it's that was the part of the reason why I actually created Micah Voodle because I didn't know this. I was taking Bambi to the groomer as well. Um, and they were using whatever on her, and when she came home, so itchy, so itchy. And it was it's it's like a grooming brand that's been around for a long time that a lot of groomers use. So now I tell my customers, like, if they love our products, which they do, like we have repeat customers, we have like a I think it's like a between a 35-40 percent like return rate of customers coming back buying the same shampoo and conditioner for their dogs because it actually works. So I say just take the bottles to the to the groomer with you, and that's what people do, they take them to the groomer. I've actually had people telling me this at the groomer. Yeah, we went to an event the other week and she's like, Oh, yeah, I've heard of your brand. Like, I don't use it on the dogs, but your customers actually come in and say, Can you please use this on my cavoodle? Because whatever obviously they've used in the past has probably either made them itchy or something like that.
SPEAKER_02So that's pretty cool. Um, let's quickly touch on drying because you know, for years, you know, we'd we'd bath the dogs, give them a good towel dry, and then they, of course, you know, they they do all the zoomies and roll roll around on the bed and all that sort of stuff that they do. Why, you know, when it comes to drying, is can we just leave them to air dry or should we be actually drying them with a like a dryer um to sort of you know obviously get them get them dry and not let them run around and get dirty again? But like what what do you think that is the best thing for for oodles for that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so working closely now with a lot of groomers, um, and especially Dan, who we did the course with, um, I now a hundred percent can say confidently that do not let your oodle air dry. A hundred percent, like ever. Yeah, and and do the whole body and the whole coat. And it I know that sounds really scary to someone that's like, oh my dog hates the dryer or I hate doing it because it takes so long, or whatever that is, right?
SPEAKER_02Um, it's probably because you've been so why should we why should we dry them rather than let them air dry then?
SPEAKER_00Fair enough, yeah, yeah. It's because it actually causes matting and knotting and it can cause infections. And so leaving them wet, what happens if you've got like, let's just say, for example, like a cavoodle that has a wool coat, their coat there is like more coarse, it's very like tight curls to the skin. If you leave that wet, the wetness sometimes, if they're rubbing against things, which my dog always does after like she's had the bath, right? They're they're either on the towel on the bed, and you can see them like rubbing themselves. That rubbing causes friction, but also letting them air dry. Have you ever let your hair like curly girls would probably understand?
SPEAKER_02Yes, my hair's naturally curly, yes.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it gets like it's not soft and fluffy if you let it dry naturally, right?
SPEAKER_02No, if you let it air dry, it's kind of like it's frizzy, it's yeah, it does, yeah, yeah, it's horrible.
SPEAKER_00It's the same concept, it's like frizzy, the curls stay like a little bit like weird and tight. Whereas let's say afterwards you blowed and brush-dried your hair, right? It would be soft, right? And it wouldn't be tight curls, and it wouldn't be frizzy. Um, and it probably wouldn't not as much, right? Um, it's the same with the oodles coats. That's probably like the best way that I can kind of explain it to and and to get you to understand it. Um, and then yeah, the it also makes them smell bad, um, like quicker if you let them air dry. Yeah. So yeah, and I've had people tell me this as well. They're like, oh, um, you know, my the conditioner and things not, you know, smelling nice after you know a day or two. I'm like, that can't be right because I've tested this out multiple times. Um, and our products can last up to a week if you do it properly, like a groomer does. And so it's the same thing. And I'm like, oh, how have you let them dry? Oh, I've let them air dry. I've let them go outside and and rub themselves a little. I'm like, okay, that's why. That's why. That's why. Like, you don't come back from the groomer, and the dog after two days, the coat isn't like matted, or you don't find a knot. It's like it's still nice and fluffy, and it's nice to touch, and it still smells really nice. Why they're going through the proper routine, they are shampooing them twice, they're putting the conditioner in. They are brushing them, they are blow drying them out fully. They're not leaving one spot when you pick them up wet. Well, they shouldn't be. Anyway. Um, and then they're sending them home like that. And then you're like, wow, why when I go pick up my dog from the groomer, do they smell so good? And why do they feel so good for up to a week?
