# Groomer recommendations confusing



## louise (Dec 5, 2008)

I took an extremely matted Ellie to the groomer today. This is a well respected groomer in my area - the best according to several people.

Ellie's hair is now about 2" long and a mass of matts.

Groomer will bathe etc. and demat - great. But I asked for recommendations for the future.

He said to use a slicker brush, not the CC pin brush. He also said that after she's gotten wet, brush her AFTER she dries - not while she is still wet.

It is my impression that both of these recommendations are contrary to what I've read here. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Louise


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## Sam375 (Feb 2, 2009)

Those are contrary to what I've read also, so I can't be much help here, maybe post this question in the show ring forum?


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

I brush before the bath, trying to get out every mat and then I brush them again when they're almost dry. I've never brushed them wet except the top of their heads to try to keep the hair out of their eyes.


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

I am in the minority as I don't use the pin brush, I use slicker brush and CC combs on Bugsy. I have tried most CC and Greyhound pin brushes and fund them lacking and a waste of my time when it comes to brushing. I 've used the slicker brush and comb combination for over 25 years starting with my persians and found it to work the best for me. I first use the slicker to take out all the little things that Bugsy picks up at the park and then CC comb for thorough combing. I know that slicker is know to brake the coat, but my dog is not a show dog and no slicker brush can come close to the kind of damage that my standards do to his coat through daily playing or should I say wiping the floor with Bugsy.  You just have to find what works for you.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

I demat with a comb before a bath. I do not use a brush for dematting, but instead for daily brushing or finishing work.

I use a slicker, but only a certain kind and only for show purposes, not for daily use. It breaks many Havanese coats. (Some coats can handle it, but not all.)

I also comb dry and not wet. I don't know why people say to mist first and then brush, but I can't even do that on my own hair without it breaking. My hair is fragile, so I treat the dogs' hair like I have to treat my own. No slickers and no wet brushing on me either.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Kimberly, I have been using the pin brush to brush Abby while I'm blowing her dry to help get out the waves and kinks to make it smooth. So, should I just blow it dry and then brush her? I do mostly use the comb to groom her and the brush to finish and fluff it up.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

This is really interesting. I brush (pin) as good as possilbe before bathing, line comb or brush when wet while drying. Do you dry with tangle and matts?


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## HavaBaloo (Mar 24, 2009)

Hi Louse, poor little Ellie hopefully it won't be too painful getting the matts out. You could get her shaved down if there are too many.

I use both the pin and slicker brush. I usually brush Baloo really good before his bath, I do brush him a bit when he is wet, but usually he is really cold so I wait until he is mostly dry before I brush him. It may not be what is recommended, but it works for us, so I say do what works for you too.

Good luck!


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Sandi, I get all the tangles and mats out before the bath so she doesn't really have any afterwards. Abby's hair is not that thick so maybe that is why she is so easy!


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

I guess our Havs are as different as we are. I can't run a brush through my crazy hair, forget about a comb, unless I thoroughly wet it first. I also lightly mist Bugsy before brushing and combing him. I brush and comb him before the bath and then after I dry him.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Kathie said:


> Sandi, I get all the tangles and mats out before the bath so she doesn't really have any afterwards. Abby's hair is not that thick so maybe that is why she is so easy!


Galen may have more of an Abby coat, it is straighter and the hair is not as fine. Smarty's is more like cotton candy, very thick, but fly away. Does that make sense?


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## The Fussy Puppy Gang (May 21, 2007)

So far the CC brush and a cheapie tangle-free comb has been working really well for us. We comb him out before the bath and then let him partially dry before brushing him out as a finish.

I prefer to mist his coat before brushing him out in the mornings mainly because it cuts down on static.

What kind of slicker would be okay for a Hav coat?


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

I can personally vouch for thoroughly brushing/combing the coat BEFORE the bath. Yikes! I once was in a hurry and tired, decided his coat wasn't bad, no mats, and just washed him without the pre-bath groom. Oh, my! Never again! If I don't have time to brush/comb him out before a bath---he just doesn't get a bath that day! He had mats like never before, and they seemed to appear and shrink/tighten magically when he was wet.

