The short answer
Start with gentle cleaning. Let a professional assess hair that needs trimming.
For routine staining around comfortable eyes, gently clean the surrounding fur and dry it. If hair needs shortening, ask an experienced groomer. Trimming is the task; scissors and electric clippers are tools for doing it. Neither tool treats the reason tears are overflowing. New or increasing staining deserves a veterinary check before you treat it as cosmetic.[3][6][7]
Squinting, an eye held closed, or new cloudiness is not routine tear-stain care. Call your veterinarian immediately for these warning signs.[4][5]
Why dogs, including Goldendoodles, develop tear stains
Tear stains are reddish-brown discoloration left by pigments called porphyrins in tears. They are easier to see on pale facial hair, including on light-coated Goldendoodles. Excess tearing can have many causes, including irritation, allergies, abnormal eyelashes, eye injury, or blocked tear drainage. Hair around the eyes can also interfere with drainage.[1][3]
Do tear stains smell bad?
They can. A brown mark on dry, healthy fur does not necessarily have an odor. A consistently damp patch beneath the eyes can become irritated, and secondary skin infection may produce an unpleasant smell. Look at the skin as well as the fur: redness, swelling, discharge, or soreness matters more than color alone.[1]
How to clean the surrounding fur
- Check the eyes first. If an eye is painful, held closed, or suddenly looks different, stop and follow the veterinary-care guidance below before cleaning.
- Use a clean, soft cloth dampened with warm water on the surrounding fur.
- Wipe the fur gently, away from the eye. Use a fresh area of cloth for the other eye. Do not rub the eyeball or pull at crusted hair.
- Let a damp cloth soften ordinary surface crust first. If it stays stuck, seems painful, or your dog pulls away, stop rather than scraping or cutting it out.
- Pat the fur dry so moisture does not remain against the skin.
A warm, damp cloth can remove ordinary surface buildup. Previously stained hair may take months to grow out, so repeated scrubbing will not create an instant color change. Do not use hydrogen peroxide near the eyes, and ask your veterinarian before trying a commercial tear-stain product.[2][1][8]
Cleaning, electric clippers, or scissors: which is better?
These methods solve different problems. Cleaning lifts surface debris; cutting shortens hair. Our recommendation for an owner without face-trimming experience is to handle gentle cleaning and ask a professional to do the close trimming. The guidance reviewed here does not establish that clippers are universally safer than scissors beside the eyes.
| Method | Useful role and limits |
|---|---|
| Damp cloth and drying | Routine maintenance for surrounding fur when the eyes are comfortable. Removes loose buildup; it may not remove color already in the hair. |
| Electric pet trimmer or clippers | Shortens hair. A motorized tool does not make work near an eye suitable for a beginner. Ask your groomer whether it suits your dog and which areas you can maintain. |
| Round-nosed grooming scissors | VCA names these as a trimming option. Rounded tips still leave cutting edges, so they are not a guarantee against injury. Do not substitute household scissors or cut out mats. |
| Professional grooming | A practical choice for overgrown facial hair or uncertain handling. A painful eye or inflamed skin needs a veterinary assessment before cosmetic work. |
VCA recommends keeping facial fur short and mentions round-nosed scissors or a groomer. AKC chief veterinarian Dr. Jerry Klein advises against clipping or shaving without training and warns owners not to cut mats out with household scissors.[6][7]
Ask for enough shortening to make cleaning manageable, rather than insisting that every brown hair disappear. Do not chase staining into the inner corner or along the eyelid with a blade. If your dog turns away, jerks, or resists, put the tool down and arrange help. Grooming should not depend on forcing a frightened dog to hold still.[7][8]
What about wipes, supplements, and home remedies?
