Thread: Matting

I feel like a very bad mother because I have found matts under Roark's arms and his birches. I brush him everyday but I must admit that he hates being brushed under him arms and around his birches so i just glide the brush over those parts and never get an opportunity to have a good go down there.

I have cut out the one matt which was quite awful under his one arm and I tried brushing out the other and he hated it (even hissed at me!). I think the matts are gone now but I am trying to get into a system where this does not happen again.

I have (in terms of brushes):
- a pin paddle brush
- a wide tooth metal comb
- a slicker paddle brush (has very fine thin needle like bristles)
- a small comb with thick short metal combs
- a black bristle brush

The pin brush is what I use most of the time but now I have started using the slicker brush because apparently that removes dead hair and the down coat. The small comb seems to be okay for under his arms.

Does anyone else have any tips for me or if I should be doing something differently? He has a little skin patch under his arm now that makes me so sad!

It seemed like it was overnight, but the mats on MC Elvis got out of control so fast
that I had to take him to the groomers and have his belly shaved.

I had to quit dealing with them myself because he was out of patience with my weak efforts.

I made a poor choice of groomer, and Elvis isn't going to any shows any time soon,
but he seems to feel much better now that the flea army that was hiding in the mats
from the Advantage is gone.

I may need to take him back for the Lion cut, but for now it's better that he look raggedy
that be miserable.

I definitely need to find a better groomer.

5 dogs in the waiting room should have been a hint...

Of all the hair coiffing utensils I tried, the ones I found best are from the Mikki Grooming Range.

Anti-tangle Undercoat Rake

Anti-tangle Moulting Comb

Anti-tangle Comb for Fine Coats

Matt Master

Matt Breaker

Matt Splitter

Ball Pin Slicker

I won't bore you to death with a looooooong list of other products I have bought, tried and found utterly useless. Suffice to say, had I started with the first 3 products on this list, I would never have needed anything else

I really do find them wonderful. They just glide through their coats and do what they are supposed to do in just a few strokes so I never have to test their patience anymore.

I know how you feel-- I groom my three often but still get the odd matt -- but on the whole ok --- I use a normal brush first and last -- they love this -- thats the pleasure part -- i then use a anti tangle undercoat rake -- invaluable -- then its a comb, then I use the matt breaker wehter they have matts or not it helps to keep the hair thinner stops build up (I don't show mine) does not leave gapes so woudl never no -- particularly use this inder arms . then I slicker brush before , brushing again over head and nect to finish. Once there is a matt two options really pullit out -- oach and risk putting them off -- or cutting. If I can keep on top of them not so bad -- problems I have are when others look after them -- then I have months of gentle work getting them back to standard
good luck

I have bought three of the Mikki products and I hope things get better now or poor Roark is going to get shaved in Summer.

Between the mats and the fleas and the bad haircut he got from the dog groomer the next step for MC Elvis is the Lion cut...

At least he seems much happier in the heat with less hair.

Today will be the ordeal for us all. The AC broke yesterday...

Hope I can get a new one installed today.

East Coast US heat and humidity is worse than the desert, IMO.