# Matbreaker Dematting Tool



## radar_jones

I saw this on the petsmart site. It's a Dematting tool that looks more like some sort of surgical instrument......Scary looking thing.....:biggrin1:

Link Below......

http://www.petsmart.com/global/prod...325845&itemNo=45&Nao=24&In=Dog&N=2026050&Ne=2


----------



## Jan D

Kara, you are the QUEEN of grooming!

I think you should go into business, you have all the equipment!


----------



## Lynn

I bought alot of those tools, and when it came time to use them they were hard to use and took to much hair.

I found that a small pair of scissors with a sharp/kind of rounded end works the best for me. I take a mat and run one side of the scissors though it to cut it in half, then use the dematting comb brush it. I always use the scissors with the sharp end away from the skin of the dog.

My vet does this on my cat, so I tried it on Casper and it works with less hair loss on the dog.

Really combing every dog, sometimes twice a dog is probably the secret to these dogs. I find if I miss one day, he might get a mat, but he is very active now, into the sprinklers and dirt and weeds.....:biggrin1:


----------



## Havtahava

A small pair of sharp scissors is much better for your dog's coat than a dematting tool. However, if you want _more mats_, then use the dematting tool. It creates uneven hair lengths as it rips through the coat, which will create more mats.


----------



## Jane

I agree with Lynn and Kimberly. I also have the dematting tool, but it was cumbersome to use. I prefer to use scissors to cut slits into the mat (parallel to the hair growth) after pulling it apart as much as I can with my fingers. That way I break into the "web" of the mat and can save enough of the original hair so there isn't a noticeable "hole" in the coat.

I have both the comb with the rotating pins and a regular greyhound comb (no handle, wide tooth on 1/2, narrower tooth on other 1/2). I prefer the greyhound comb, although I know many people just love the rotating pin comb. They just don't really do much for me and I find the handle cumbersome.

Jane


----------



## aradelat

I've got a dematting tool that looks like the one at PetSmart. (But I got it at a dog show.)
It has saved my life. I love, love, love it...Pablo hates to be brushed -- and trying to untagle mats, forget it!!!
But he does not mind the dematting tool It cuts right through tthe mat without pulling his hair. Some hair is lost, but he doesn't get that many mats and I think its better than the alternative -- letting the mat get bigger or having an all-out battle with a Havanese.


----------



## havanesebyha

I have that dematting tool and it rips right through the hair - not a great thing to use in my eyes and I'm sorry I ever spent so much on it. Save your money and use Kimberly's method. I was really afraid of slicing my fingers!!!

Libby


----------



## irnfit

I have a dematting tool, but found it much better just to run the comb thru it. I spray the mat with No More Tangles and work it into the mat. Then it ususally just combs right out. If it is really stubborn, I use a scissor, or just cut the mat out.


----------



## juliav

I also use the detengling conditioner, work it into the mat and just comb it out with the revolution comb (the one with rotating pins). I tried the dematting tool a long tie ago on my Poodles and hated. It pooled out too much hair, was really sharp and I was worried about cutting myself.


----------



## judith

*sizzors and corn starch*

i used kimberly's method first cutting through the mat and then rubbing corn starch into it. coco had mats all accross the bottom of her ear in the fuzzy hair. the long hangs about 2" below her ear and i didn't want to cut it. only took about 30 minutes, quick and easy with very little hair loss. she is very good, knowing a treat is coming! thanks kimberly!


----------



## EMarie

That tool can come in handy with the pup that will sit still, I have seen more dogs skin sliced and owner fingers sliced. So be careful!!!!


----------



## vicw

I tried the dematting tool from Petsmart, but I had very poor results with it, and I was very concerned about cutting myself with it, or worse yet, injuring Maggie. I just wish there was some magic potion or technique that would make those cotton balls separate themselves, but I haven't found it yet.

I had hoped to allow Maggie to grow a full coat, but I just couldn't seem to prevent the matting, no matter how much time I spent working on her. I finally resorted to a puppy cut, out of mercy for her. I have been able to keep her head and tail pretty well groomed, so she still looks Havanese. 

I wonder if there is a wide variation in the tendency to form impenetrable matts between the Havs.


