# Is it cruel...



## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

I've just spent the best part of two days grooming Obi and I have to say I felt really sorry for him . With it being half term he just didn't get groomed as much as I usually do and so he had mats on his legs, on his bum under his tail and on his chest and tummy  

I used lots of detangler and conditioner and was very slow and patient so as not to hurt him. He didn't flinch or yelp once but boy did it take a long, long time. . Poor Obi was stood up on the table on/off for hours! He was so good but I felt guilty keeping him stood there while I worked through the mats. He's now finally bathed and clipped but I did go a little shorter this time in the hope that he doesn't matt as badly. 

Felt guilty putting him through all that just because I like the look  .


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

I've been wondering a similar thing too. Millie's fur has suddenly got quite long and she's due to be groomed on Monday. She is getting a bit tangled lately and I know she doesn't enjoy being groomed. I thought I'd ask for her fur to be cut back to half its current length. I have no idea if this is possible in the dog grooming world.


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

How I long for the puppy coat back!


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

If my memory serves me right, Julia (JD) was saying that major grooms (like you have just done with Obi) are needed about twice a year at big moult times. It sounds like coincidental timing that half term with less grooming has also been moult time?

I think Obi looks scrummy in his longer coat and if I wasn't so into agility then I would probably have Rufus's coat longer. 

Karen xx


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

i think it depends on you and the dog. personaly i like the shorter looks as i like to see the body shape of my girls. Echo just looks so fat with a longer coat, even if its only and extra coupe of inches. 


it depends on how much work you intend to put in. i realy need to do my girls but just havent had the chance yet it will probably take me 2 doays to bath demat and clip all 4 of my girls. if im lucky i might get 3 bathed and dematted and 2 clipped in one day in one day but more than likly it will be 2 one day 2 the next. 

if you think ou cankeep on top of it keep him long, but you will probably find a lenth you are comfertable with.


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

Kendal, I don't know how you manage all 4 of your girls in two days. I am in awe!


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

lol i think it comes from 5 yeas spent dematting other peoples dogs at the kennels. but i seems to take longer at home and hurts my back at home because my table at home is lowe than the one at work and i need to sit down at home which means i lean back where as at work i lean farward. i timed myself on a cockapoo once at work and it took me an hour and ha half to dematt and dry him. but it was only realy his head that needed dematting his legs were just notted.


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## mandym (Jun 5, 2011)

Kd and kenya my choc girls also look fat if i leave them to grow,they get to a certain length then im grooming them pretty much every day otherwise they would mat.miley can stay a little longer as she has a slightly different type of coat and pypers is so soft like cotton wool and has to be kept short,its an absolute nightmare and i could never grow it really long,it wouldnt be fair on her so i think it all depends on the coat type and also the dogs lifestyle,even if all my girls could be left really long they are in the feilds in among marshy bogs and forests all the time and a long coat wouldnt be practical.this is the length i grow mileys to,i clip her myself xxx


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

I love the look of the longer coat, but I know it won't be practical for Izzy if her coat mats badly ( her puppy coat is starting to change now and I've started to find wee mats). We're on the beach or in the woods every day, and the dogs love it so much (so do I ) I couldn't bear to walk them so she didn't get wet/muddy. I will try an equafleece though over the winter months, hopefully it will keep them down a bit?
I have found someone I know who is a groomer who will teach me how to clip Izzy how I would like her and I can test out all her tools


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## kendal (Jul 16, 2009)

eqjafleece dose keep then dry but they also matt their legs so you need to pay a little more atention to that aria.


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

Kendal, do you mean the equafleece makes their legs mat, or that their legs mat naturally? I was thinking of buying the jump suit so it would only be head and lower leg/paws exposed to the elements/mud/water


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

ali-s.j. said:


> Kendal, do you mean the equafleece makes their legs mat, or that their legs mat naturally? I was thinking of buying the jump suit so it would only be head and lower leg/paws exposed to the elements/mud/water


Hi Ali, the fleece bodysuit is what I have for my Izzy, similar colouring to your Izzy. It is a life saver! Izzy's fur mats very easily and attracts the dirt. We go out in the fields and at the moment she is coming back with mud clinging to her legs, tummy, bum and tail; she really has to have a rinse down or bath every time. The Equafleece means it is only a part of her legs and part of her tummy/ bum that gets dirty, it makes a huge difference and I can usually get away with blotting off the mud. I haven't found the areas covered with the Equafleece mat but I do keep Izzy's fur quite short. 

My groomer spent two hours dematting Izzy once and then suggested to me that it isn't really fair to Izzy and that I should consider keeping her hair shorter. I was so disappointed as one of the attractions of a cockerpoo is the soft curly/wavy hair. However I have got used to the shorter look and she does look lovely as you can see her good body shape - most dogs seem to be a bit rounder. I do think cockerpoos have different fur types and Izzy has soft curly hair that mats whenever it is long, it doesn't seem to fit the twice yearly cycle of a moult. I love to watch her bounding, lamb leaping and dashing like a maniac across the fields, she seems so happy! I couldn't bear to restrict her to keep her cleaner.


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## ali-s.j. (Jun 6, 2011)

:iagree: Cara. Watching my Izzy chasing after Phoebe in the woods, and then bounding back towards me puts such a big smile on my face, and the lamb leaping through the long grass makes me really chuckle. I think we will go for a shorter "teddy bear" clip when the time comes, and an bodysuit like big Izzy's. I do hope they do pink ...


