I'm Freaking Out...Murphy Has Started The Coat Change

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I was just doing Murph's nightly "belly rub" and found two enormous mats...and they wern't there yesterday.  They are really huge, and there's no way to comb them out.  I have been dreading this day.  Murphy has big problems with grooming since he was a new puppy.  I have come to the conclusion that he has "tactile sensitivity".  My son (who has Down Syndrome) also has this, and he things touching his skin feel very different to him than to the rest of us.  We have to buy him shirts that have absolutely no tags...even cutting them out doesn't help.  As a result, we only comb Murph very lightly and never for more than a few minutes at a time.  I talk to him through the whole thing very softly and lightly pet him. Treats don't work at all, because it's an anxiety thing.  Even then, he's scared, but he will tolerate it.  I don't know if there is such a thing as "tactile sensitivity" with a dog...I've never heard of it, but I do believe that Murphy has this.  There is absolutely no way for me to comb the mats out daily for a few months like I did with Guinness.  It would be torture for Murph, and it just isn't fair to him.  I am going to have to have his coat cut way down, and it breaks my heart.  I'm going to start by cutting these mats out myself, but my guess is he'll be at the groomer's by the end of the week.  I can't even imagine him without this big, fluffy coat.  Anyone been through this with a coat like Murphy's and a Dood who has serious issues with being combed or brushed?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I'm so sorry. First of all, yes I believe dogs can and do have tactile sensitivity. Spud hates to be groomed although he will let me do his ears, head and back. NO LEGS. DON'T EVEN TRY IT. NO NO NO NO. He means NO. He truly gets upset.

My son is also sensitive to touch. It feels different. At 23 he is starting to hug. When he was a baby he would cry if you held him and stop if you put him down. I was so confused,. There is a entire book out there written by a woman who lived with this and how horrible it was in her life.

Here is how we handle Spud. We completely wear him out. We play with him all day, parks, running,walking, and then by 11pm I start the grooming. He is so tired I do it in his sleep. It can and does take days. I scissor cut him for the most part. I have never taken Spud to a groomer. Honestly, I don't think he could tolerate it. I did order Andis Clippers in March and this finally helped. I really have NO trouble with him except for this and I have just resolved to do it myself. Sometimes he looks goofy. I just don't take many pictures...but I am getting a lot better with grooming him. My salvation--Starlit. She loves to be groomed, sits real nice and asks for more.

It is not uncommon for me to be sitting on the floor cutting away at 3am.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Thanks, Joanne. I've tried the "getting him exhausted" approach, but as soon as I start to brush/comb, he's thrashing and trying to get away. I can get him to quiet down (for for only a few minutes at a time), so that I can comb him out lightly, but forget actually grooming. Murphy does tend to be a "drama king", but this is different. I know it is extremely uncomfortable, and it's also very frightening to him. I'm thinking if I take him to have his tummy cut way down, I'll be able to handle it from there. I may have to have the rest of him cut back also, but I'll wait to see what happens with the mats. I feel so bad for your son, and I remember how confusing that is when they're little. My DS is 25, and he is much better too....except NO TAGS on anything. At least now there are some stores that do make the short sleeve Tshirts that are "tagless". When there's a wedding or funeral, we have big problems....all those dress shirts have tags.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I really believe there is a special place in Hell for whoever came up with those tags. They seem to be sewn in with barbed wire and the edges of the tags themselves are so sharp and stiff they feel like they're made of metal. You need the hands of a brain surgeon to remove them without ripping the garment. The whole thing seems diabolical to me. I don't blame Tim one bit. I use magnifying glasses and a manicure scissors to work them out of my clothes whenever possible.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned hates to be brush/combed. It started when he began matting at 6 months. His coat is really, really thick and it takes a lot to work through it. My DH and I double team him. He holds and cuddles and I brush/comb de=matt using both hands so I can hold the hair and pull less. He used to run and hide whenever he thought I was reaching for the brush basket. Now he doesn't and usually dozes in DH's arms. Ned is small so he can be held exposing one part and flipped to expose another. We are having matting trouble with the tail currently. My groomer thins Ned's coat to make it easier to deal with while leaving some length.
I can see where some dogs would enjoy brushing - if they don't mat. Clancy is fine with brushing except for his feet. I do find myself crawling around on the floor to get all of him done though.It is a good thing that my old knees still work!

[Linda and Murphy]

Jane~ My Murphy hated being brushed. He was much better after I had him cut down at about 10 mos. Actually, they shaved him and I was horrified. But I used a kids plastic comb and brush afterward to get him used to being brushed....there was nothing to brush. I think your Murph will get better. As someone else said, he still doesn't like his legs brushed.
Linda and Murphy

[shelly]

Okay Jane... I tried to take some pictures of Tori with her matted belly shaved down, but top layers left long. For some reason they came out a bit blurry (DH says it's the photographer-lol)... but you can get the idea!

Her Back:

[shelly]

Oops... sorry this took up so much room... guess I should have done the pictures as attachments...

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I see what you mean. It looks fine because nobody can even see that area unless she's laying just the right way. Thanks!

[shelly]

Yeah - so sorry they're so blurry! (and big - lol) some groomers may not want to do that because, then it's "uneven", but it also helps to keep her cooler too. And the belly is always shorter than their bodies anyway. I'm just so grateful my groomer is so good and really listens to what I want... too many times before her, did I pick Tori up from the groomer cut or clipped way down low without even a phone call... I cried too many times (now I look at it and think it wasn't as bad I guess as I felt at the time, but still....) I don't know if I have those pics on my page or not. Good luck! Hey, you could always take the ride to Long Island! LOL

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

When I woke up this morning, I found Murphy's mats were literally EVERYWHERE. How could this possibly happen overnight? They are not just on his tummy, but down his legs, under his neck, behind his ears....everywhere. So tomorrow we have an appointment, and I'll get him cut short enough to get rid of all these mats. I'm not sure there will be anything left to his amazing coat. There is absolutely no way that they can be combed out. I know this will be an awful experience for Murph, and I'm sick over it. He has never been groomed....I could totally manage his coat just by combing lightly. His hair is 4" to 5" long all over his body, so he is going to look completely different. I'll post pictures when we get home. MY POOR BABY....I hate the coat change!!!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Poor Murph! Jackdoodle and I are sending you both hugs and doodle kisses! Be sure to get some "before" photos, too!

[Ali & Sonny D.]

Oh, I am so sorry for you and Murphy. I know what you are and will be going through. Honestly, it is shocking when it happens. I cried and then drank some wine and then cried some more! Deep breaths!