Collar Recommendations to prevent major matting

[Star and Goldie]

Is there such a thing?

I thought I read on here somewhere that leather collars are best since they don't cause as much matting but I must be making that up since I couldn't find it in my search.  Then again, I was searching for it in the middle of all the search engine remodeling.

Goldie seems to be accumulating some pretty radical mats around the collar line. Today when I picked her up from the Groomer I was scolded told to be more careful about watching this area. The groomer left the giant mats around her collar line and told me to work on them. My first thought was, well why didn't she just remove them? I had mixed feelings about her leaving them but then I took it as an educational opportunity. It is MY job to do the regular maintenance and I do want to succeed at that responsibility so I'm  not entirely upset at her for leaving them for me but I did think it was odd.

She suggested that I leave a collar off of her, especially while she goes through her coat change. I'm not completely opposed to leaving her collar off but there are times when we'll need one.

Does anyone have any collar type recommendations that may not cause as much matting? The one we have is super cute but it is causing some major matting and by major I mean it took me 1 hour just to get one side cleared up (thank God for the Safari dematting comb!)

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned can wear two kinds of collars - rolled leather and a hydro (water) collar.  His rolled leather collar is not an expensive one. I get them at PetCo or PetSmart.   His water collar is slick plastic type stuff that doesn't mold or cause sweating.  It is way cute because I customized it with monkeys and ducks.  Clancy's has  frogs and bones. Gordie has whales and water drops with bones.They are from HOT DOGS ALL DRESSED UP.  I don't know if all water collars would be slick enough to keep the coat from matting, but this brand works great.  You can e-mail the company and they will do what you want.  Ned needed the narrow one but a tad longer and it was no problem for them.

http://www.hotdogsalldressed.com/index.php?option=com_content&v...

[Ginny Nightingale]

well, those are just plain cool!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

They are and you can get them mixed like I did.  AND they honor the quality of their products.  Ned's broke and I contacted her because I wanted to order another.  She made it without charging me a penny - not even postage.  That kind of service will always get my reorder.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

My guess about your groomer is that she did not want to spend the hour it took you to de-mat just one side or charge you for the extra time to do it!  I would be glad she just did not go ahead and shave your dood.  

I hate mats-they seem to come from out of no where.  I just had to "comb/cut" one out with the dematting comb from the base of Quincy's tail- he was not happy with me!  He was shaved down mid May due to awful matting when his adult coat came in, but thankfully his tail was spared. His coat is about an inch now-just where I have to start watching.  I take his collar off when he is in his crate and at night.  

[Star and Goldie]

I had the same guess about my groomer as well, Lori. She did make mention about how much she knows I love the long coat and said "so that's why I didn't shave them down".

I really don't mind working on the mats. Oddly enough, Goldie loves our brushing/combing/de-matting time together. Whenever I grab a grooming tool, she recognizes it and goes to 'her spot' right away. I have a little chest trunk in my living room that she stands on top of. Even if I don't have a grooming tool in my hand and she wants to be brushed she jumps up there and sits and stares at me like "COME ON MOM!"

I'd just prefer to have brushing and combing bonding and not de-matting bonding time. :: SIGH ::

[Lori, Rooney & Zuzu]

I agree with cutting the fur in the collar area shorter. I always have the groomer do this and it is barely noticeable and prevents a lot of problems.

Rooney doesn't wear his collar in the house at all and since I use a harness for walks I often don't even have it on him then (although the harness can create matting too so you have to mindful of that as well). 

I've never tried the rolled collar but I do hear they help a little. Let us know if you try one and see a difference!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Huge difference, Lori.  I have tried EVERY kind of collar there is.  I have my dogs wear their collars continuously so I really know about mats and collars.  Ned MATS (note the capital letters) in the collar area.  He will mat with a cloth collar especially if it is a martingale in hours.  Harness - mats.  nylon - mats. flat leather - mats.  Rolled leather and hydro collar from Hot Dogs All Dressed UP - little matting even with 24/7 wear.

[Adrienne]

No experience in this area yet, but I am taking notes.  Thanks for posting the question :))

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Adrienne, it depends upon the dog's coat.  Ned's is high maintenance.  Clancy is a shedder and he rarely mats and can wear any collar.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Join the group "Ring Around the Collar".  There are lots of suggestions/discussions on collars!

[Star and Goldie]

Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone!

I'm going to pick up the rolled collar tomorrow and I'll gladly report how it works for us.

I'm also going to have my groomer keep that area shorter from now on (that was a fantastic suggestion!)

[Cathy, Fozzie & Shaggy]

I've always used rolled leather collars and have not had any problem with mats, even when they wear it for several days. I use a flat red snap collar on Fozzie when we are doing therapy work and haven't had any matting.
The place that bathes the boys when I can't has a sign that says if heavy matting there may be an extra 25.00 - 35.00$ charge.