# Combing



## April R (Oct 29, 2016)

I just got the 005 butter comb for Jade. It is bigger than I thought but it seems to work well. Jade is 4 months and has silky hair, my question is will it most likely stay silky? My previous Havi girl was cream/white and she was silky. Jade is a sable parti. Our previous boys were cottony and did better in a puppy cut.

When I comb her should I line comb her? The comb seems to go to her skin, I like the heaviness of the comb. I did note that she had a couple knots on her backside. I was able to get them out by holding the area and gently combing. 

Any suggestions for me? Does their coat change, at what age. My other girl stayed silky from puppy on. 
Thanks! I would like to keep Jade in a full coat so want to make sure we are combing, brushing her correctly. 

She does well when I comb her, she stands on the table and doesn't fight me.


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## Zoe093014 (Jan 27, 2015)

Hi April,
Zoe is my first Havanese and she is 2. Her hair is very soft and silky. She's not as forgiving if I try to take mats out but I was wondering if you use any products for the mats? 

Linda and Zoe


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## April R (Oct 29, 2016)

Linda
I haven't tried anything yet, but I saw some folks on here use cornstarch to help get mats out. Do you use the Chris Christensen butter comb? I picked it up on recommendation of this forum and I like it so far.


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## Zoe093014 (Jan 27, 2015)

Yes, I use the CC comb as well. I also have a wooden brush and a small soft slicker. I have tried taking out some tiny mats but if I accidentally pinch her ever so slightly she backs away. Otherwise she's willing to stand. I have tried corn starch but hadn't noticed much improvement. Thanks.


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## April R (Oct 29, 2016)

What slicker brush do you use? I need to get one. Hopefully someone will comment on other products for mats. So far we are doing good, no mats just tiny knots that have come out with combing.


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## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

You're going to have a hard time getting any mats out without using some sort of conditioning spray. I use Espana, but have seen Cowboy Magic, CC Ice on Ice, and others recommended. 
With a difficult mat, I saturate it with the spray then do the best I can to separate it into easier to manage sections, loosening the mat up as I go. Then I grab it at the base so that I'm not pulling at their skin and start gently working it out with just a couple teeth of the comb from the end to the base.
Adult coats, while still silky, tend to be less soft than puppy coats. "Raw silk floss" is a way I've heard it described. In some dogs, coat change isn't as noticeable, but they all go through it. Nino started around 8.5 months old and is hopefully nearing the end.
Line combing is always recommended, even if it seems like it's going to the skin. You don't really know until it is too late. I usually do it from belly to back (one half at a time) but occasionally go from rear to chest (also half at a time). Mist the spray over it so the area is slightly damp, then comb from root to end, switching to end to root if you find a tangle. I usually finish each section with a pin brush or slicker just to fluff up a bit.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Trufffles coat was very light and silky as a puppy. Her coat is still the same... only longer. Pure Paws Hydrating Mist or CC Ice on Ice really help when trying to picking out mats with a slicker. They make the coat slippery. 😊


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## April R (Oct 29, 2016)

Thank you! That is the information I was looking for! My previous Havanese were in puppy cuts as I really didn't do a good job of combing/ brushing. I want Jade's coat longer so want to do it right this time!


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## Paddington (Feb 15, 2016)

April R said:


> What slicker brush do you use? I need to get one. Hopefully someone will comment on other products for mats. So far we are doing good, no mats just tiny knots that have come out with combing.


Hi April,

Paddington knots and matts easily. I purchased CC Ice on Ice as it had very good reviews on this forum. I must say that I also have found it to be an excellent product (admittedly through I had only tried two other types of spray conditioner prior to this). I also purchased the #012 all fine buttercomb. Whilst I really like this comb and its size for my hand I found that the tines were not spaced close enough together to break up all of Paddington's knots and matts. I had previously resisted buying a slicker because quite frankly they look a bit scary and I was always worried they would be too harsh on his skin. Anyway, I recently bought a CC tiny x slicker for this purpose. The tines whilst still fairly spaced apart are much finer than the #012 buttercomb and I have found it really effective in getting right into a matt to break it up. I was surprised to find that Paddington has no problem with me using it - I now use it to brush him all over and not just on matted areas.


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## April R (Oct 29, 2016)

Thanks! I did purchase an Oscar Frank small slicker brush as some folks on here have used it. I also purchased the CC Ice on Ice for a conditioning spray. We are lucky that Jade is a good girl for grooming. She will still go to our groomers but I wanted to be able to keep her in nice condition in between grooming appointments.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

You probably won't need the slicker right now, but when Jade has her adult coat it will make brushing and removing mats so much easier! You will be all prepared! 😊


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

I'm one that loves cornstarch for small mats. I use quite a bit and kind of work it into the mat. I find that the mats will almost slide apart with the cornstarch application. 

