# Matting galore please help!



## Paulusmc1

Truman is almost 12 months old. We have been battling the mats for about 3 months now. I got the CC Buttercomb and try to comb every day. I do the line combing but end up just going for the matts since every day there are several new ones. The one behind his ear tonight was huge and I could swear it wasn't there yesterday! I also have the Ice spray. I get a fistful of hair out every day. Will this ever get better? I think our groomer doesn't want to do him anymore given all the mats he had last time, which was about a month ago. She said she's never groomed a Hav before and that she will likely have to hand scissor him from now on. Should I try a new groomer? I have tried to be so diligent since his last grooming, but it seems insurmountable. Any advice?


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## Suzi

I like hand scissoring the best. If you don't have a show dog I would just cut out the bad mats. It also helps to keep the coat clean I bathed once a week during my two's coat change. It sounds like you have learned the proper way to comb. I added a slicker brush about that age. It pulls out the hairs that cause the tangles. I don't however use it behind the ears. Or the face area. I was also taught after the coat is washed and totally combed out to add some leave in conditioner. I just put a small amount on my hands to a dry coat and try to get down to the roots. The one I use is neutrogena triple moisture leave in conditioner.You have to comb twice a day to really keep on top of the matting. This is a picture of a slicker brush. You still use the line combing technique with the slicker brush but if you run into a mat use your comb to loosen it and get it out.


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## Heather's

I know how extremely challenging mats can be especially behind the ears. They do form overnight My two were just groomed today. Scout has a lot of coat and I brush him daily although I don't have the skill of dematting like their groomer. She does scissor out difficult mats. The groomer uses the Oscar Frank Universal slicker. It is really the best one I have used on him. We have tried several shampoo and conditioners and have found Pure Paws Silk line to work the best for him. Their H2O Hydrating Mist is great for working on mats. She keeps telling me it is all about the brushing and combing and I need to keep practicing They are groomed at home so I try to watch and learn as much as possible. You are doing everything right…Some coats just have a tendency to mat easily.


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## krandall

As you've seen by Suzi and Heather's answers, you are not alone!  It also shows that every coat does best with different products. For Kodi, my products of choice were (and still are) Biogroom SuperWhite shampoo and CC Spectrum 10 conditioner. For a grooming spray, I use s dilute mixture of the CC Spectrum 10 and Ice on Ice.

Suzi and Heather have given you good advice on tools and dealing with mats already formed. But "trying to comb daily" really isn't enough at this stage. Yes, it's a pain in the neck, but if you want to preserve his coat, you REALLY need to be combing him out COMPLETELY twice a day, with the most important one being just before he goes to bed for the night. Even TINY mats left in before bead turn into monster rat's nests when they sleep on them all night!!! For Kodi, it also helped IMMENSELY to bathe him about every 4 days. The cleaner his coat was, the less he matted and the easier it was to get the mats out.

If you can't handle it, there IS another option. Some people don't have time for all the grooming, some dogs are just too uncooperative, and some coats are just more challenging than others. There is no shame in choosing to put him in a very short puppy cut until he is through blowing coat. (usually the worst is over by 18 months - 2 years) Even if you want him in full coat, you can always let it grow out later, because the nice thing is, HAIR GROWS!


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## SJ1998

Have you tried cornstarch? It is a total mess but I had to get my dog brushed out quickly before a bath and I put a lot of cornstarch on the ears (you have to be careful not to get it in their eyes or create too much dust), worked it in with my hands and it was easier to comb. 

It gets better too as your pup gets older. I still struggle with the ears and feet but the rest of his coat is not bad at all.


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## krandall

SJ1998 said:


> Have you tried cornstarch? It is a total mess but I had to get my dog brushed out quickly before a bath and I put a lot of cornstarch on the ears (you have to be careful not to get it in their eyes or create too much dust), worked it in with my hands and it was easier to comb.
> 
> It gets better too as your pup gets older. I still struggle with the ears and feet but the rest of his coat is not bad at all.


Oh, yes!!! I'd forgotten! (how soon we forget! ) corn starch was my go-to product for bad knots. I kept it in a little parmesan shaker bottle.


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## 31818

krandall said:


> there IS another option. Some people don't have time for all the grooming, some dogs are just too uncooperative, and some coats are just more challenging than others.


.......AND some peoples don't have the necessary experience yet to maintain a long coat at this age.

