# how often do you brush your Hav?



## Suuske747 (May 9, 2007)

Hello All,
I've been reading many ppl having problems with "matting", am I correct in assuming that means entanglements of the fur? (sorry, Dutch person here )

That sort of makes me wonder how often you brush your Hava?









Sierra only has knots in her fur after she's been playing wildly for hours with her furry friends.

Basically she never has knots....I give her a brush and comb every other morning....it's so easy, takes 10 minutes....and never a problem with the fur.....it's in perfect condition as well.....even though she's going into her adult fur now....no problems at all.....








So how often do you brush/comb?


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Our show dogs might get brushed once a week if they are lucky. Everyone else gets a puppy cut and they might see a brush every three weeks or so. When they are going through the blowing puppy coat stage it does pay to stay ahead of it more often.


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## Greg (Oct 25, 2006)

Jake hasn't been brushed since Nationals in 2005. The others get it once a week whether they need it or not


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## DAJsMom (Oct 27, 2006)

Dusty is in a full coat and does seem to be blowing coat (she's 14 months, and I see lots of new hair coming in). I brush her every other day. If I wait longer she and I are both unhappy! If I brush every day it's a breeze. She rarely has anything but very small mats. She does have a very wavy coat. We have more matting problems if she has been out and about in her harness or collar, but the every other day brushing seems to keep everything very manageable.


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## dboudreau (Jan 12, 2007)

Sam is 16 months old with a show coat, if I don't brush him every day or two he is horrible mess. But he plays in the woods and collects every twig and leaf in his coat. If I don't keep on top of them he mats. And he may still be changing his coat too.


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## cruisingd (May 18, 2007)

*grooming*

Buster my gorgeous little boy havanese loves the beach the woods,and the lake.unfortunately right now hes extremely matted and ive tried everything.I walked into the little dog grooming place at the end of my street the other day and was told he would need to be shaved.Is this normal?When he was younger the coat was fine but now hes two I can not keep up with his coat...........................any solutions


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

It never took more than a few minutes to brush thru Tripps coat-no mats ever. Then when he turned approx 10 months, his hair would mat if you just looked at it. I also tried a new shampoo recently & that was a BIG mistake. He matted like crazy. I went back to his old shampoo & conditioner and it helps a great deal.
I am trying to grow out Dreamers coat. She looks sooo cute with bangs now. But i can see why her breeder kept her hair short. Its more manageable.
I love their hair long though. Now i try to brush them if not every day, its every other day. That way they still love me because i am not hurting them!!


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Bugsy is almost 11 month old and I think he might have started his coat blowing stage (not sure). I brush him every single day because he gets two off leash walks a day at the park or beach or both and he gets everything you can imagine in his coat. If I don't do it daily, I will be in trouble.

Curisingd - welcome to the forum. I am a reletively new Hav owner, so I am not sure what's going on with Buster, maybe coat blowing stage. Our breeders would probably have some good suggestions for you. How badly is Buster matted. Is it all the way down to the skin and where are the mats?


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## MaddiesMom (Apr 1, 2007)

I have to brush Maddie every day. She's in full coat, she's almost 10 months and *definitely* blowing her puppy coat. I get little tangles of hair out when I brush or comb her. She used to never mat and I only brushed her every other day or so, even though she didn't need it. Now, if I miss a day, I'll be sorry. If I keep on top of it every single day, its so much easier for me and way more easy on her. I'll be thrilled when this puppy coat blowing stage is over!!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I try to brush every 2-3 days, but she's still a puppy and thinks the brush is a toy and tries to play with it! lol She's not matting yet........but time will tell

Kara


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

I try to brush 2 times a week. Cash is no problem- he has a straighter thicker coat - he takes 5 minutes to brush out (and he's only 6 months) But Jasper at a year and a half has tons of mats, even in a puppy coat- could this be to blowing coat? he has a much finer curlier coat than Cash. He is also extremely sensitive and hates, to be brushed, and he will not tollerate the vrake. I usually end up cutting out the mats as not to torture him.


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

I used to only have to brush Ricky every few days, but then he started blowing his puppy coat and that was that!  If I don't brush him every day, it gets pretty bad. Like Dusty, Ricky has a very thick and wavy coat. His ends were damaged too, so it created even more of a mess. I finally got some great conditioner spray, but on Tues. I decided I'd be cutting him down.

Now........ well, he's a cinch to brush!! lol I am loving it! 

Cruisingd, I would NOT shave your Hav down unless you really have to! Many groomers will say it's necessary because it's just a lot easier for THEM. Mats can hurt the dog if they are close to the skin. They pull and tighten and it becomes harder and harder to get them untangled. Sometimes you really do have to shave or cut right close to the skin.

