# Matted!



## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

So I am slightly obsessed with making sure Hanna doesn't get mats because I don't want to put her through long dematting sessions and I don't want her coat getting ripped out. I admit that sometimes I go longer than I should without brushing or bathing, but I always get around to it eventually and have so far not run into major problems besides a nice and tight nickel-sized mat right under her chin (guess where I hadn't brushed her) and another nice one off the corner of her mouth under all the outside hair. We bought her a cute suade and sheepskin coat for Christmas because of the cold weather and my brother bought her a pink fleece sweater. Well, since she is so long and skinny the jacket doesn't fit her right because the velcro isn't tight enough for her tiny frame, so the jacket may or may not stay on for the whole time. The fleece baby-pink sweater is snug and so I thought, why don't I put that on first and then the jacket so it fits better? Bingo, everything stayed in place, she looked so so so cute, snug as a bug and seemed a lot more comfortable going outside in the New England winter temperatures. 

Alright, so let's say I didn't take the sweater off right away after she got in, and I let her run around in it, and I was busy doing other things. I'm sure she didn't spend all that much time in it but I took it off and went along with my day. Let's also say I didn't brush her out that night and then I had to go to work the next day (also failed to brush her that morning). So when I came home that night I sat down on the sofa and she jumped up on my lap to say hi. I started petting her and OMG her chest, shoulders and armpits were matted! In shock I felt the matting, like golf-ball sized mounds of tangled, crumpled up hair, I felt horrible. I was sure her coat wasn't going to survive what I was about to do to it and that she would have gaping holes in it. A perfect, flawless coat ruined! :frusty: Ok, so if I've dematted entire dogs deemed shave downs by my peers without causing brushburn, I can do this. I recovered, and determined I brushed, sprayed, combed, praised, and treated from almost two hours until finally, my comb glided through all of the hair without resistance. I was sure the coat was damaged now, but I couldn't tell because it was all wet from the detangler. The next day I gave her a bath and blow dryed her and took a picture. Beautiful. 

I always knew that long, soft coats can get matted up quickly, but now that I've experienced it first hand I can definitely empathize with people. I wish I took a before picture because it really looked aweful. What must have helped the most is I caught it before the matting got too tight and her coat was in pristine condition 1 1/2 days beforehand. Thank goodness for my CC brush because it did most of the heavy lifting, and without too much discomfort. At first I tried her soft puppy slicker but she hated that, she actually started growling. I did scold her a little, but did not push it, she just didn't like that brush and preferred the CC, and she had never been that matted. The CC brush pulled the hair apart and helped to preserve as much hair as possible. Needless to say, no more sweaters.


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## rokipiki (Oct 15, 2010)

Sweaters, fleece coats (or lining) or anything that is not smooth or silky makes mess of the coat. I make coats for Roki myself and I always put silk (100 % pure and softest) lining. It doesn't matt coat and all you have to do after you take the coat off is little combing! I also made couple of pure silk little vests to put underneath some nice coats and trousersuits that tend to make tangles and matts. Dog clothes sold in pet stores are mostly made for short haired dogs, not for our long haired babies. One good piece I bought online is waterproof trousersuit I ordered from UK HUB international.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I've found that ANY type of clothing, sweaters and even harnesses tend to cause mats, even if they only wear it for an hour or so.

I've also found that they mat more easily when the air is more dry, humidity is a bit kinder to their coat as far as matting go, Gucci mats less in the Summer months with the humid air, and much more in the dryer colder months.

I did read somewhere that humidifiers help their coat (or hair in general) I don't think i"d bother trying it unless I was trying for a show coat.

Gucci used to have a gorgeous coat and then I left her with friends for a vacation and they couldn't keep up with the mats or didn't dry her after a bath and that was that..

And the coat also took a downward turn after she was spayed, their god given hormones really help their coats looks a zillion times better, but she had to get spayed, no brainer.

Kara


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

She looks gorgeous !!!!


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

good job!! so sorry about the matting!! could she also be blowing coat on top of having the sweater on?? We all have times when we get busy and our babies don't get as much attention as they should! Try not to beat yourself up and use this as a way to 'relate' more to your grooming customers!!


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

Ahhhh, atsilvers27, I did the exact same thing except worse over Christmas. My beautiful Ceylon, who wore a harness and a sweater for 2 days over Christmas was matted from head to tail, and top to bottom. It took me much, much longer than 2 hours to get all of the matts out...

It doesn't look like I did his coat too much damage, probably because I did go so slowly and used copious amounts of conditioner, but, yes, I also am NEVER going to slack on the combing again, especially after he has been wearing anything including a harness.

I felt like such a horrible mommy... glad to hear I wasn't the only one to do this over Christmas. And, both of our babies look beautiful again! I still feel horrible but am determined to make this a lesson learned rather than something to feel (too) guilty about .

Speaking of which, thanks for the reminder, I need to remember to brush him out today


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## rdanielle (Sep 2, 2008)

How old is she? It could also be that she is blowing coat


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

Hanna is lovely!