SPEAKER_02Because they're doing it probably. That's right. And you guys have got a great, you guys have got a great dryer as well because you can adjust the heat and the temperature and stuff, like all it like and and how how hard it's blowing and stuff. Because often when you use a normal blow dryer, it's really loud and it's like blowing right in their face, and it's a bit like, oh, this is a bit overwhelming. Whereas the fact that yours can be so quiet and it can change the settings makes a difference, especially when you've got an anxious oodle as well. Yeah, for sure. Grooming tools. Let's let's touch on those. Um, you know, there's lots of different grooming tools out there. So if someone's starting up that they're either getting a puppy or they are now thinking, oh yeah, I really probably should look at you know, grooming my dog between you know, grooms with a professional groomer. What are probably the three grooming tools that they they absolutely have in their kit need to have in their kit? If you say I can only buy three, what are the three that they should be getting?
SPEAKER_00Slicker brush, number one.
SPEAKER_02Yep. Uh and because that's gonna help with matting and knots and stuff.
SPEAKER_00It is this is the grooming tool set, and so any cavoodle or oodle owner must have something that looks like this, right? This is a slicker brush, right? And see how it's bent. That's what's different about a slicker brush. Um, and see how there's no pins in this. This is actually what you need to probably groom an oodle and a cavoodle, right?
SPEAKER_02People listening at home won't be able to hear that, but you'll be able to go to the video, guys, and see see it on the video.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we'll pop it in like a reel later. But basically, it's a brush that has these little bent metal bristles at the end of it. Um, that's probably the best way to explain it. Okay. Um is silica brush. Yeah, yeah. Okay, the second one.
SPEAKER_01That's interesting.
SPEAKER_00A mast is a comb. A comb with a thin and a thick uh like metal teeth is like the very next second best thing that everyone needs if you have a cavittle oodle. Um, and the third, oh if this is like not shampoo, not conditioner, not a dryer, I'm gonna say with tools, um, it's probably nail scissors. So nail scissors, everyone forgets the nails or they don't want to do it, but it's actually quite important to the health of your cavoodle or oodle because if you don't naturally let them um cut their nails, like uh, because they're not outdoor dogs, uh, and they're not if they're not walking on things like the concrete or gravel or tar or like running and things like that that naturally kind of cut nails, um, they grow really long and actually can be detrimental to their health. So you actually kind of need to do them, do it for them. Um so I'd say nail scissors is actually yeah, the next slide. Yeah, because it can cause like you know, it can hurt kids or older people with uh fragile skin. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah. They can get really sharp. They get really sharp.
SPEAKER_00Oh, they can, yeah, yeah. But people get scared because of the quick, but yeah, it's just another education piece. Everyone just needs to educate themselves and how to do it.
SPEAKER_02Um, and speaking of education, um, you guys have got an at-home grooming course um that you've you've had like, you know, one release of, and there's another one coming up soon. Um I think that's the thing. People think, oh, well, I take my dog to the groomer every six weeks and pay, you know, a lot of money for to do that. And I guess this is not saying don't take them to the groomer, it's saying how can you keep the maintained and stuff at home, or if you do actually want to do it yourself, it actually teaches you how to do all that, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it does. So the reason I did this in the first place is because of the journey that I've had with my cavoodles ever since I was like 11. It was just the education piece. My parents weren't dog people, we didn't come from the dog world, they had no idea how to take care of one. So for me, being that dog person and me being responsible for my cavoodle, I felt so guilty every time we did have to take her to the groomer, and the groomer would be really upset with us, and she would come back, you know, looking really shaved. Shaved down. Really miserable. Like I felt really bad every time.
SPEAKER_02They come back naked, they go, What happened? Like, I've come back and I like you can see on my bits and I'm naked, and I'm so really scared of the groomer.
SPEAKER_00Um, and back then, unfortunately, we didn't have like many options. It was not like a rural town, but like there weren't many groomers back then. It wasn't like a professional.
SPEAKER_02Well, you didn't take your dog every six to eight weeks to get a groomer back then. It was just like, you know, they got a haircut occasionally, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because no one really owned oodle breeds. All my cousins had Jack Russell's. So Jack Russell's you just put in the the tub at the back and you know have a wash and they're fine, right? They didn't get knots and mats and stuff because they're short haired. But with my dog, we did. Um, so that guilt kind of like stayed with me. Um, and then so when I got my Caboodle Bambi, um, I was like, nah, that's not it. So that's obviously why I took it in my own hands to like learn to do these things and came up with this brand. And so I was like, imagine if I could now teach everyone what I've learned myself in this whole amount of time, um, but then also adding value by getting a professional groomer who actually grooms oodles every day to you know give you tips, tricks, and value um that people just wouldn't know. I learned so many new things doing the course with him, um, to, you know, and it was just like it was amazing the amount of things that we've learned. And yeah, we we had that first intake, which was amazing. We've had like, you know, uh over a hundred something people in there. We've got a so it it gives you everything. And I I put everything in there. I it took over, you would know this. I don't I took over a year to get this thing out because I was like, it needs to be great, it needs to be amazing, it needs to have everything in there from the start to like the finish. We need to keep posting in there. We've got a community page um that you know we answer questions. The groomer helps us answer questions. We've done a recent webinar on which went really well as well. Um, and we'll keep doing those things. So, yeah, the second intake for that, um, I'm thinking it's probably gonna be around July. I'll have like we can post about that, or put more details out there, uh, and we can share that with your audience and stuff.