Have you tried a really good conditioner (not human, but for dogs) and work at the mats? There are many posts in here covering that problem and here are a couple of sites you might want to check out - http://www.mts.net/~mckay55/grooming.html

http://bichonhabanero.tripod.com/grooming.htm

http://www.amoritas.net/index_files/Page1261.html

http://www.rumbaclubhavanese.com/Grooming/grooming.htm

Good luck, Cruisingd! Do whatever you feel works best for you and for you pooch.


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## Suuske747 (May 9, 2007)

*I agree*

I agree marj,

here we have a brand called Petsilk (can only be ordered, it's not sold in the stores) and that too has great lotions and conditioners to help....and then again, if it's tangled up really badly....then just do bits at a time....
I ordered an anti-static lotion over winter, she was so static hahaha! It was funny! You only need one drop for the whole fur, it worked brilliantly!

I just realised the only time Sierra's has matting, is after really long walks (+1hr), around her neck where her collar is....dogs are not allowed to walk without leash in general.... at home she doesn't wear it of course...
and I haven't found a smooth collar yet that will not mat the fur...


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## Rita (Jan 1, 2007)

I brush Houston every day. Sometimes twice a day. OK. I am obsessed. I do it mainly because I am trying to get him used to the brush. He still runs like hell when I bring it out. LOL. If I skip a day or two his coat is fine. The groomer did say he was the most pampered pooch she has seen in awhile. I guess I do his hair better than my own. LOL


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

That's good, Rita! Better to get him used to daily brushings now when matting isn't an issue. Once he blows his coat, then you'll really have a time of it! I did the same with Ricky and it was nothing to comb him for 5 mins. every day. Now that he's 10 months old, he'll even lie down and close his eyes while I groom. Keep up the good work!


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

I comb every day,and if I have missed........oh good grief!It takes twice as long.I try really hard not to skip a day.Quince gets little mats ,that if not brushed out grow into bigger ones.....yikes!


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## juscha (May 24, 2007)

I brush Banzei two or three times a week. He's 15month old and whether he's matting or not depends pretty much on the weather. Rain and moisty weather means a lot of tangling :-(


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Shelby only needs to be brushed once a week, but I've seen more mats lately. Maybe she is blowing coat - she's 7.5 mos.

Kodi needs to be brushed every other day :frusty: He mats a lot so I usually try to do 1/2 of him one day, and 1/2 the next, then legs a third day. His coat is growing in nicely now. It's just abnout a year since he was shaved down.

I've been using Coat Handlers and Plush Puppy products. So far I like the Plush Puppy best. I bought a Chris Christianson pin brush at a dog show and can see a difference when brushing. It gets through the hair and doesn't pull.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Smarty is only 3.5 months, but I brush he a little every day. She enjoys it except when she goes into an area of our woods that has the little round green hitch hikers (not sure what every one else calls them). It is a job getting all of them out of her coat and feet.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

The oak trees have all shed their "flowers" and they stick to the pups like glue. They come in covered with them and the only way to get them out is to pull them out. They are such a mess when they come back from a walk.


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## Doggie Nut (Oct 20, 2006)

We have "cockle burrs" here in Texas.  Everytime I take Valentino out he is like a vacuum.....he's covered with them when we come in.:jaw: The ONLY way to remove them is by hand. Anyone else have these annoying little things???:rant: Before they showed up I rarely had to brush him....his coat is nice & thick!:focus:


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## Judy A (Jan 13, 2007)

I brush Izzy every day....so far she has only had two minor little mats. I am so afraid that when she starts to blow her puppy coat that we will face a different challenge! I don't want to cut her because of those beautiful black tips! I'm hoping she will be one of the lucky ones that doesn't mat easily! I do like the shorter, puppy cuts however, so wish she didn't have the tips to loose....


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

I brush/comb Lincoln (in the photo to the left) every other day for 30 minutes. It keeps him mostly mat-free. He has a very dense thick puffy coat and he is a large Hav (18 lbs) so he has a lot of surface area. My puppy Scout is smaller with a much less dense coat and takes only 5-10 minutes to comb completely through. I had to groom Lincoln daily though until he was about 15 mos. when his coat "settled" down. He blew coat around 10 mos. and also again around 1 yr. and 10 mos. I ruined his coat around 1 yr using silicone-based products which was a disaster. He is in very good shape now! I keep him in a modified full-coat (shortened a bit so it doesn't drag on the ground, and I trim the legs and feet down a bit).


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Jane,

Lincoln is such a good looking boy. We would love to see full body shots.


