# Matts from hell are here



## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

To all those puppy owners who thought "no way my puppy will get matts" Your fooling youself!!!

I can confirm at just over 10 mths Buddy has got terrible matts over his front legs ! and ive just got rid of two massive ones under each ear.

Weve just had a wonderful weekend away in the peak district ,lots of running in the river and rolling in the fields !

Anyway how do i get rid of the matts on his front paws he just wont let me comb him there (i can use a slicker brush when dry) but ive just tryed to use a comb after his bath while he was still wet and he wont let me near them ! He let me do his ears with the comb??

He's been sprayed with tropiclean and ive left him to dry ,is it better to get rid of them when he's dry or wet?


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

oh no...poor buddy...
I am affraid I am no help...we ended up getting Lady trimmed right down at this age as her matts on her legs and paws were just out of control.


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Have you tried cutting into the matts in the same direction as the fur lies. Then inch by inch work into the matt.

Millie alas had to be fully clippered back when the matts came in


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## baking mama (Jul 11, 2010)

I found it easier to brush the matt through with a wide tooth comb straight after spraying with Tropiclean dematt.

I would also recommend cutting the length of the matt rather than across, as I had been doing - which causes holes in the coat.

If you decide to have Buddy cut, don't leave the matts too long before you have it done. Unfortunately for me (and Freddy), I left it too long and he had to be strimmed!

If you have trouble brushing his legs, have someone close by with treats to distract him (my daughter is usually good for helping with this  )

Hope this helps x


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Do you have a matt breaker and a matt a splitter?? They are essential tools in my armoury when waging war on matts!!


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## calli.h (Aug 29, 2011)

I find it easier with a wet coat - and ALOT of detangle spray. I had to spend a bomb on shampoo, brushes and detangler when Arthur started getting the horror matts as I hadnt stocked up but Im with Colin the matt breaker is an essential.


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

Oh dear - not looking forward to the daily matt war on our 2-week Cornwall holiday this year - Biscuit will be at the end of his 10th month!


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

Ah Donna, I remember thinking that! I find a wet coat much easier to manage. The coat care is the one thing that I didn't read much about before getting a CP and I hugely underestimated! They are worth it though!


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Definitely a wet coat Donna! I don't know if it will help you but I find the only way I get to groom Daisy without her trying to wriggle away (I don't have a grooming table) is to groom her while she is still in the bath. For some reason she lets me do all of her grooming in their where as if I take her out she will nip around the bathroom trying to avoid me! 

A bath and groom seems to take about an hour but I find that as she dries I see more matts and kind of attack them throughout the day. The only ones I haven't been able to completely get today are her under arm ones. 

Buddy's coat will probably go in cycles as Daisy's was dreadful for a while and then seemed to settle down. Having just spent a week in Cornwall I abandoned grooming and decided to do it in one big go when we got back! Not for everyone but at the moment I can get away with leaving her coat between fortnightly baths and but checking her coats for any matts appearing inbetween. 

Good luck!  xx


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Yes i can see the matts when he's wet its just because they are at the bottom of his front legs everytime i go to comb them he moves his leg away,i have a stripper? think thats what its called? i used this to get the matts from behind his ears and it worked like a dream.

He's at the groomers next week i think i will book him in every 5-6 weeks while he's like this to keep on top of it.


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

DONNA said:


> He's at the groomers next week i think i will book him in every 5-6 weeks while he's like this to keep on top of it.


I found that once the groomers have done their bit and the puppy fur has moved onto adult, its much easier to maintain. I tried the groomers every 6 weeks and my heart sank each time. The fur is always cut back further than I felt necessary. A grooming course was definitely worth while, its given me the confidence to do a lot of the maintenance myself now.


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

I NEVER thought Dexters lovely soft coat would ever matt, especially as I brush it every day but the matts came in suddenly and were very quickly unmanagable. I have to keep him pretty short now as he HATES me pulling on his fur if it's tangly. As for Bonnie she has much thicker more poodle-like fur and she has her first matt already!


