# I need assistance with matting/snarls!



## mimgallipeau (Jun 29, 2009)

I have a 9 month old Havanese who is shedding her baby coat and I'm overwhelmed with the matted & snarled hair! Combing and trying to get rid of the snarls everyday and getting nowhere. Have you experienced this and how have you resolved the problem?


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## nebraskahavmom (Mar 19, 2009)

It's called "coat blowing" or "blowing coat". Try doing a search for those terms. My hav is almost 7 months old, so I haven't experienced this yet! I'm not looking forward to it. One of my suggestions would be a puppy cut! :wave: Good luck!


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Different people have tried different things and had differing results.

Do a search for "blowing coat" in the grooming forum and you'll get a lot of advice.

Here's a thread to get you started.

Good luck!!!

BTW~:welcome:


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Dexter will be 9 months soon....No problems yet. Do I hear a "Puppy Cut?"


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## HavaBaloo (Mar 24, 2009)

I am sorry, I don't have any advice, becasue I have been anxiously dreading this stage as well, Baloo is now 10 months, and all is well. Good luck, and let us know what works if anything with you.

*I wonder, do all Hav's blow coat? *

Baloo and I have a brush session every night after supper, I hope this makes the difference I am trying to be pro-active but from some of the horror stories I am not sure what to expect.... I guess I will have to wait and see.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

HavaBaloo said:


> I am sorry, I don't have any advice, becasue I have been anxiously dreading this stage as well, Baloo is now 10 months, and all is well. Good luck, and let us know what works if anything with you.
> 
> *I wonder, do all Hav's blow coat? *
> 
> Baloo and I have a brush session every night after supper, I hope this makes the difference I am trying to be pro-active but from some of the horror stories I am not sure what to expect.... I guess I will have to wait and see.


They ALL do. But each one can be different. With Rufus, I combed, not brushed, but combed through his coat 2 and 3 times a day to stay on top of it. When they are really bad like that you will see the hairs trying to tangle up while they're on your lap getting combed out!! :Cry: With Marley, I can comb through his very thick coat every other day and he's never had many mats at all. He's past 15 months now, so I'm sure he's blown coat but was blessed with his mama's lovely coat.

The key is to have a good greyhound comb on hand, a pin brush without the nubbies on the ends, and leave in conditioner. Keep the dog clean and combed through. I also have found a wide tooth de-matting comb to be essential! DO NOT USE THINNING SHEARS, OR A MAT SPLITTER because they only make the problem worsen! Clean dogs don't mat as badly. It's very important that you don't ONLY brush your dog because the mats start small and near the skin and your brush will glide over the surface of the dog making him look nice and brushed out while mats are forming underneath! :evil: If you do this the dog can quickly become very matted and most groomers WILL NOT carefully comb out the mats...they shave your dog down. :hurt:


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## lcy_pt (Aug 17, 2007)

Yup...we're going through this as well. Seymour, being the dignified creature that he is....matts away from the skin and combing out regularly with his easy coat has been fairly non eventful. He would have it no other way.

Now Harley on the other hand has three times the coat  and matts very closely to his skin. I use a pinbrush first, then the CC #11 dematting comb and finally finish with the fine end of a face comb. The actual matts are no larger than the head of a pin on him and this is a very slow process.....it doesn't help that he is extra, extra sensitive about this :drama: and will continully give me the 'eye' as I'm working away....but it is getting better (hopefully, haven't jinxed myself here :tape: )

I also try to keep them clean and use a very light spray of 50/50 leave-in conditioner and good old mineral oil as I'm combing them out.

Good luck....I feel your pain....it does get better....or you just become used to it :Cry:


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## herrick51 (Mar 4, 2008)

I strongly second what's already been said - it seems they all blow coat, but very differently dependent on coat type - I really wasn't sure when Brody was officially "blowing coat" since we got him at 5 months and I started a combing routine every day - he had mats all along, much worse for about 6 months, and now at almost 2 he's preety eay to manage. I comb and only brush to finish his coat, because I can't really get through his coat well enough with a brush when he's matting. As expensive as it is, I LOVE the CC #11 staggertooth comb for dematting. I also think it's very, very impotant to keep the coat clean and well-conditioned. I bathe about once/week, and use a conditioner called Bark2Basics DMat which I buy online (my groomer uses it). 
It's a bit of work, and a time committment, but well worth the effort!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

herrick51 said:


> I strongly second what's already been said - it seems they all blow coat, but very differently dependent on coat type - I really wasn't sure when Brody was officially "blowing coat" since we got him at 5 months and I started a combing routine every day - he had mats all along, much worse for about 6 months, and now at almost 2 he's preety eay to manage. I comb and only brush to finish his coat, because I can't really get through his coat well enough with a brush when he's matting. As expensive as it is, I LOVE the CC #11 staggertooth comb for dematting. I also think it's very, very impotant to keep the coat clean and well-conditioned. I bathe about once/week, and use a conditioner called Bark2Basics DMat which I buy online (my groomer uses it).
> It's a bit of work, and a time committment, but well worth the effort!


Wonderful information to know, thanks!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

herrick51 said:


> I strongly second what's already been said - it seems they all blow coat, but very differently dependent on coat type - I really wasn't sure when Brody was officially "blowing coat" since we got him at 5 months and I started a combing routine every day - he had mats all along, much worse for about 6 months, and now at almost 2 he's preety eay to manage. I comb and only brush to finish his coat, because I can't really get through his coat well enough with a brush when he's matting. As expensive as it is, I LOVE the CC #11 staggertooth comb for dematting. I also think it's very, very impotant to keep the coat clean and well-conditioned. I bathe about once/week, and use a conditioner called Bark2Basics DMat which I buy online (my groomer uses it).
> It's a bit of work, and a time committment, but well worth the effort!


I will be buying a staggered comb for sure!


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

Hmmmm. I have the #11 comb and so far I hate it. I may change my tune when I have major matting. It's heavy and seems to pull something terribly. I may come back to eat my words. I just bought the #5 comb and I like it very much.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I don't have any CC combs or brushes yet. 

Sharlene-What's the difference in the combs? I'm going to buy one in Chicago when I can see them in person but don't know what to get. I just ordered the wood pin brush from HRI but haven't gotten it yet.


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Evye's Mom said:


> Hmmmm. I have the #11 comb and so far I hate it. I may change my tune when I have major matting. It's heavy and seems to pull something terribly. I may come back to eat my words. I just bought the #5 comb and I like it very much.


#11 comb should be used for dematting only, not for regular combing. Just wait till your little ones start to blow coat, then the #11 will become useful.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

I didn't really think Scooter did but I was wrong, of all things his face had to be shaved down because I wasn't brushing his face enough. He looked like a tiny poodle, still does a little. I can't wait for his face to fill in a bit again and now it gets brushed and combed every day!


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## Mraymo (Oct 30, 2007)

The #5 is for everday combing. The #11 is for mats. It is heavy but it doesn't feel really heavy when I'm using it. I like the #11 to get out a big mat. I start from the outside edge of the mat and take a little at a time. The staggered teeth help to break the mats up into smaller clumps of hair that can be pulled out. I use the #5 for regular combing, it's nice because it has 1/2 with closer teeth and 1/2 with more space between the teeth. I start with the larger spaced teeth then use the other 1/2 for getting out the tiny mats. I have a pin brush but will be buying a wooden pin brush at Nationals.


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