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

I totally agree, Julia! Jane, I love that avatar of Lincoln and would love to see more of him and your Scout.

They both sound like they have Ricky's and Sammy's coat. Totally different from each other.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Thanks, Julia and Marj! Here are some photos of Lincoln and Scout:


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Jane,

OMG Lincoln is gorgeous and that coat is amazing, could be enough for two dogs. He gives a new meaning to the word "profuse". And your little baby Scout is just as cute as a button. 

Thanks for sharing.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Thanks for your kind comments, Julia! We call him the "fur farm." And he has been trimmed to keep his hair off the ground and thinned a lot around the neck (otherwise, he's got a lion's mane)!

Jane


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## MopTop Havanese (Sep 25, 2006)

Jane!
Lincoln looks awesome! His muzzle is so white...what's your secret?
You know I loved giving him his first haircut.....and I TOLD you that you would be able to do it yourself! And Scout is just a doll baby!
We need to get together soon~ Will you be going to the Nor Cal get together at the end of the month? I am going to try and be there....probably won't bring the whole crew with me, but I will bring Jester for sure!


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Hi Katie!!

It's been too long since we've seen you! I hope I can make it to the June gathering - if hubby comes too, then I'll try to bring Scout (someone has to manage his carsickness....) 

It's the Tylan powder that has eliminated Lincoln's muzzle staining - I posted to the forum about it on the "staining" thread. It was the only thing that worked. His muzzle was totally brown in Dec '06 - but by March, he was looking so good!

Thanks again for the hours you spent giving Lincs his first haircut - and for letting me watch your every move! I enjoy doing my own grooming on my boys - your encouragement really helped me!:biggrin1: 

Jane


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Wowie! That Lincoln sure has beautiful coloring! Scout is a cutie too! You must really have your hands full brushing out those coats.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Both boys are now in very, very short puppy cuts. I miss their longish coats- but not the brushing or in Jaspers case the mats :frusty: - They look a little funny now-but in a month they will be perfect:whoo: and it will be another month to 6 weeks after that before they start matting again. and they seem much more comfortable on hot days. I know those of you who show don't have the option to cut the coat but it sure works for the boys.


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

*Maintaining the puppy cut and dematting*

I try to brush Benji every day but more often it is every other day. He is matting a lot. It feels like I turn around and mats just sprout on him! The mad rough play and Lizzie pulling and clamping on his fur compounds the problem! It takes me an hour or more to gently demat. Poor baby is always patient. I love his longish puppy cut but his matting is discouraging. Benji is 13 months.

How many times and for how long do you brush your furbabies every day? Do you take out all the mats or work on a few every day?

Thanks!


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

I try to brush them a little each day. Right now, Kodi is very eay to brush. I think he is finally in his adult coat, very little matting. Shelby has an easier coat, but for the past 2 or three months, she has been matting a lot. She started blowing coat at 10 mos or so, and it hasn't stopped yet. It is slowing down.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Hi Poornima!

I'm sorry to hear about Benji's matting. Scout is the same age and at the same stage - still blowing coat. I am grooming him every other day - it takes about 30 minutes for me to get through his coat and demat. But if I go 3 days w/o grooming, then it can take up to an hour to demat him, so it really is better to keep on top of it. Every day is not too much! If you groom every day, you can then concentrate on the body one day, and the legs the next day. 

Is Benji matting all over? Or just in the same/certain places? Also, just having a short coat may not solve the matting problem....
Scout also gets some matting at the skin level. It is really important not to just brush, but to also go through and comb down to the skin level. Otherwise you can end up with a solidly matted dog underneath what looks like a "normal" coat...

What technique are you using to go through the mats? I really like Elaine's technique -- using a wire comb, just the end tine, holding it parallel to the direction of hair growth and pulling it towards you to unravel the outer edge of the mat, working your way inwards. I can show you next time we get together. 

I think you will get faster with practice and refining your technique....I have built up my dematting muscles with Lincoln :biggrin1: And be careful...I ended up with a dematting injury (a swollen tendon) a long time ago.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I brush Milo every day (well almost, have missed a few when I've been exhausted). I do it at night before we both go to sleep. It's a ritual. He tolerates it at best these days since he's been blowing coat. Thank goodness the matting has slowed down a bit the past week or so because the process was painful for us both. Prior to that it took only a few minutes and I brushed him twice a day for the first few months. These days brushing him is a treasure hunt, or as Forrest Gump said, " . . . is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get." :frusty:


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Poornima,

Let me start off by saying that Benji is just gorgeous and I love his incredible, thick coat. I can just feel the weight of his coat through the picture. lol I can understand why you would want to keep him in his long puppy cut. 