Willow's coat has changed over the past year. She was 9 months when I got her. He coat seemed really fine and not really thick. Kind of frizzy too. I've noticed that it has changed. It is now thicker and silkier and not as fine and frizzy. I didn't realize that there was a puppy coat vs. an adult coat when I got her. In looking back I think she still had the puppy coat when I got her at 9 months of age. Also, now with the heavier coat I find she doesn't mat as bad and when she does mat, they are not as hard to get out. I don't know if that is typical of an adult coat vs. a puppy coat, but it seems to be for her.

I have seen some of the posts in this thread refer to line combing. I don't understand what is meant by that.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> I'm one that loves cornstarch for small mats. I use quite a bit and kind of work it into the mat. I find that the mats will almost slide apart with the cornstarch application.
> 
> Willow's coat has changed over the past year. She was 9 months when I got her. He coat seemed really fine and not really thick. Kind of frizzy too. I've noticed that it has changed. It is now thicker and silkier and not as fine and frizzy. I didn't realize that there was a puppy coat vs. an adult coat when I got her. In looking back I think she still had the puppy coat when I got her at 9 months of age. Also, now with the heavier coat I find she doesn't mat as bad and when she does mat, they are not as hard to get out. I don't know if that is typical of an adult coat vs. a puppy coat, but it seems to be for her.
> 
> I have seen some of the posts in this thread refer to line combing. I don't understand what is meant by that.


It's definitely true that for most Havanese, their adult coat is MUCH easier to keep mat-free than their puppy coat.

For line combing, the dog needs to be lying on their side. you brush all the hair up, then comb down just a "line" of hair down at a time, getting all the way through it, and removing any mats as you go. You go over the entire dog that way. It's really important with the dogs with very heavy undercoats, because otherwise it can be very difficult to SEE to their skin. All three of mine have lighter undercoats, and I don't really line comb them. Kodi and Pixel don't lie down for grooming. They stand on the grooming table, and I groom them that way. They are good at letting me even get underneath them. Panda prefers to lie down while I groom her, so that's how we do it. But even with her, it's not true line combing that I do. I feel for knots, both with the comb and with my fingers. if/when I find one, I push the hair back above it, so I can work on that place alone.

You also don't really need to line comb a dog in a puppy cut. The important thing is that you get the comb all over EVERY single inch of them, not missing anywhere, and can get the comb RIGHT down to the skin without snagging. That's the only way to be sure you don't have mats grown unnoticed.


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## April R (Oct 29, 2016)

Karen, thanks so much for that information! Jade stands up for grooming too. I am able to get the CC butter comb down to the skin and can get any knots that we find. I think she will be easier than my boys were as they both had cottony heavy under coats. 

Do you use a slicker brush or mostly the comb?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

April R said:


> Karen, thanks so much for that information! Jade stands up for grooming too. I am able to get the CC butter comb down to the skin and can get any knots that we find. I think she will be easier than my boys were as they both had cottony heavy under coats.
> 
> Do you use a slicker brush or mostly the comb?


I mostly comb. I almost exclusively comb Kodi, whose hair is fully adult, and very long. Both Panda (13 months) and Pixel (21 months) still have some fluffy puppy coat that they need to lose. So for them, going through them first with a comb catches any small mats that I need to work on. Once I can get through a comb everywhere, without catching any mats, I go over them again with the slicker. This pulls any loose "puppy fluff" out of their coats before it has a chance to cause a mat later.

I will also use the slicker on Kodi's feet and the "feathers" on the back of his legs if I want him to look really nice... for photos or going into the ring and will use it all over Panda before the ring for the same reason. But that is strictly cosmetic.

I do also use (and love!) my CC wood pin brushes for fluffing them as I dry them after a bath. The wood pin brushes are easy on their skin and coat when you have to repeatedly go over them as they are drying.


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## April R (Oct 29, 2016)

Thank you!!


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Karen, thank you for the information. Sounds like I'm combing Willow like you do your dogs except for Panda! There is no way I would be able to get Willow to lie down for combing! She's pretty patient with me though. She doesn't like it but puts up with it. Even under the belly. I also will feel for mats as I comb and when I find one I work on it until I get it out. I haven't had to cut a mat out since she was a puppy and didn't really know what I was doing. Unfortunately, at first, I thought brushing would do the trick! I learned my lesson after I took her to the groomer the first time.


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