SPEAKER_02But yeah, we can put all the links in the show notes and the wait list links and all that sort of stuff. So if you're interested in knowing more about that, um, you can jump on and do that because it is something that's definitely gonna help you between those grooms, or if you go, you know what, I'm sick of paying these prices, I want to go and do it myself. Um, and learn to do it properly because I know over the years I've done a terrible job and I got to the point where, you know what, it's not worth my time to sit here and try and cut these dogs and hand cutting them with three oodles, and it just went, oh my god, and they'd end up you know you'd always miss bits and there'd be long bits here and short. And I just went, oh my god, I've I've hacked at them. Um, because I'm not a groomer. Um, but I think when you understand about their coats and what to do and all the steps that are involved and how to do it properly, obviously they're gonna look a lot better as well. But you're gonna be more confident when you do need to give them a little face trim or a little butt trim or whatever it is that we need to do between between all those grooms as well. So we'll keep we'll put all that in the in the show notes.
SPEAKER_00I think that's a gap, the education and the confidence. Once you pair those two together, it's like magic when you want to do it yourself and yeah, save that money and things like that.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. Um, let's finish with a little fun question. So, what would a cavoodle say is the biggest betrayal? Do you think it would be like bath, dryer, nail trim, or is it that sanitary shave that they we have to shade them down to keep those bits clean? When you go, think of a cavoodle and go, what would they think? Oh my god, this is the worst.
SPEAKER_00I think it changes for every oodle. Like, I've got two girls and Bambi, like as soon as I take that dryer out, she's like looking at me like not this again. Like, so that's it. That's the whole reason I came up with the one with the the low sound and things like that because of Bambi, because her eyes used to tell me the whole story when I used to do she's got human one, yeah. So now she doesn't give me those eyes as much, but definitely before that was like a betrayal for her. Um, and Daisy, honestly, Daisy's so easygoing, like she never feels like that. She's like, she'll just sit there throughout the whole thing and be like, you know, um the caboodle, but yeah, yeah, it's um I know they all have their things.
SPEAKER_02I know, like, and I'm I'm terrible, I was terrible with this because Neo used to hate getting his nails chimmed. And I go, I'd Shane, you have to do it. And he would sit there and hold him, and before he would even put the clipper on his nail, he hit his oh, and he go, and Shane goes, I haven't even touched him. And I'd be like, No, no, no, give him to me. You're hurting him. And I was like the worst mum. And and and I'm because it was all about and I and it was like a total manipulation, total manipulation. But I was like, no, my baby.
SPEAKER_00It got you good there.
SPEAKER_02Oh, absolutely, and that's what I meant. And that's I needed to like adult up and go, no, you have to have your nails clipped. So, you know, I delegate some of that stuff to him now because I'm just like, you're stronger than me. Yeah, I mean, thank you so much, Bella. We've covered a whole bunch of stuff in this episode. Um, I think this is relevant for anyone who owns an oodle or a cavoodle because um it grooming is such an important part of them. And, you know, when they are matted and stuff like that, they can it can actually hurt and aggravate them. I think it's so important that we're aware of how not grooming them actually impacts their day-to-day life and their health. Um, because it's not just about looking cute, it's about actually making sure they have the longest and happiest and healthiest lives that we can give them. So thank you so much for your time. Everyone, I'm gonna be putting all the show notes and links to MicroVodle and everything, um, all yeah, everything in the show notes, so you can grab all that stuff there. But you can also reach out to MicaVoodle and you'll find her at micovurdoodle.com.au. So go and check out the beautiful products. They smell amazing. I promise you're gonna want to use them on your own hair as well. Um, thank you, Bella. Um, great chatting with you, and thank you so much for your time.
SPEAKER_00Thanks, Tanya.
SPEAKER_02Would you like to know more about the services we provide here at 3 Sport Dogs? Now visit our website. 3 is in the number 3, sportdogs.com.au. Also send me an email if you've got any questions or to request specific topics in future episodes. If you'd like to become a collaborative partner or just to tell me how much you love the pork up, I would love to hear from you.