Bugsy will be 18 months on the 21st and his hair isn't matting too bad anymore. His coat is no where near as profuse as Benji's and really more on the silkier, finer side. Having said that, I brush him every single day, twice a day, as he gets really messy and dirty during his two off leash walks a day (of course the paws get washed as neede). It doesn't take me long, maybe 10 minutes every time and I do get all the mats out if there are any. At times I really feel like putting him in a 1.5 to 2 inch puppy cut, but I just can't.


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Ladies, take it from me. It does get better. Kodi has a very full, cottony coat. When he matted, it was like someone crazy glued his hair together. The last time he went through that stage, it took me over 3 hours to demat him, and I did it over a 3 day period. I couldn't torture us to do it all at one. 

Now, he rarely gets a mat as long as I keep up with brushing. He is still like a puffball, but he looks much better now.


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Michele, Benji too started to blow his coat around the 10th month. If the matting slows down around 18 months, that's good news! I would be happy to deal with only one coat blowin Hav at a time....Lizzie should start blowing her coat in about 5 months!

Jane, Benji is matting all over. I line brush him with grey hound comb all the way to the skin. I spray Coat Handler's antistatic detangler on the comb as well as the brushes. I use Mark Kolbe's detangler brush after the mats are out and then I use the pin brush to brush the fur. Since he has never yelped or cried with pain even once while I brushed him, it looks like my technique is not torturing him while I demat. . However, I would love to learn proper technique. Has Lincoln stopped matting? Do you brush them both every day? Thanks for warning about the dematting injury! It would be a disaster if one is unable to brush the furbabies due to it :Cry:

Julia, thanks for your kind words! We really enjoy Benji's lovely luxuriant soft coat. 

Geri, I noticed that Benji's matting slowed down 3-4 weeks after it started. It was so negligible that I thought he was done with coat blowing. But no such luck! The hardest area to demat is under his arms, chest and the neck.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

Poornima said:


> Geri, I noticed that Benji's matting slowed down 3-4 weeks after it started. It was so negligible that I thought he was done with coat blowing. But no such luck! The hardest area to demat is under his arms, chest and the neck.


The hardest part for me (and him I suspect) is his ears. Yikes! Although they don't seem as bad as they were a few weeks ago either. Fingers crossed.


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Poornima said:


> Jane, Benji is matting all over. I line brush him with grey hound comb all the way to the skin. I spray Coat Handler's antistatic detangler on the comb as well as the brushes. I use Mark Kolbe's detangler brush after the mats are out and then I use the pin brush to brush the fur. Since he has never yelped or cried with pain even once while I brushed him, it looks like my technique is not torturing him while I demat. . However, I would love to learn proper technique. Has Lincoln stopped matting? Do you brush them both every day? Thanks for warning about the dematting injury! It would be a disaster if one is unable to brush the furbabies due to it :Cry:


Elaine advised me to just trim the mats under the armpits if they are not visible. I forgot to ask you how you position Benji when you are dematting. I groom my dogs on my bed. For the chest/neck, I lie them on their backs, in between my legs, with their heads resting on my feet (the soles of my feet are kind of together). They are quite comfy that way and will tolerate a longer session. I just could not get them comfortable on a hard grooming table, even with a towel, etc. Also, I do it just before bed, when they are sleepier  and less likely to put up a fuss. If I am lucky, they fall asleep.

Your technique sounds very thorough and extremely careful - and that will definitely take time. I mainly use a comb and pin brush (and sometimes scissors and flea comb). I brush through first to help me find the mats and to brush out the surrounding hair. I use the comb to untangle the mat and work it all out. If it is huge and tight, I'll make little cuts into the mat (but not cutting out the mat - that will leave an ugly hole in the coat). Sometimes, there are little tangle "balls" left on the coat where the mat was - I use the flea comb to get those out (otherwise they will create more mats!) I hold the hair at the skin level to minimize yanking, but I'm sure they do feel some tugging. They have developed a tolerance for it. But I can tell if Lincoln is feeling yanked - he will bring his nose to the area I'm working on. Scout will start to squirm or lick my feet. So then I go more slowly.

Lincoln still gets mats, but many fewer now. It actually takes me less time to brush him out now than Scout sometimes! So hang in there - the adult coat really is easier to take care of. Benji is really so cute with his long hair. Also, don't feel pressured to have a 100% mat free dog every day - working through him in sections for now might have to be how it goes.

Oh, after I get a mat out, I spray the area again with CHC - that seems to help that area stay mat free a little bit longer than if I don't spray.

One day at time.....one mat at a time....one dog at a time.....

You will be much faster by the time Lizzie gets there!