----------



## Jane

Hi VicW:

How old is your beautiful Maggie? If she is less than 2, I'd encourage you to try growing her out again in the future once her adult coat settles in. I had a huge struggle with Lincoln's coat until he was about 1 1/2 years old and now that he is over 2 yrs., it is much easier to maintain. Don't give up hope forever!


----------



## aradelat

I don't know why I seem to be the only one who likes the dematter, but I do. I used it last night to get a big mat off Pablo's belly. Zip and it was gone. I'm glad to hear someone else's Havanese is getting mats on ears -- that's the most likely place a mat turns up on Pablo. ANd that's the only place I don't like to use the dematter. Thanks for the tip Judith!!
As for Maggie, Pablo is nine months old and getting fewer and fewer mats. My hope is that he has fewer when he gets his adult coat (although I'm not sure when that is -- I've heard everthing from eight months old to two years old.)
Does anybody have a definitive answer to that?
Maggie should also be easier to groom then.


----------



## Jane

Lincoln went through a bad matting stage around 10 months but again just before 2 years old too (other Hav owners warned me about that one). I think the 10-month matting period was the worst...part of it was that I wasn't using the right products for his coat at that time too. It took me awhile to try find products that worked well with his cottony, thick, profuse coat.


----------



## vicw

Hi Jane. Thanks for the encouragement. Maggie is just about 1 1/2 years old now, and perhaps it will get easier in time, as yours did. I will try to let it grow out, as much as possible.

I agree - she is beautiful, even with a puppy cut, and a joy to us. My wife and I have never developed such a close bond with any pet before. Maybe that is partially because we are both now retired, and have much more time to share with her, but I think it's mostly that Havs are just so darn endearing. I also love looking at all of the pictures and clips of the other Havs on this site.


----------



## Havtahava

Judith, I am so glad it helped you. 

Aradelat, it isn't that I didn't like the dematter. The dematter was great and made things really easy. The problem is that it creates uneven hair lengths because it cuts through the mats, and as the ripped hair continues to grow, and it creates more mats, which needs more dematting. It's just a vicious cycle.


----------



## judith

vicW, my coco is going to the groomer's on thursday. last time she had a puppy cut but they also cut her whole head really short. she looked terrible! how have you managed to keep maggies head *havanese* like? do you trim her yourself? coco's tail and ears have never been cut and they look great. i thought about handing the groomer a peice of paper with DO NOT TOUCH HEAD, EARS OR TAIL!on it. we are retired too and are amazed how much coco means to us, even though we have a bunch of grands!


----------



## Sunnygirl

I use the Tangler Wrangler comb with the rotating teeth and a greyhound comb. (The comb with the rotating teeth looks just like a greyhound comb except the teeth are bigger.) So far the combs, a pin brush and leave-in conditioner sprayed on before grooming have kept the mats at bay, but Nico is only 16 weeks old with a puppy coat, so I wouldn't expect him to have mats. OK, I will admit that there were a couple mats in the fur around his mouth after the gum chewing incident. . . those had to be cut out.


----------



## vicw

judith said:


> vicW, my coco is going to the groomer's on thursday. last time she had a puppy cut but they also cut her whole head really short. she looked terrible! how have you managed to keep maggies head *havanese* like? do you trim her yourself? coco's tail and ears have never been cut and they look great. i thought about handing the groomer a peice of paper with DO NOT TOUCH HEAD, EARS OR TAIL!on it. we are retired too and are amazed how much coco means to us, even though we have a bunch of grands!


Judith, I have to admit I had to do a little trimming on the top of her head and her snout recently, due to a few matts that had suddenly appeared, so she now looks a little more like a poodle, but overall I have managed to keep her head mostly intact, and her tail and ears have had minimal trimming. For better or worse, I have been doing most of her trimming and grooming myself, except when she goes to Hav Camp to stay with our breeders, Pam and Tom King. They are the only ones I have full confidence in to board and groom her, even though they are several hours away from us. Pam somehow manages to even out all of my amateur cutting and make her look her best again. I have a basic set of grooming tools, and a good table, and I try to touch her up frequently.

I really agree with your concern about groomers. I'm sure that most of them are highly skilled and expert, but it's often hard to evaluate up front. My sister-in-law recently took her tiny Yorky in for a trim, and the groomer almost scalped his head. It looked just awful.