I tend to vary misting him and how much, because sometimes he seems to need it, and sometimes he doesn't as much. When I blow dry him, though, I brush him because it helps to separate the hair so it dries better. Everything takes days to dry here, if I don't. I'd like to try letting him dry without brushing him at the same time, but he'd be on the grooming table with the hair dryer on him for at least 2-3 hours if I did that.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Kathie said:


> Kimberly, I have been using the pin brush to brush Abby while I'm blowing her dry to help get out the waves and kinks to make it smooth. So, should I just blow it dry and then brush her? I do mostly use the comb to groom her and the brush to finish and fluff it up.


Kathie, I lwrap my dogs in a towel after their bath and hold them for about 30 minutes to absorb most of the moisture and allow the Coat Handler Conditioner to sit on the hair before being dried. Then I let the blow dryer get most of the moisture out (rubbing with my fingers or brushing with a pin brush that has wider teeth), and finally, I take a brush or a comb and go through it to finish drying it. That does remove a lot of the extra wave and makes it easier to maintain the coat between baths.

Someone mentioned static as a reason to mist and that's a good point. I rarely ever get static here, but when I do, I definitely mist the hair.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

I would love to be able to hold Abby all wrapped in a towel but unfortunately she *never* lets me hold her for more than a minute ~ and I wanted a cuddly dog.....lol
So, instead I let her RLH all over the place and mop the tile floor!


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## Gableshavs (Jun 19, 2007)

Havtahava said:


> Someone mentioned static as a reason to mist and that's a good point. I rarely ever get static here, but when I do, I definitely mist the hair.


I use a fabric softener type dryer sheet over the coat to control static. Another recommendation is no matter what you use brush the coat at least every other day to avoid mats. Be consistent in grooming or else just give them a cute summer haircut and relax. Havanese Rescue sells a wonderful dematting tool, great combs and other very good grooming products in their online store http://www.havtohavit.com/ (sorry for the plug I can't help myself).


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

If you don't get the mats out before you bathe, you can felt the mats which makes them impossible to get out. Sometimes a slicker is the right tool but you don't just grab hair with it and drag. You use it more in a rolling, picking motion to unravel the mat from the end. They are curved for a reason.

There is no one way to do it. You just have to find what works for you. I've never heard of any groomer being willing to spend the time to get a badly matted dog brushed out. I've seen Pam work for 4 hours on a dog that was brought several hundred miles.


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## ruthann (Jan 26, 2007)

Thanks Gabelshav!! All the CC things i have purchased, I didn't know I could have purchased through Hav Rescue. I went to the sight but almost all items were sold out? How could this be? Anyway, I will always check to see when I need an item and if Hav Rescue has thats where I will spend my money. Thanks again! Ruth Ann


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Kathie said:


> I would love to be able to hold Abby all wrapped in a towel but unfortunately she *never* lets me hold her for more than a minute ~ and I wanted a cuddly dog.....lol
> *So, instead I let her RLH all over the place and mop the tile floor*!


bold is mine.

I love that


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

SMARTY said:


> Galen may have more of an Abby coat, it is straighter and the hair is not as fine. Smarty's is more like cotton candy, very thick, but fly away. Does that make sense?


Makes a lot of sense to me Sandi because that is Evye's coat. That is why I am paying close attention to this thread.

And I was very relieved to read to that it is OKAY to brush dry because it is so much easier with Evye. I just misted because I had read in so many posts that you SHOULD NOT brush or comb without misting first. Somebody please enlighten me if I misunderstood.


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

Scooter gets an afro so he's in a puppy cut, when his hair gets longer it's impossible to get a brush or comb through. (Like mine!)

Murphy has long, silky hair and it's so nice! 

Of course Scooter likes to be brushed and Murphy still tries to run away when he's the one who needs it most!


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## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

Are you asking what to do if your dog gets wet between baths?
For that, I let my dogs dry and then brush them, but it's definitely best to keep them mat-free as much as possible and avoid the problem!
I use a comb on my dogs most of the time. I use a pin brush 
for light brushing or finishing. I have a slicker but I never use it except on their feet. 
Find what works for you, but make sure you are getting through the entire coat, all the way to the skin when you are brushing, so you do find all the mats.


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