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Another thing I forgot to mention is that I use a detanger (either spray or foam) to help me get the mats out. That and my greyhound comb are the two main things that help me keep Bugsy in the longer coat.


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

Poornima, 
It does get better. My girls hardly ever mat anymore (knock on wood!) and when they do the mats are fairly easy to remove. I thought I'd never get to that point. I use the same technique that Jane uses with the comb, which Elaine showed me, and it works well. 
With my girls, they each blew coat at around 10 months and again at around 2 years old. At the 10 month stage I put them in puppy cuts because I couldn't stand to torture them each night. It was so hard to keep up with. I remember after one session with Sedona, I put her down and she promptly threw up. I felt HORRIBLE for putting her through that. After that, it was puppy cut time!


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## AgilityHav (Aug 20, 2007)

I *always* brush Hailey at least once a day, for about 5-10 minutes. Recently, since we are going to start specialing her in a few weeks, i have been spraying in a conditioner, brushing through with a pin brush while blow drying. About every other week I put her in oil for about 3-4 days during which time I dont brush her at all, yet in oil, she dosnt mat.


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## Lynn (Jan 2, 2007)

Jane said:


> Oh, after I get a mat out, I spray the area again with CHC - that seems to help that area stay mat free a little bit longer than if I don't spray.
> 
> *One day at time.....one mat at a time....one dog **at a time.....*
> 
> ...


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Lynn said:


> I have a question for you.....what is CHC ?


Hi Lynn,

CHC is Coat Handler's Conditioner :biggrin1:


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I brush them every 1-2 days. Even though they are in the puppy cut, I like to do it!


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Well, I am happy to say that I think Kodi is finally in his adult coat. He has been my worst nighmare, but last night it only took me 15 minutes to brush him. It took me about 1/2 hr to do Shelby, because she is still matting a bit.
They're due for a bath, but it is so wet outside, it is a waste of time.


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## Tritia (Nov 17, 2007)

Since Cooper is in a puppy cut now (which I LOVE and will never, ever go back). I brush him umm...well, never? lol. 
I think I've brushed him once, MAYBE twice in the last month.


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## Poornima (Jun 29, 2007)

Jane, thank you so much for the detailed instructions. I believe I was following the correct technique just instinctvely. I groom them on a rug which is covered with a piddle pad. While cleaning their eyes and ear, I hold them in my lap. I had used CHC sometime ago while dematting him and forgot to do it again. I think that was the time I thought Benji was done with dematting. Obviously, CHC is effective. I use the brushes only after the area is mat free. I also use the fleacomb to comb out the tangle balls. I really like the using the greyhound comb and flea comb in combination. The final brushing in pin brush really makes the difference after all the mats are out. Benji feels so soft. I really want to keep him in the long puppy cut and I hope I can keep up ....One day at time.....one mat at a time....one dog at a time

Thanks everyone for your tips and suggestions. 

Susan, do you think feeding the raw diet is acutally improving the coat and causing less mats in McKenna and Sedona?


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## dotndani (Mar 19, 2007)

I keep Duncan in a puppy cut for that very reason.He gets brushed every other day or so and it's a big to do since he keeps trying to bite the comb.So I give him one to bite and use another to get the job done.
I have noticed that now his harness is starting to give him mats so I may have to switch to a collar for a little while.
Dot


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## maryam187 (Jul 18, 2007)

I brush Pablo (15.5 weeks) 1x/day just so he gets used to it. I'm sure it'll help me in the future to have a grooming-tolerant puppy, so scared of the coat blowing!


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## amy-ciara (Jan 5, 2008)

All my Ladies daily.

In the moment I´m injured, so my neighbour (Sammys Mum) is doing that every 2. day. (My husband is not so good in brushing Havcoats).


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## Susanne (Jan 5, 2008)

I don't brush the dogs more than necessary. Only once or twice a day :frusty: 

Clyde is in the "matting-age" and he loves it to play in the mud... Sometimes it's necessary to bath him daily :biggrin1:
Bonny is a lady and she likes brushing...


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## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Susanne and Amy-Ciara,

Your dogs are all so beautiful! I just love their avatars. :biggrin1:


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## mckennasedona (Feb 20, 2007)

> Susan, do you think feeding the raw diet is acutally improving the coat and causing less mats in McKenna and Sedona?


No, not really. I think it's simply their ages that has them matting less. Elaine once told me that they tend to blow coat and cause ferocious mats at around 10 months and again at around 2 years old and I did find that to be true. They will still get mats but it's not the "all over, everywhere, every second of the day" matting that happened before. This morning I noticed they have matching mats near their right ears that I will tackle this afternoon when I get home.


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