I would certainly have a talk with the groomer in advance to make sure she/he understands what you want, and a picture or two of Coco looking her best would surely be helpful. For myself, I'm glad that I decided to groom Maggie myself. We have some difficult moments, especially when I get around her "hot" spots, and dealing with those difficult matts, but overall it is rewarding, and I also don't have to worry about her coming home with kennel cough.


----------



## Amy R.

Hi Judith, Hi Vic----

We are also "older" Hav owners---- {{though still youthful--it's all relative, right? Sixty is the new forty, you know! At least that's what we say here in California. LOL }}---- home a lot or traveling, and we too have an incredible bond with our little guy. We've never had a dog before, and never imagined we could fall so much in love with one. What a marvelous breed! 

We have also worked to keep Biscuit's head & face trimmed (we like to see his eyes, as it makes eye contact easier, and also reduces eyestain) and yet still looking like a Havanese and not a Poodle or Bichon. Fortunately, he isn't very prone to mats--back to topic--and I brush him every day or so. His hair is fine & the mats come out pretty easily so far, at 10 mos.

When he was in a long coat, we still had his face & eyes carefully trimmed. We are lucky to have a very sensitive groomer who doesn't scalp him and keeps the cut balanced looking. She is very willing to work with us when I explain what we'd like.

In the photo, he's in a modified puppy cut (which our dog sitter requests & so we comply since she's a dear friend and we travel alot) and he still looks pretty Havanese, we think. Though maybe the purists would disagree. Cheers!


----------



## vicw

Hi Amy, Biscuit looks wonderful. It looks like you have been very fortunate with your choice of groomer. From her picture, it looks like she is all white, with perhaps a tinge of brown on each ear, just like my Maggie.

I agree with you on the eyes thing. At first I was determined to let Maggie's hair grow completely naturally, until her eyes were almost completely covered, and she began to resemble a sheep dog. She actually started bumping into things, and I really missed being able to completely see those beautiful eyes. I noticed, though, when she ran, the wind would lift all of that stuff above her head. It was a very dramatic effect to watch. 

I progressively started trimming it back until I was happy that she could see well, and I never let it completely cover her eyes again. A Hav purist would likely object, but we both are happier with it this way, I think.

I was thinking more that sixty is the new twenty, which would make me 27, which is the perfect age to be, I think. Obviously that won't really happen, but the benefits of being retired and still healthy are a blessing I appreciate.


----------



## Amy R.

Well, Vic, then that makes me only 21! ;-) a mere child!

Maggie is really adorable, with such a sweet and expressive face, and, yep, it looks like she has the same coloring as Biscuit. I agree, our little guy was looking like a sheepdog, too, when his face wasn't trimmed, and while very cute, it was impractical. But also loved the aerodynamics of it!

Yes, we are fortunate with our groomer. She and her sister are pretty much the only game in town here (the one every dog you meet goes to), but the price of success is that you have to book a puppy cut 7 wks out!


----------



## judith

thanks amy and vic, 9 month old coco is also cream with gold (sable) ears. i don't know what color her ears would grow in if trimmed. i think after this time i will give it a try and groom her myself. vic do you follow the directions in diane's book or have your own method? what grooming tools do you use, nail clippers etc. i just bought the sampler box of coat handler products and am satisifed with them. her matting is so bad right now i am spending up to 2 hours working on them. i waited too long for her appointment and she is way overdue, never again! vic you are certainly lucky to lve so close to tom and have sitting available. i would settle for the 40s!


----------



## Amy R.

Coco, I love the name! And she's just about Biscuit's age. So all 3 dogs are the same color. I am partial to the creams. Good luck with the mats and grooming, Judith. I have terrible hand coordination, always have, so my hat's off to anyone who can do this work themselves. Maybe Biscuit doesn't mat that much because he leads such a sheltered life with us. When he's at the dog sitter's, running wild with another Havanese and a Bichon, he tends to mat more.


----------



## vicw

judith said:


> thanks amy and vic, 9 month old coco is also cream with gold (sable) ears. I don't know what color her ears would grow in if trimmed. i think after this time i will give it a try and groom her myself. vic do you follow the directions in diane's book or have your own method? what grooming tools do you use, nail clippers etc. i just bought the sampler box of coat handler products and am satisifed with them. her matting is so bad right now i am spending up to 2 hours working on them. i waited too long for her appointment and she is way overdue, never again! vic you are certainly lucky to lve so close to tom and have sitting available. i would settle for the 40s!


