Oscar the Labradoodle and the Disappearing Parmesan

Who, me?

Why were we surprised? We thought Oscar, our 3 year old Labradoodle, was growing up and becoming a respectable young adult. Surely half a block of parmesan cheese left at the back of the kitchen worktop would be safe enough? We really should have known better.

After a long day at work, my wife Charlotte had made us a delicious dinner of Carbonara; crème fresh with fried mushrooms and parma ham, stirred through a pan of al-dente pasta, and, of course, topped off with plenty of parmesan cheese. We avidly took our dinner through to the living room and began to contentedly slurp our way through whilst chatting and staring blankly at the telly.

Had we been taking any notice we would have registered that the quiet little noises coming from the kitchen were suspicious; the merest sound of sliding; the tap of claws on laminate flooring; the sound of something light yet dense hitting the floor.

Finally, it twigged in Charlotte’s mind; her eye brows shot up; “what’s the dog doing?” Hastily, she put aside her bowl, sprang off the sofa and ran into the dining room. “YOU NAUGHTY BOY!” I heard, followed by a titter of laughter. “Tom, he’s eaten the parmesan!”

I decided I had better get involved, so I stuck my head round the dining room door. There was a slinking and shame faced Oscar at the feet of an irate Charlotte. Around them was nothing but a few crumbs of parmesan rind.

Both Charlotte and I had to stifle sniggers. I opened the back door. “Out you go Oscar!” I said. Ozzy went willingly; glad to be out of the firing line.

From the initial theft to the devouring of the parmesan, rind and all, the whole thing must have taken less than thirty seconds; and if Charlotte had not twigged that something was amiss, Oscar would undoubtedly have licked up the remaining few crumbs, and we perhaps would have been simply a little non-plussed as to where the parmesan had gone the next time we needed to garnish a bowl of spaghetti.

We thought Oscar would probably have a poorly tummy, but amazingly he seems to be fine; other than having slightly worse than usual breath!

Labradoodle Mats - They're gonna drive you bonkers!

There’s no two ways about it, grooming is a real challenge for the Labradoodle owner. The consistency and make up of a Labradoodle’s coat will vary from dog to dog depending on which of its parents passed on the strongest fur-making genes, but it’s a safe bet that every Labradoodle in existence will suffer from matted hair if they are not brushed on an almost daily basis. Left unchecked, your dog could end up looking like a canine Bob Marley; you might think that would be cool, but matted fur is not pleasant to stroke, can pull uncomfortably on your dog’s skin, and may be bumpy for it to lie on; it also looks scruffy.

One of the things that draws people to Labradoodles is the promise of a dog that does not malt. Whilst it is true that Labradoodles will not malt nearly as much as, say, a Labrador, you will, in my experience, still find balls of hair gathering under tables or in the corners of rooms. The price we pay for the reduced shedding, however, is mats. Mats are formed by dead hair, that would normally be shed on your carpet (and sofa if you’re a lax parent such as I!) that instead get caught within the fur.

Lest you think that I am sitting with the angles and admonishing the sinners, I should point out that I am fairly awful when it comes to grooming. After getting home from work, it’s normally all I can do to take Oscar for a walk and give him his dinner; as a result mats form in his coat and I get told off by professional groomers on a regular basis.

So, if there’s one tip I can give, its practice makes perfect. A good brush once every day or two will keep your dog mat free and the canine equivalent of Nicky Clarke. You will also be able to take your dog to have its hair cut without being victim to the quiet resentment of the groomer.