That is why my Momi and Popi have put me in a 1" (more or less) "short cut" for the next several months until I grow in my adult fur. They will let my hair grow out as they become more experienced. My groomer says that Havanese doggie hair grows about 1/2 to 1 inch per month depending on genetics, diet, weather, etc. Short hair is not a forever thing and certainly helps tremendously with tangles and mats. I am much more cooperative now that I have my short cut with almost no matting. Buena suerte (good luck)

besos, Ricky Ricardo


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## SJ1998

krandall said:


> Oh, yes!!! I'd forgotten! (how soon we forget! ) corn starch was my go-to product for bad knots. I kept it in a little parmesan shaker bottle.


I know, I forgot about it too! I hadnt used it since my boy was a year or so. that is a great tip for parmesan shaker bottle. That would be very helpful. It is funny, I found that I needed more cornstarch than I thought, but not much at a time.


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## Paulusmc1

Thanks everyone! It does help to know this is a common issue. And I will try to add another combing. We love his coat but will resort to a short cut if still can't get a handle . Will look up all the products and will also add some cornstarch!


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## krandall

Paulusmc1 said:


> Thanks everyone! It does help to know this is a common issue. And I will try to add another combing. We love his coat but will resort to a short cut if still can't get a handle . Will look up all the products and will also add some cornstarch!


Just to be clear, though, while you USUALLY want to sprizt the hair with a grooming spray before you comb out, if you're going to use corn starch, use it on a DRY coat.


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## Heather's

*Matting problems*

I have had difficulty with matting under the arm and chest. Scout resists when I comb because it is a sensitive area. The groomer has shaved his underside chest and abdo area. This may help you also. I took this picture today and it is not noticeable.


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## krandall

Heather Glen said:


> I have had difficulty with matting under the arm and chest. Scout resists when I comb because it is a sensitive area. The groomer has shaved his underside chest and abdo area. This may help you also. I took this picture today and it is not noticeable.
> View attachment 91994


We used to do that too, when Kodi was younger. He really doesn't need it now. But I figured that with a dog that wasn't going into the conformation ring anyway, there was NO WAY I was going to torture him with armpit knots.

Then I was talking to a couple of people who DO show in conformation, and they said that although they wouldn't SHAVE those areas, they don't have any problem cutting out knots in the arm pits either. Even for the show ring they aren't willing to torture their pups!


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## Heather's

I probably shouldn't say completely shaved, but almost. I want to do whatever is less stressful on him. Those areas are just difficult.


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## krandall

Heather Glen said:


> I probably shouldn't say completely shaved, but almost. I want to do whatever is less stressful on him. Those areas are just difficult.


I agree! Another thing we did, which you should definitely NOT do if you plan on the conformation ring, is that my groomer thinned out the hair RIGHT in front of his hind legs, along the flank. This was a major matting spot for him, and it really helped. Again&#8230; not something we kept up&#8230; just did it while he was blowing coat.


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## BettyJ

Elizabeth is 13 months and we went through a total nightmare for about 4-5 weeks. Poor thing went through hours of brushing and combing. She got got build up on her coat and that made it worse. I discovered that changing shampoos made a HUGE difference. Thanks to Karen I swapped to Biogroom Superwhite. It is absolutely great for Elizabeth's coat and though we still diligently brush the nightmare is over. I also use some conditioner after shampooing. For matts I am now using Johnson'sKids No More Tangles. It works great for her coat.


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## Ari214

Not sure if what I do is time efficient or not, but it works pretty well for us. I give Kipper a bath about once a week or 10 days. The dirtier he is, the easier it is for mats to form. I use Burt's Bees Shampoo and Conditioner as well as the detangling spray. For tough knots, I wet them completely with the spray, let it sit for a bit while I work on the other areas, then go back and work away at the knot with a flea comb starting from the top (end farthest away from his body). I also try to do a quick comb through after we come back from outside just because either the harness or his collar will have rubbed against him and probably created some knots while we were outside. Funnily enough, Kipper seemed to get more knots when his hair was shorter. Or maybe I just got better. Ha. 
Good luck!!!


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## BettyJ

I didn't realize Burt's made a detangling spray. Thanks for sharing.


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## Ari214

You're welcome! I bought it at PetSmart when we originally adopted Kipper. Works pretty well, though I haven't used anything else so I can't really compare.


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## Daisy783

I ordered some Cowboy Magic online and it's a miracle worker on the mats! I swear by it now. My girl is also blowing her coat right now. I'll find mats just falling off of her. It's nuts. Lots of frequent baths. Good luck.


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