matted hair

[Linda Downey]

hi im wondering can anyone help me my 8month old labradoodle sooty has a few knots or mats in his hair does anyone know of an easy way to remove them... without having to cut them out cause i want to keep his hair long??

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Oh Linda,
Head to the Grooming Group. Join. Then start reading. Hundreds of posts in that group may give you insight with matting. Or just do a search on DK. MATTING. Hundreds more will appear. We have all been there. Read all you can and good luck.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

You are right at the prime time for the coat change so you MUST stay on top of the combing and brushing or you will have a shaved doodle. Like Joanne says, go to the Grooming Group! Personally I use a Matt Zapper!

[Barb, Murphy, Emmet, & Hudson]

What is a Matt Zapper?

[Donna K & Quincy]

Sometimes if the mats are not too tight you can pull them apart with your fingers and then comb through them.You can also use one end of your comb, just hold tightly to the mat so it doesn't pull on his skin. You will need to check for mats every day and give him a good brushing every couple of days. I find a shedding rake for double coated dogs also helps. It doesn't have a blade so it doesn't cut the hair but it does make them easier to comb. When you brush him you also need to comb him after. Good Luck.

[Lee Seidman]

http://groomersdiscount.com/index.php/natures-choice-mat-n-detangle...

We use this product every time we bath the Doodles......Liquid Slicker now called natures choice mat and detangler. It works really well to detangle their mats , smells great and seems to shed dirt between baths. Our groomer uses it and it works!

[Zoe, Benny and Tyler]

You can cut into the mat with scissors but only once! Make sure that you cut along the way the hair grows and not across the mat. This usually helps already so that you will be able to detangle the mat with your fingers and you won't see a hole in the fur.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

When you brush/comb your Doodle make sure you are getting right down to the skin. Lots of people just sort of skim the brush across but never get way down. That is where the mats are!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

join the grooming group!!!!! There are better brushes and combs you can use. There are products that help you get out the mats. I use an expensive but well-worth-it LesPouchs slicker brush ( you can contact fellow doodlekisses member Kemp who has an online store doodle country - he can advise you as to the best brush for your doodle's coat type). You need a comb - I use a steel graduated toothed comb. You need a pair of scissors for slicing through the mats you can't comb out - you slice sideways away from the dog's skin - in several places. I use Cowboy Magic directly on the mat or I spray the area with the Original Horse Mane and Tail Detangler. If your dog does not have an undercoat, do not use an undercoat rake - it just pulls out fur.

[Ali & Sonny D.]

Hi. What is an undercoats rake? Sonny has fur that matts really easily. My groomer said it is b/c of his soft fur and undercoat. I just had to shave him down for the summer b/c he loves the water and hates to be combed. and of course that combination brought on all sorts of matts. I do have a good comb( steel graduated toothed) and bought a Chris Christensen brush but the brush doesn't seem to help at all.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You brush only to be able to comb - the true goal is to comb. An undercoat rake is for a dog with a true undercoat and some doodles do have one - they take more after their retriever side. I found that with Ned I was yanking out too much fur even though I thought is was easier to use than a comb. And with Clancy and his very-different-from-Ned coat, I found the same thing.

[Ali & Sonny D.]

yup... we have been lessed with one. Sonny has all sorts of fur. Staright is some spots, wavy in others, soft and fluffy wiry in the middle. It's adorable but yes, hard to maintin when long. I will have to look into the undercoat rake. Do the pet stores sell them?I will google it today. I am also thinking about getting a Les Pooches as well.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Les Pouchs brushes are really terrific. If you don't have a dog with a difficult coat (sounds like yours is) you don't need the expensive brush. MGT makes a very similar one and it is quite cheap. It is almost as good, but not quite. You can get an undercoat rake at any pet store. Kemp ( a member her also) at doodle country store can help you get the right LesPouchs for you dog's coat. You can go to members and type in Kemp and ask him on his page or connect to the link of his store.