Help with brushing and matting, Behavior and Size. Please!!

[Momma Doodle]

Mosley is 9 months old. We got him at 6 months and he was a mess, they had to shave him down to his skin basically. We brush him daily with a slicker type brush and I have a few other brushes we use as well. He swims weekly, he will spend hours and hours in the water. He hunts with my husband and always has burrs and twigs all over him. He is matted on his chest, where his armpits rub and on the inside of this legs. His face and ears are also prone to matting, I had to cut places out of him and shave his beard a bit. 

This is the day we got him, he was so neglected. He was 6 months old. I have no pictures without the kids, sorry. 

 

 

Here he is after grooming and being shaved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here he is now

 

Here he is wet

 

 

How do I stop the matting? His hair is so much shorter than some of the others I see here and I love the longer hair (except for the beard which is always soaking wet!) He does well with brushing but I am afraid I will hurt his skin if I brush him any harder. He is going to the groomer today (or tomorrow) and I want him to stay looking nice. 

 

He also knew nothing when we got him at 6 months. We are working on training at home daily and he only knows Sit, Shake and walks pretty good on a leash. Nothing else. He gets in the trash, gets on the counters, doesn't come when called, etc. He is the best dog ever with our kids and you couldn't ask for a sweater boy but he is dumber than a rock. Cute as can be but has no manners. We are not first time dog owners, our old lab passed away at 15 and our older girl is 9, both were so well behaved. Moe is just naughty. I am a stay at home mom so I am always with him. When we are gone he hangs out outside (we have a very secure yard, an acre, fully fenced.) He does have a crate but he has outgrown it. I have to get him better before winter, I don't want to leave him inside while I am gone. 

 

And lastly, when will he stop growing!?!? I never expected him to be  this big. He is 9 months old, weighs 79 pounds and is still growing. His paws are as big around as the palm of my hand. He is just huge as can be. He dwarfs our 100 pound yellow lab.  

Here he is with my 7yo dd. They are both sitting. 

Thanks for any and all responses! I wanted a Laberdoodle forever, he fell into our laps and I am so happy we have him. He is just such a handful! 

 

 

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

Mo is such a cute boy, but still very much a puppy.  He needs to be in a formal training class with a certified trainer it truly helps.  He just needs positive reinforcement training and he will do fine.  He is most likely not dumb as a rock either he is just testing the waters as all teens do - LOL.  I found with my Labradoodle and Goldendoodle that consistent daily training does work and also as they mature those "puppy" antics go away.  My doodles are 3 1/2 and 4 yrs. old and I still go thru their training as reinforcement, its a never ending process if you want good dogs.  Believe me my doodles are not perfect by any means, they do jump on people which we always work on that and my goldendoodle is a bit of a counter surfer.

Both my doodles are curly so they are dirt,stick,debris magnets.. I never know what I am going to find in their hair - LOL.  You will always get the matt under the arm pit but daily brushing or combing will not let him get matted and I also suggest you get a matt buster comb, its like razors for teeth and it cuts the matt out, I could not live without my matt buster !!!  Sounds like he is going thru a coat change and when that happens their hair kind of gets crazy.  

Good luck with him, he sure is a cuttie pie :)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Good advice. I would add that certain places it's good to always keep the hair shorter. I still keep armpits short. I think doodles look adorable without beards. Short hair around the anus and between paw pads. And training, training, training. I get anxious about dogs left outside. Someone could take him, it happens all the time. Or tease or torment him. I would get a very big crate since he is still so young and untrained.

[Teresa H. Ipson]

I was told about this brush called the wet brush by my hairdresser. It worked so well I bought one for Stella. It is unbelievable. Gets tangles out with no problem. I emailed the company and told them they should make brushes for pets.

[Karen & Maple]

Teresa, I think they took your advise! From the makers of 'wet brush':

http://www.amazon.com/The-Wet-Pet-Brush-Rubberized/dp/B00AWCZ4WU

I'm going to add this to my new puppy shopping list. I think it will be gentle way to get him or her used to brushing.

