lookig for input - shave or what?

[Dewberry Family]

We've done really well up until recently keeping Scout well brushed and always got high marks from the groomer.  Not this time.  He's matted all over his neck area, up around his ears, but generally in the head/neck area.  Groomer said it was pretty bad and we'd not want to pay what it would cost her to remove the matting.  She suggested we get a specific brush and comb and give it a try ourselves and/or she would do her best to taper the cut but it would be short.

 

She advised us this wasn't his adult hair coming in - ten months old - but likely from the rain, flat collar, and not brushing him out daily.

 

We don't want a shaved dog.  Any suggestions?  Thanks!

[Kim]

you won't have a shaved dog - for long. Hair grows back. My Groomer has told me it is VERY painful to remove mats

[Taylor & Huff]

It is painful to remove mats but if it is not too bad and you want to brush it out, you can get dematting spray and use spray that on the mats. It helps. There is also this thing called "The Stuff" and it is a special dematting conditioner. They also have spray. You can also buy a dematting brush. If there are big mats behind his ears, you should probably have them shaved off as the skin behind the ears is really thin and it is very painful to get these out. Maybe to prevent this you should get him a harness instead of a collar. If pulling is a problem, there is a special easy walk harness from gentle leader but it is almost like a regular harness but it hooks in the front. A dog came into our shop the other day with mats around his neck and when the owner had the groomer shave them off, she found mold under the mats because when you give them a bath with mats, the moisture from the water just gets trapped in there. Good luck!:)

[Karol J.]

I agree, I used a demoting conditioner, gave my doodle a yummy basted dog bone. I really saturated the mats with conditioner spray, then worked it into the mats, gave it a few minutes then went to work, started out at the ends and worked in towards the skin. I only had to cut a few stubborn ones. He sat for over an hour while I worked on him, just chomping on his bone. I was determined that I wasn't going to shave him...

You have to be pretty determined, but you can do it. :-)

[Sally, Ditzy Mitzi & Sgt. Pepper]

Read, read, read, all through the grooming section. There are lots of wonderful suggestions about products that very effectively help remove matts. We use Cowboy Magic and gently brush, comb, and scissor out the matts. We also do not
leave her collar on her in the house. She also is not one to run out the front door so it is safe for us. Lately I have even been using tearless No More Tangles Shampoos and conditioners which seem to help a lot. She is now 3 years old and has grown out of her puppy coat, but still does get an occassional tangle. This shampoo possibly may not be suggested by others but it does work for us.

[Camilla and Darwin]

There are many different tips and products you can use to get mats out more easily. However, it IS uncomfortable for the dog and if the matting is severe enough... I would say that you should just have your groomer cut him down. The hair grows back fairly quickly, and you can start over with more diligent brushing once he is shorter. If the matting isn't super bad, you could do your best with a conditioning spray to comb them out. Just cut the bad ones out with scissors. He may look slightly uneven for a while, but it will fill in pretty quickly...

Just remember that the neck head and ears area fairly sensitive area, so it would probably be painful to work through all of those mats.

I recommend brushing him every single day from now on. And if he is cut shorter, you can brush him less often.

[Melissa & Porter]

Last fall, our groomer managed to shave around Porter's neck and ear area and not shave the rest of him. I asked for this b/c it was cold and I didn't want naked-doggie in winter. She kinda did a gradual transition from the heavily matted/needing a shave area to the rest of him, which she trimmed to 1.5 inches maybe. He was short, just not completely shaved.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

You can work with the mats and keep it rather painless if you have the time and patience. Use the different sprays that the other people have suggested. I used the Mane and Tail detangler and that did a good job. If the mats are right down to the skin then you have to be VERY careful so that you never draw the skin up into the mat and cut. I always pinch the mat with my fingers. That way when I am working with it, it doesn't pull and hurt and also it keeps the skin behind my fingers so I won't accidentally cut it. You can trim down the mats as much as you are willing to go and then with little blunt end scissors you would do cross cutting to break up the mat. It is sort of like having your lawn dethatched (maybe that is not heard of where you live). You also might be able to use thinning shears to break up the mat. By breaking up the mat you are then able to get a comb through it and pull out some of the mess. Even when combing I still hold on to the fur so it doesn't hurt. I have had very good luck doing this. I also use a dematting tool which is a big help. Also join the Grooming Group because we discuss mats all the time!

One of the reasons you have matting around the neck and ears is probably the type of collar you are using. Go join "Ring Around The Collar" group and there we discuss all types of collars. As soon as I took Gracie Doodle off the nylon mesh collars and put her in a leather collar, the mats stopped. Some say a rolled leather but I had success with a flat leather. She now wears almost exclusively the Dublin "No Stink" rubber like collars which are prefect for Doodles who are always swimming or wet. Gracie has at least 6 different colors and we use them all depending on the season or holiday. I do my own grooming and have been very successful in keeping the mats away. Just dogs playing and grabbing each other in the ears, neck and snout area can cause matting. You should always comb them out after playing. Gracie though has a wavy fleece coat and is not thick, wirey or wooly. I can't speak for that type of coat so maybe what I have told you might not work. Good luck...let us all know how Scout's grooming turns out.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I am really experienced in this area. I joined the group that buys all of these pretty collars only to find out that Ned mats around the collars except for the rolled leather.
Get a rolled leather collar - and natural color not dyed if possible. This is the ONLY collar we can use on Ned. He will mat (badly) with any other collar. My groomer advises not to remove the little hair pieces that get on the collar as it helps in some fashion. You could try to get some of the mats out using human little kid Bedhead, or Cowboy Magic. Put it on and let is sit a bit. Use a good comb (ours is steel with graduated teeth) and a good slicker brush with 'bent' wires (my favorite is LesPouchs but a cheaper almost as good one is MGT).You can slice sideways (the way the hair grows) through the worst of the mats with dull ended nail scissors and then brush and comb the rest out.

[Pat and Traveler]

I know what you mean--Traveler is 1 year old and was matted on his legs, neck, face and ears. These are all sensitive areas, and he doesn't like me fiddling around with them. In spite of what I felt was a real effort on my part with a variety of grooming devices and products (all except clippers), I finally reached the point where I had to admit I wasn't getting the job done. I figured if I got him clipped or shaved now, I'd have a good chance of keeping up with the grooming in the future. So, today, the Aussie Pet Mobile arrived, and about 2 or 2-1/2 hrs later, I had a poodle-doodle!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do! Even though he is not matted now, brush and comb him anyway.

[Pat and Traveler]

Yes, I will. Besides, there still are some matts! Just can't get used to his face. He looks so veddy poodley, and more fragile.

[Susan and Sasha]

Pat...
He looks Beautiful!!
I am convinced...that a Doodle...No Mater What Length Their Coat Is...is Oh So Beautiful!!
I mean...if they are beautiful...it' Really doesn't matter what length the coat is..does it??
So...the Moral Of The Story Is...Your Precious Girl...or Boy...is the same Wonderful...Loving...Doodle that they Always were...before they we're "Shaved"!
And...That's The Truth...