"Ghost mats"

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Hello groomers of DK. Our groomer tells us that yeti gets "ghost mats." They are little balls of matted fur that are so hard to brush out. You can feel them but they are so fine that my comb doesn't pick them up. Does anyone else's doodle get these? Im looking for a brush or comb that is fine enough to get them out of his fur before the evolve into a full blown mat.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Also is it normal to get this much fur for just a simple brushing?

[Bonnie and Kona]

Hi Haley

Have you been "line brushing"? This technique should help you more than a particular brush. It is done by taking one small portion of the coat at a time, brushing that and then combing through it and moving on to another small section. There are youtube videos I think. If you search in the grooming group for line brushing you should find better descriptions! The key is combing but in small sections. 

The amount of hair you get when brushing is never going to be "average" or "normal". Doodles are going to shed as little as a poodle or as much as a golden or labrador retriever. Because they are mixed breed they can have all of the characteristics of one or the other breed or a mixture of the two. It looks like your darling puppy is very doodley but does shed. I have two F1 doodles. One does not shed at all, the other sheds somewhat. I know there are doodles here that their owners swear shed more than any dog they have ever had. 

I hope this helps a bit. You sure have a cute pup! 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

You just need to get a good metal fine tooth comb. I do have one that gets those tiny little mats and the comb is the only thing that gets them. I bought mine from: http://www.chrissystems.com/grooming-tools/pet-grooming-show-dog-an...  But there are cheaper versions on other sites. I think its called a poodle comb.  Like Bonnie said, "normal" depends on your dogs shed level. That amount is nothing to be alarmed at. I have 2 non-shedders but still get a good amount off them when I comb. I also have one heavy shedder and I can make a whole new dog with what I get off of her!

[Bonnie and Kona]

I love: "I can make a whole new dog with what I get off of her!" We had a Clumber Spaniel years ago. My husband used to say he was going to have a protein deficiency because  of how much hair he was losing. He was never dirty for too long because his hair fell out so fast. ;o) He was an amazing dog though, shedder or not. He made us laugh out loud every single day.

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

Thats Pippa exactly. She makes me laugh everyday and I wouldn't change her for the world!

[Bonnie and Kona]

❤️

[Melissa]

A slicker brush and a fine toothed comb should do the trick.  And practice the line brushing technique (link to a video below).  As for the amount of hair coming off...it all depends on the dog and on how often you brush them.  If I brush Chloe only once or twice a week, much more hair comes out.  If I brush her 3-4 times a week, the hair is less. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NAuNg4WPiU 

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Yeti doesn't shed at all (unless we brush him of course). We have a slicker brush that just doesn't feel like it does the trick. I suppose I'll keep with it! I try to line brush his body but he hates having his legs brushed so it's not as easy.

[Melissa]

Chloe doesn't shed at all either.  But because of not shedding, the undercoat gets tangled easily. That's why I brush her so often and pull out the undercoat that doesn't shed for her :)   Yeti is adorable by the way!!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned gets those little pin mats.  I get them out with the LesPoochs brush or I get as much separated as I can and cut the actual mat. My new favorite brush is a CC pin brush.  It works best on Charlie's type coat.  He gets mats but they mostly brush out.

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Thank you so much! I do believe i have the "green" lespoochs brush. I really wanted to get a CC rake because i heard they are great for pulling out the under coat but i cant find it here in the United States (only on their Australian website for some reason). I'm trying to keep up with his brushings but those little buggers make it difficult.