Does your doodle's hair mat?

[Anneeb]

My labradoodle's hair mats around his legs. We do brush him often but it doesn't seem to be enough. Is this normal? How should we prevent this? It can't be comfortable for him. For now we've been cutting them out when we find them. Thanks for your advice!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Matts aren't comfortable. They pull the skin.
Most dogs who don't shed will matt. Either the hair falls out (shedding) or it keeps growing, becomes tangled and matts together. (non-shedding) Those of us who have lived with poodles and other non-shedding breeds are very familiar with this. After brushing, a comb or de-matting rake should be used so you can get all the way down to the skin...that's where the matts form.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Nope. My dog is perfect

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Okay I'll be honest. My dogs legs look like a checker board. I call him Patches. He has big chunks taken out of his legs, behind the ears... mats. Yep Mats.

Join the Grooming Group. We ALL join the Grooming Group

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You don't call your dog Patches - you call him Mr. Potato Head!!! and Spike! Teehee

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I call him a few other things............................ but he smiles at me any way. :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No Grooming Group here. I have a shedding dog. No matts, no haircuts, no trimming, a fast brush once or twice a week and a bath whenever. Very low maintenance.
And dog hair embedded in every garment, blanket, and sofa cushion in the house. Accessorized by tumbleweeds under all the tables. It's a look.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Definitely join the grooming group, There is more information there than we can possibly give you here. But, many doodles do mat (including mine) at least for a period when their coats are changing from puppy to adult. It takes lots of diligent brush/combing with the correct tools and products that help you get the mats out or keep them from forming so badly. You can often "slice" through the mat without actually cutting a chunk of fur out. It you slice through the mat you carefully hold the scissors perpendicular to the skin, facing out and cut slits in the mat in various places and then brush. I use an old pair of nail scissors with rounded ends. If he only mats on his legs, you are in luck.

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Murphy doesn't shed and I have to brush out his loose hair, but he have very little matting. Only in the normal places like his ears when he is swimming and under his arms when he wrestles a lot with Marley. SO he is basically non-shedding and minimal matting. This could change still as he is only 13 months old, we are just seeing his coat change to a much lighter color from apricot to blondish.
I do brush him out everynight and then use a comb, so I have to clean out the brush and comb several times from the loose hair, but otherwise there is very little around the house or being vaccuumed up. i also read that if you shampoo them and then blowdry that it helps with shedding also. Not sure how or why that would be true, but it is. I dry him is the smaller bathroom and find very little loose hair around when we're done. Murphy's coat is relatively on the thin side and very soft so maybe that's what keeps it from matting more. Too silky to tangle. Whatever it is, I am very pleased with his coat.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You lucky, lucky person. In my next life I am going to have great hair and be taller. In Ned's next life he is NOT going to mat! LOL

[Lorraine Bromley]

Neely is one yr and is getting matts in the pits! Also under his ears and around his collar. But I think he is also shedding as well. We get a full brush of hair after a full body going over and then I use the comb to get down to the skin where we get some more fur then with mats I usually am able to start with the comb and work my way closer to the skin untangling and thinning as I go. The worst I get into I use a small pair of sharp sewing needlepoint scissors and slice the matts out. Not really cutting just using the sharp point to get close to the skin then pull the blade down through the matt and it usually drags a bunch of loose fur out and I continue with that motion as long as I can feel the bulge of the matt when I cannot feel the matt then I go back with the comb again and get the rest.
I FIND the matts show up after a visit from one of his puppy pals that slobber all over him and tug on his fur while the wrestle and play also after getting snow balls stuck they seem to show up too.
I hope that this means he will be non shedding, period. when he grows up whenever that will be,
The dirty ears that need plucked are a harder chore though.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Lorraine ..... There was another conversation just recently about matting in the pitts and under the ears along with the neck area. Many people responded to that discussion that they cut these areas a little shorter. Especially the pitts and under the ears and you really don't see those areas and can't even really tell. I do that on my Lucy and it made a big difference in being able to maintain without matts.

[Melissa, Samson & Shelby]

I have 2 doodles and both matt to different degrees when their hair is longer. My fleece coated male matts much more. I keep their coats longer in the fall and winter. I use a Les Poochs brush that I love. I put off getting the mat zapper by Les Poochs for a year, because of the cost, but recently purchased it. I LOVE IT!!! I wish that I had bought it sooner!!! I don't have to use a matt breaker or cut them out anymore!!! They brush out with the mat zapper. I purchased it from Kent at Doodle Country. Good luck!!