A veterinarian-recommended wipe or cleanser for the eye area can be an alternative to a damp cloth. Follow the label: a product meant for surrounding fur is not automatically suitable for putting into the eye. Check with your veterinarian before adding a new solution, particularly if your dog already uses prescribed eye medication.[3]
Skip peroxide, alcohol, essential oils, and DIY bleaching mixtures near the eyes. Whitening the hair is not worth an irritated eye. Ask your veterinarian before buying supplements or powders, and do not give antibiotics just to change tear-stain color. VCA advises against low-dose antibiotics for staining because of antibiotic resistance.[1][8]
Choose the next step for your dog
- Only an old stain, with comfortable eyes and healthy skin: maintain gentle cleaning and drying. Allow discolored hair to grow out or discuss a routine trim.
- Overgrown or tangled facial hair: book a groomer and explain where wiping is difficult. Mention whether your dog tolerates face handling.
- New wetness, smell, or changing discharge: call your veterinarian to assess the cause. Do not assume a shorter haircut will fix it.
- Squinting, a closed eye, cloudiness, or suspected injury: follow the urgent guidance below now.
Before the visit, note when the change began, whether one or both eyes are affected, and which products you have used. A dated photo can help you describe a change, but it cannot diagnose the cause and should never delay care.
When to call your veterinarian
Call immediately for a painful or suddenly changed eye
If your dog is squinting, holding an eye closed, has new cloudiness, a suspected eye injury, or suddenly seems unable to see normally, call your veterinarian immediately. If your usual clinic is unavailable, contact an emergency veterinary hospital. Do not wait for a grooming appointment or try to clean the problem away.[4][5]
Compare both eyes: a new difference in tearing, blinking, swelling, or appearance deserves urgent attention. Serious eye conditions can threaten vision; only an examination can identify the cause. Do not use human eye medications on your dog.[4][5]
Arrange an examination for persistent changes
Even without obvious pain, yellow or green discharge, redness, swelling, increasing tearing, or a new persistent odor needs veterinary assessment. Tell the clinic what changed and ask how soon your dog should be seen. Cleaning cannot resolve an underlying eye or skin problem.[1][2]
Common dog tear-stain questions
Do Goldendoodle tear stains always mean an infection?
No. Reddish-brown staining can be cosmetic when the eyes are comfortable and the surrounding skin is healthy. Redness, odor, swelling, pain, or unusual discharge needs veterinary attention.
Can tear stains smell bad?
They can be associated with odor when the fur and skin stay damp or a secondary skin infection develops. The brown color by itself does not necessarily smell.
Can I trim the fur around my dog’s eyes?
Keeping overgrown facial hair short can help with maintenance. Ask an experienced groomer to assess it, especially near the inner corners or if the hair is matted. Do not attempt close trimming on a moving dog. Cutting stained hair does not treat excessive tearing or infection.
Are electric clippers better than scissors for tear stains?
Neither tool is a tear-stain treatment, and the guidance reviewed here does not establish one as universally safer near the eyes. Round-nosed grooming scissors are mentioned in VCA guidance, but they still have cutting edges. Electric trimmers also require training. For a beginner, gentle cleaning and professional trimming are the practical starting point.
Will wiping remove old brown stains immediately?
Not necessarily. Wiping removes surface buildup, but already discolored hair may need to grow out or be professionally trimmed. Avoid repeated scrubbing or bleaching to chase an instant color change.
What eye discharge needs a vet visit?
Call your veterinarian immediately for squinting, an eye held closed, new cloudiness, suspected injury, or a sudden change in vision. If your usual clinic is unavailable, contact an emergency veterinary hospital. Yellow or green discharge, redness, swelling, or a new persistent odor also needs veterinary assessment; ask the clinic how soon your dog should be seen.
Sources
- Eye Discharge (Epiphora) in Dogs, VCA Animal Hospitals. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- 5 Types of Dog Eye Discharge and When To Go to the Vet, PetMD. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- Dog Tear Stains: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention, PetMD. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- Guide to Pet Emergencies: Eye Health, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- Primary Lens Luxation: Clinical Signs, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- No Need to Cry Over Tear Staining, VCA Animal Hospitals. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- The Dos and Don’ts of Home Dog Grooming and Hygiene, American Kennel Club — Dr. Jerry Klein, Chief Veterinarian. Accessed September 8, 2026.
- How to Clean Your Dog’s Eyes, American Kennel Club. Accessed September 8, 2026.