[Ginny Nightingale]

You have gotten good answers--let me add that 1.) your pup is going thru a transition from pup to adult in the coat--they coat mats during this time and it is because the puppy coat is changing--things should improve as far as matting after about 6-8 more months. In the meantime, keep him short, especially if he will be swimming and hunting--the water can make the mats like cement. Also, you need a steel comb with teeth to get to the skin-the slicker brush is only getting at the surface--it is a common mistake to think the knots are out, but they are not--they are just UNDER the brush. A Mat zapper is good tool too As Barbara said)--it cuts out the mats with long teeth that have a razor edge on one side--you can find them online Petedge.com is a good source.

2. Training is very important and he is ready NOW for classes--you must use positive reinforcement ALL the time to get him to listen to you--there must be a reward in it for him--If he is food motivated, you are all set--start giving him a small treat when he does what you want and you will get his attention--it is very important that you start setting limits for him and don't expect him to train himself. Classes would be good! Once he sees you as the leader, he will improve, but his issues may continue for quite a while--it takes work. In the meantime, try not to give him the opportunity to be bad (put trash up on the counter,etc) so that these behaviors do not become habits--oh, and get a bigger crate--sounds like you will need one!

Last--don't be surprised if he hits 90-100 pounds--there are very large doodles out there! We have many discussions here on DK about size and about puppy training--just use the search DK feature at the top of the page and you can get to see past discussions about counter surfing, recall, training, etc etc....lots of good info there.

[Ginny Nightingale]

One more thing--people use a product called Cowboy magic that you spray on and leave on the coat--it makes it less likely to hold the dirt or mat because it coats the hairs.

[Kary, Sparty & Stella]

I am laughing at the picture of him in a car seat! Love it!

[Tammie Ciesielka]

Me too!!  He is so cute!!

[Camilla and Darwin]

He is so adorable! As far as helping with the matts I shave Darwin under the armpits and under the ears. Those are trouble areas for him, and you can't see that the areas are shaved anyways, so it works for us. :-) 

[Tara Hopson]

Mosely is ADORABLE!!!  I use the Furminator brush, shampoo and conditioner on Tuck and it keeps the matting under control between groomings.  He also exhibited the same naughty puppy behavior that I had under control within two sessions with a private trainer, the right tools and appropriate exercise.  I still catch him sniffing up by the counter here and there but once I say, "leave it", he walks away.  These are very smart dogs.  They learn quickly so consistency is important.  Good luck! 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

He is darling and still a puppy. His behavior will get better if you are consistent in your expectations. This is NOT an insult to your previous dog experiences, but we found that our doodles are smart and, especially Ned, decides whether to obey even though he has had training. He is small and yet he is our counter surfer, trash digger, and food thief. He has trained us in that our trash baskets are closing ones or behind doors, food stuffs are not on the counters, we NEVER leave our plates on a low table. As far as the matting, it should get better in time, but he may continue to mat - Ned mats. Since Mo is so active with hunting, swimming, and lots of yard to roam, I would keep him on the short side - it is just for your sanity. There are products that help. I met some people who have Australian Shepherds and they spray Horse Mane 'N Tail on them BEFORE they go out in the brush. It contains silicone and helps things not stick in the coat so badly. You need a really good slicker brush - MGT or LesPouchs and a steel graduated toothed comb.

If he sheds you can use a furminator or undercoat rake, but if he doesn't shed, he probably doesn't have an undercoat so if you use a furminator or undercoat rake it is actually pulling out his top coat.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Mosley is darling and your children are even more darling.  Likely Mosley is not dumb, dumb like a fox maybe.  He is at that stage where he is testing the limits. 

Everyone's advice is great, practice, patience, consistency and a good trainer.

When he is done changing coats and you can really tell what you are working with, don't think you will be drummed out of DK is you keep Mosley's adult coat short and beardless.  I keep both Roo and Tigger's coats in a puppy cut (not their faces or tails) with no beards, and I am still here.    Their coats are super curly and stickier than Velcro.  It took me awhile to find a good groomer, but it was worth it.

Enjoy your wonderful dog and family.  A little counter surfing is annoying, but a dog that is good with your children is worth his weight in gold.