Hi Judith, Sorry to be so late in responding. We have been busy with three of our daughters and their families visiting to celebrate Grandma's birthday, so there hasn't been much time for checking the forum. My 6 year old grandson and I just finished brushing out Maggie. He is very affectionate and gentle with animals, so it was a great experience.

I hesitate to give anyone grooming advice, since I'm a rank amateur, and learning as I go. I guess I follow Diane's book, pretty much. I like to use the little battery powered trimmer that Diane's book recommends for between her foot pads. It's sized just right for that area, and it doesn't seem possible to cause any injury with it, I also bought a big trimmer, but I don't see any real use for it, so that was kind of a waste, I think. I prefer to use the scissor for the puppy cut, anyway.

I have a nice, sturdy table, which Diane recommends. Well worth the money. When we are working on her sensitive areas, though, we have resorted to having my wife help to hold her on her side, and comfort her on the couch.

I have a couple of slicker brushes, but I don't like to use either of them. It just doesn't feel right to me. After seeing your comment, I went back and took another look at Diane's grooming section, and noted that she says that slicker brushes are useless on a Havanese. I will have to talk with Tom and Pam about that, next time we see them, to get their opinions.

I like to use the rotating pin comb and a Chris Christensen flexible #27 brush, with no nubs. It's slightly oversized, but used gently, it does the job.

Although I hated the Matbreaker tool that was the original discussion on this thread, I recently purchased a different tool at Petsmart, called a Groomax 9 Blade Dematter. It looks pretty intimidating, but it's relatively inexpensive, and I couldn't resist at least trying it out. I've used it a few times, and I feel that rounded blade tips make it much less likely that Maggie will be cut with it, and it's easier to observe the sharp edge to avoid cutting myself than with the Matbreaker. I just gently work the tool through the mats repeatedly, then comb it out. It seems pretty effective, so far.

Trimming nails is my nemesis. Many years ago, I overtrimmed a nail on one of our dogs, and the result really scared me. I tend to be too conservative with my trimming. I just hope I get to have a visit with Pam freqently enough to keep them under control.


----------



## radar_jones

I Just Love Maggie's Pic. She has colourings like Radar does. Very Sweet. I Love the Doggie Grin...

Derek


----------



## vicw

radar_jones said:


> I Just Love Maggie's Pic. She has colourings like Radar does. Very Sweet. I Love the Doggie Grin...
> 
> Derek


Thanks, Derek I agree on that picture. That was when she was just a little puppy, but it's my favorite, so far. I think all of the Hav pictures on this forum are a joy to look at.


----------



## radar_jones

Your Welcome. She's very adorable and I can't wait until Radar get's bigger and fills out more. He's got adorable eyes and his hair is in the way a bit but other than that he's a very good Hav.

Derek


----------



## Havtahava

Vic, I'd love to see Maggie's photo now that she's older too. I love her face!


By the way, I was just reminded today of a dog that I saw injured by one of those dematting rakes. The person grooming was working on the rear end of the dog and accidentally caught one of the blades on the rectum of the dog because it wiggled. That was a sure sign that those tools are evil!!


----------



## vicw

Havtahava said:


> Vic, I'd love to see Maggie's photo now that she's older too. I love her face!
> 
> By the way, I was just reminded today of a dog that I saw injured by one of those dematting rakes. The person grooming was working on the rear end of the dog and accidentally caught one of the blades on the rectum of the dog because it wiggled. That was a sure sign that those tools are evil!!


I'll try to get one or two more recent pictures uploaded.

Ouch. That sounds horrible, and you're probably right about the tools. I'd love to say that the risk of injury isn't a problem with Maggie because she holds perfectly still for her groomiing, but that would be the lie of the century. She's pretty accomodating for much of it, but when I am working on her legs, rump or chest area, it's a challenge. I'm hoping that with age and maturity she will become more placid, but that's probably just a fantasy.


----------



## radar_jones

Oh man that sounds extremely painful to have one of those tools with the sharp hooks catching a Hav on the rear like that....was there any blood? I think I would have been very scared to have something like that happen to Radar. It would be very tragic.

Derek


----------