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Welcome to the world of blowing coat, it gets better after about 2 yrs old, in that the coat does not mat as quickly, or it could be we have had the dog long enough to know where our dog gets the most mats. During the busy holiday season or if we have stay over company we all tend to put things off. This is what I do and it is only a suggestion to help you get a plan in place that is workable for you, I know you are a groomer, however this is your show pet so she is different. If I have left one of my guys in a coat,shirt over long the minute I take it off I take a few finger fulls of corn starch and rub it into the problem spots on their coats for my Hav' s this is arm pits and bellys for my Lhasa it is collar and outside hips, I wait about 10 mins to an hour then I take a pin brush that does not have those round things on the top of the pins (I use a All Systems, what ever you like is fine) work in a bit more cornstarch, then gently pull apart with my fingers any large matts then brush gently. After I then use a finishing or butter comb. The object is to preserve as much coat as possible. Since you live in a cold winter area and heating our houses often dry out the air you might want to moisturize her coat there are many fine products (I use both the handler and bio groom it is a price point as I need to use a lot all winter). Now is the time you will need to keep on top of her coat and it is a pain but worth it and necessary for a show dog. Just know blowing coat seems like a long time but it does go away and most coats are then eaiser to handle. I agree Hannah is a very pretty girl.


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

She just turned 11 months old and I've been bracing myself for the dreaded blowing coat phase, as she is my first Havanese. I'd like to keep her in show condition even though I don't think she'll have much of a show career (Novice owner/handler, she has one major fault). Her coat is definitely not cottony, but it's not super silky either. It's somewhere in between, kind of like slightly firmer and heavier bichon puppy hair, when it's still all fluffy and not curly yet. I haven't seen any changes in texture in her hair yet, although the color on her head has changed from black to silver (or maybe even blue? I can't tell and she has some blue in her pedigree). I'm curious if her adult coat will be very different or only slightly different from now. If it's only slightly different I may not be able to tell the difference in transition except for the amount of hair that comes out of her and how bad it's matting. But I'll be able to tell on her head when she loses the puppy hair because it's black at the ends, so I know it's original. 

This winter has definitely been very dry. I was scratching my arm the other day and the skin was just flaking off like snow. Her hair is definitely harder to keep up (combo of dry weather and blowing coat?) and very staticky. I tried putting some CC white powder on her after her bath but it really didn't work well, it was much harder to get the comb through. Maybe this is because I had just sprayed her down and the powder isn't meant to go on the coat like that? I'll try the corn starch on her next bath.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

It could of been the sweater.....BUT....you have BLOWING of COAT coming soon! It does get easier though. 

Jack is 2 and has gone through 2 Blowing of Coats....not fun! I gave in the 2nd time and he was clipped down to about 1-1/2 inches. He is now about 2-3 inches, last bath was 12-27, he was completely combed out. Combed him again last night (7 days later), and not worth mentioning a few tiny tangles present. No major mats presents! I am happy!


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

I know I definitely need better products, I am just waiting to finish up all my old stuff. Actually, on her face stains what has been making the most improvement is the Nexus clarifying shampoo I bought by accident. I tried it on her out of desperation and have now used it 3 times and I think her beard is visibly slightly whiter now. I think I'd like to try the Eqyss products, they seem to have very good reviews and I can get a good price on petege if I buy bulk (I can also use on my hair, a lot of people use it and I have long, frizzy brown hair). I finally conviced my husband to buy a humidifyer. For the kids and me (I was recently diagnosed with exzema). I didn't mention the dog, who I also wanted to get the humidifier for but he gets a little on edge if he thinks I'm "pampering" her too much.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

When you use the corn starch use it before a bath on dry matts, use it dry, you can use it on wet hair after a bath, it does not work as well. The cool thing about the corn starch is you can spot use it and it just falls out very quickly, it will not harm your dog, or your carpets or furniture (keep it out of the eyes as will dry the eye fluids momentarily and dry eyes are more prone to injury). The undercoat of our Hav's is mixed in and is often really hard to distinguish from the outer coat that is not what we generally think of as an outer coat.

Don't try to be a perfectionist just keep up with the matts, there will be days when you will need to address a matted area several times and there will be easy days. Your Hanna as your first show dog will always have a special place, no matter if she gets her title or not, but don't sell yourself or Hanna short. 

As for novices last year I was at a performance trial and their was young woman with a bearded collie she had a spray can of Faultless starch, was spraying and combing her dog with it. I ask her why she was doing that and she told me that her breeder told her to use it for matting, she told me she would hate to see how bad the coat would get without it (the coat was a stickey hard mess) she did not feel she was getting the hang of it. I did tell her that the breeder meant corn starch, LOL.


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

You are right, I shouldn't sell myself short. Hanna's got an impressive pedigree and although she has nice conformation (straight front legs, good neck length and shoulders, good back leg ratios) she is slightly hocked and it is obvious in her movement as well. I'm also having trouble with her topline. At first I thought it wasn't all that good because her back is so curvy, but now I'm highly suspicious that because she is a little nevous she tenses her back up too much on the table and makes it look more like a hissing cat (or halloween cat), even though to me she seems relaxed. When she is on the floor walking around I think her back line looks better, but I can't tell for sure because I can't go down on the floor and look at her square on. Definitely has some hocking, but back feet from what I can make of it are pointing pretty straight ahead. 

When I found out about her hocks I was disappointed in her breeder and thought it disqualified her as a showing and breeding dog, but as I am doing more intense research, what I am finding is actually that she would be penalized in the show ring vs. disqualified because the hocking isn't severe, and that hocking can be bred out by using an outstanding stud and then selecting the best puppy (may take a few generations depending on severity is what I am getting). Now I am back to thinking she really does have something to offer to the breed if I handle her strengths and weaknesses in the correct way.


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## Rita Nelson (Jul 13, 2009)

We live in NH and Tucker hates coats, sweaters, etc. so he doesn't wear one. We keep his hair about 6" long. He has very thick hair and seems to stay warm when outside in the winter. If it's very cold and windy he does his business and comes back inside. Maybe you could forgo the coat and sweater.


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