grooming help

[meloney garrett]

Hi everyone!  got a question. I usually get my doodle groomed every 8 weeks or so.  just this past monday I took Bentley to a new groomer... mine moved :(  they said he was very matted close to the skin.  I brush bentely but maybe not well enough? anyway they had to shave him :( I feel horrible how could i not know he was matted? Plus they charged me $100 for the shave.  Bentley has more poodle fur than golden fur.  He has thick fur too.  I love to keep him at about 2 inches of fur all the time but he gets so matted.  what can I do to help stop that from happening? now he looks like a poodle... hate that!  Can i get him shampooed and conditioned and blown out in between the grooming?  any suggestions would be great! ps.  Bentley is a boy, he is 95 pounds and white!

[Stella]

Wow, that is a lot of money for a shave down! I would suggest that you join the grooming group for lots of great help and advice about coat care, grooming, and how to get the groomer to do what you want!

[Camilla and Darwin]

Are you brushing and combing him? I brush Darwin every single day, brush with a slicker then comb with a fine toothed comb. Many members also have to do this, in order to keep their coats mat free.

[Lynda Kamrath]

I have two doodles that are very different.  The goldendoodle, 90 pounds, does not mat at all, and requires very little grooming.  The ALD has very thick, curly hair and he mats everywhere.  I am trying to cord him, so mats are welcome.  Are you  thinking of doing your own grooming (shampoo, condition, and blow dry) or do you want to take him to a groomer to have that done on a regular basis?  Our dogs have never been to a groomer and we have done all our own grooming for 30 years (and many poodles and doodles).  If you have the time, and inclination, it is very satisfying to do your own grooming.  You may not want to do the cutting, but the bathing is easy to do on a regular basis.  Give it a try.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Yes, give it a try--and join the grooming group! But if you want to use the groomer, then you will need to comb him in between and, as Camilla said, a brush does not do it--you are just brushing the surface--I made the same mistake when I first got my doodle and had the same results. I groom her and other doodles myself now and the mats really are at the skin! So, after you brush, you need to get a steel comb that has teeth that are close together at one end and farther apart at the other end. Comb with the end with widely spaced teeth first and then work up to the closely spaced teeth. You can also get a mat zapper--a thing that looks like a comb with just 4 or 5 teeth spaced a good distance apart, but actually has razor sharp edges on one side of the teeth that you pull through to cut out the mats--used when the mats are big and really "set in" to the coat. 

Believe it or not, I have an old steel comb that has 2 inch teeth that are almost an inch apart that my daughter bought years ago to comb out her horse's tail! It is a great way to start on the mats if the coat is really thick and I use it a lot on tails too.

Good luck and remember, it grows back--oh, and I agree that $100 is a lot for shaving--it is the easiest route for the groomer to take. 

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I think after your initial investment in the right tools (the grooming group have all the information you need) you will end up saving money and any mistakes will be your own.  I agree with the others, Riley hasn't started to go through the coat change yet so I don't know what that will bring but I brush and comb him every day and every few weeks shave between his paw pads, shave a little below his ears and pluck out the hair inside his ears, do a sani trim, nails and trim around his feet.  It doesn't take too long and I'm very happy to do it myself.  If you don't want to do anything yourself then you need to find a really good groomer you can trust and bring Bentley very regularly.  Even with that you still at the very least need a really good comb and brush to do basic maintenance daily, otherwise you will end up with a matted dog who will always need to be shaved down.  The Grooming Group is the place to go.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

The good news is that you are at the perfect place to start and learn to keep up with him.  The one thing I'm not sure about is how old Bentley is so I'm not sure if he was going through the coat change or not.  Lots of good advice here.  Best is to join the grooming group, invest in some good tools and then just spend some quality time with Bentley.  If you brush him regularly, it shouldn't be a lengthly process.  I agree as well that $100 for a shave down was robbery!  I would not go back to that groomer.  And, yes you can have him bathed and brushed out between haircuts.  If you decide to do it yourself, make sure that you have him completely matt free before bathing.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I had to buy a Les Pooches brush for Myla, she has the very thick matting hair also. She's been shaved a few times. I think this brush is worth the cost, it seems to get through the thickness.