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Thanks for tips everyone i showered his legs again yesterday and combed him while standing in the bath and it was much better he hardly moved! I havent mangaged to get them all there very small on his legs im not sure i have the correct comb but at least i got some out.


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Glad the bath thing worked Donna! It is the only way I can get Daisy to stay still for me!  xx


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## Rufini (Sep 9, 2011)

Vincent has recently become adventure dog so is forever jumping through EVERYTHING. He has gone from a few knots that could easily be brushed out with a bit of elbow grease, to today I found 10 (yes TEN) matts all over  I tried and tried to get them out but he becasue really grumpy with me and won't let me newar him. The worst matts are on his moustashe    
We're going to have him clipped short and learn from the mistakes!


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

Matts .. grrr .. they are constant .. I must admit I comb sections of my dogs almost every evening and during any cuddle time I feel for matts ... I check the those problem areas .. out comes the fur ball spray and comb .. Picnic has not had her first matt .. but then I will have double the trouble ... 

Do cockapoos with straighter coats matt like this?


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## Janev1000 (Oct 4, 2011)

I think they probably do. My friend has a springer spaniel who has to have her underneath regularly trimmed as she says it gets really matted. Not sure how regular her grooming routine is though! x


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

JoJo said:


> Matts .. grrr .. they are constant .. I must admit I comb sections of my dogs almost every evening and during any cuddle time I feel for matts ... I check the those problem areas .. out comes the fur ball spray and comb .. Picnic has not had her first matt .. but then I will have double the trouble ...
> 
> Do cockapoos with straighter coats matt like this?


That's funny...cuddle times have turned in to 'secretly searching for matts'
time for me to...actually I'm always on the look (or should I say feel) out for them!! I'm hardly obsessed at all!


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## lovecockapoo (Nov 26, 2011)

Lottie has just started to get mats

I hadn't appreciated how difficult they would be to get rid of, and I guess it's only going to get worse.:cry2:


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Buddy went to the groomers today and he still has some matts on his legs grrrr! And she cut his face which i do myself so didnt want it doing (its rather short round his eyes which i dont like) suppose like hairdressers groomers have off days.


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

What a shame. I don't know whats worse, leaving a few matts in the legs or like Millie have the all cut out so she ended up look like a sheep.

Groomers are a it hit and miss, some seem to really get the cockapoo look, others just snip away. On the upside, at least the fur will grow back.

I've got my clippers now ready to do my own grooming, just need to pluck up the courage


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## emmelg (Mar 4, 2012)

DONNA said:


> Buddy went to the groomers today and he still has some matts on his legs grrrr! And she cut his face which i do myself so didnt want it doing (its rather short round his eyes which i dont like) suppose like hairdressers groomers have off days.


I'm really dreading taking Bailey to have his first cut (dont think it will be for a couple of months yet as he's still only 4 months old) he does have quite a lenghthly coat already and i'm dreading the matts 

Would you not try and cut him yourself, i think i'l try after his puppy fur has been cut away atleast once anyway

Im sure he still looks adorable, i love his colouring, do you have any recent pics...


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Home grooming is the way to go....even if it is not perfect you will at least end up with the look YOU want. There are so many groomer horror stories on here I've always been to frightened to take Betty to one!!!


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## JoJo (Mar 2, 2011)

colpa110 said:


> Home grooming is the way to go....even if it is not perfect you will at least end up with the look YOU want. There are so many groomer horror stories on here I've always been to frightened to take Betty to one!!!


Not perfect .. I can do that look lol ... 

Seriously I have always cut my cockapoos coats, not great at it, but it is the scruffy look I like. I would be so upset when paying approx £35 for a cut I didn't like .. its bad enough when mine or the kids hair is cut and I don't like it .. can't cope with it for my poos aswell ... warning don't let me cut the kids hair, the scruffy look wont suit them ...


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Do you have all the gear Jo jo? Buddy just wont sit still for me it takes me ages just to brush him when i cut his face i just do a bit a day.


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