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

I also love the slightly longer look but have found it's not possible to keep Maisie like this. She doesn't conform to the twice yearly moult ... her coat is like soft cotton wool and will mat once it's at a certain length ... I have to be careful to clip it in time otherwise I regret it!!!

Bess's coat is still a dream ... silky waves that the comb slides through easily ... no mats yet!! She is 5 months now so I know is won't be long before it starts to change ... will have to wait and see what it's like.


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

I think Millie is heading for a Teddy Bear cut. I'll take a photo today and one tomorrow after she's been groomed. Show you the difference. Millie is not matting too badly, I think. I know she has a few, one on a leg and one in her armpit. Lets see what the truth is tomorrow when the groomers tells me how many mats there really are 

These Equafleeece's do they make the dog hot and do they soak up the water if they get wet when out walking. For those of you who know Pam Ayers - she does a wonderful poem about a Knitted Bathing Suit. I have visions of the Equafleece doing the same thing. I hope someone can follow me on this trail of thought otherwise I may come across as a bit dotty


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

Would love to see before and after pics of Millie ... good luck at the groomers.

I'm beginning to think about some sort of coat/bodysuit but have 3 males in the house who think they are poncy o) so I am in the minority. I do think it would be practical in really bad weather though, especially snow. Will have a look at the Equafleece website.


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## pixie (Apr 16, 2011)

Jedicrazy said:


> How I long for the puppy coat back!


Hi Clare,what happens to the puppy coat? when does it change? What should i expect lol I have to say i like a longish cockapoo coat but it seems like hard work! x


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

Basil's coat is still a dream too, but I guess it really won't be long until the adult coat starts to reveal itself. I really don't know what I will end up doing with his coat. Certainly Rufus's coat is easy to maintain at the length it is. I probably only comb him through about once a week and the Groomers Evening Primrose Oil Food Supplement has made a huge difference to his coat.

I don't know what to do about a coat. I managed last winter with Rufus without needing one. I do like a dog to look like a dog on a walk. I'm lucky in that I have a wet room downstairs just off of the hall so quick rinses or wash downs are as easy as they could be. I imagine an Equifleece coat would require almost daily washing and would it dry out before walk number two even? (especially in the winter my walks are a maximum of 5 hours apart). Oh what to do?!!

Karen xx


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Millie's adult coat kicked in slowly from 7ish months onwards. It wasn't until 8 1/2 months that the matting started to be a problem. I've also noticed (but it could be my imagination) that Millie's fur is now growing more quickly.

I also imagine that when I get her groomed (Tuesday now), she'll be more comfortable/spritely or something. Can't quite put my hand on it, but she doesn't seem as comfortable in her fur coat.


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## Pollypiglet (Oct 22, 2011)

Equafleece is a polyester fleece which is breathable and protects against the damp. They wash and dry very quickly. Re the matting coats I'm not sure if it would work but equine coat shine is brilliant for keeping manes and tails tangle free and also helps repel mud. May be worth a try. I will have to wait and see how Hattie turns out but I will probably keep her her quite short as she will be outside a lot!


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

mandym said:


> Kd and kenya my choc girls also look fat if i leave them to grow,they get to a certain length then im grooming them pretty much every day otherwise they would mat.miley can stay a little longer as she has a slightly different type of coat and pypers is so soft like cotton wool and has to be kept short,its an absolute nightmare and i could never grow it really long,it wouldnt be fair on her so i think it all depends on the coat type and also the dogs lifestyle,even if all my girls could be left really long they are in the feilds in among marshy bogs and forests all the time and a long coat wouldnt be practical.this is the length i grow mileys to,i clip her myself xxx


I have :love-eyes: for Miley xxx


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

pixie said:


> Hi Clare,what happens to the puppy coat? when does it change? What should i expect lol I have to say i like a longish cockapoo coat but it seems like hard work! x


Hi Becky, from what I can tell the puppy coat doesn't really moult much at all so you're not getting any loose hairs stuck at the skin level to cause the matts. From around 7/8months the adult coat starts to grow in and they slowly moult their puppy coat. If not brushed out properly this is what seems to cause the matts. 

An adult coat will shed and replenish itself (even if it's very little compared to other dog breeds) and has to be groomed or risk knots/matts. The bit I dont know much about yet is how often this happens. I thought it was continuous but someone mentioned that it happens twice a year? I hope the latter is correct! 

I do think the type of cockapoo coat makes a difference too. Obi, being an American cross, has very dense fur and he is quite curly. I'll maintain him at his current length for a while longer and see how it goes but if it takes too long to groom him right through I might go shorter as I really don't want him stood around for hours on end. I just don't think it's fair on the dog.


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

oops duplicate post


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## caradunne (Nov 29, 2010)

Izzy doesn't seem to get hot wearing the Equafleece and it definitely repels watere, doesn't soak it up like a knitted bathing suit - visualising that now! When I take the soaking wet coat off Izzy is bone dry inside. I am also using it to put on straight after a bath (company recommends this) and it is working. It almost dries he in about half an hour. Hubbie walked in yesterday and said poor Izzy sleeping in the soggy old coat, he promptly removed it. Izzy was mostly dry and the Equafleece did not feel at all damp.


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