Could Anyone Post A Photo of Where To Shave....

[Camilla and Darwin]

Darwin is currently going through what I think is the dreaded coat change. He doesn't matt very badly, but he get them if I don't brush him daily. He also is starting to shed a few clumps of fur now and then. I groom him myself, and have been working through a lot of tangles near his ears and armpits. I know that it is advisable to shave behind the ears and in the armpits. Well, I'm  having a hard time visualizing exactly where. Do I shave him completely around his entire armpit area? And is it under the ears, or more behind them? If anyone could post a photo of the actual area that you shave, that would be really helpful.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I can't help you with the photos of shaving. I can tell you what I do (sounds like Darwin and Peri's coats are very similar based on past discussions I remember). I am having GREAT success by using a steel comb under the arms and behind the ears. I loosen the matts at the ends first (point furthest from body), then work my way to the base of the matt. If Peri can't handle it or if it is too bad, I just cut the bad part out with scissors. So I personally am not having to shave her around those areas right now. I may not groom her daily, but I feel behind the ears and arms for matts - I address those trouble spots as needed. Are you using a comb or brush (forgive me if you have already mentioned that before)?

[Camilla and Darwin]

I am using both. I do line brushing, so I slicker small sections and then comb through them with a steel comb. I haven't had any bad matting happen there so far, I was just wondering if shaving them would prevent tangles from happening in the first place. I haven't really thought about cutting the bad ones out with scissors, that is a good idea.

[ej]

Same here, I will cut off the tangles under his pits and behind the ears cos why put him through the pain when it is not even noticable after the cut.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

We also brush, then if we find real bad ones out come the scissors, it's too painful for them to keep picking at them and you can't really tell after. A couple times our groomer shaved the trouble spots and it actually made them tangle/mat worse once it grew back. It's like the old and the new matted together? Hard to explain.