# Grooming worries



## elliegracex (May 7, 2013)

Hi all!

Over the past couple of months Bertie has started to get lots of matts around his armpit areas, legs and on his tummy etc. 
We've been trying to deal with them with daily brushing with a Matt Stipper and Seperator, which are helping to pull out smaller mattes and have helped get rid of some of the excess fur he has.
But now most of the mattes seemed to have formed into bigger mattes that have clumped together. I've been trying to cut into them to seperate them but Bertie hates it, runs away from me, goes to bite me as it is obviously really uncomfortable for him. 

I am looking into booking a proper groom for him and am researching the best places near me. Not sure whether to go for a salon or someone to come to us. 
I know he is most likely going to have to be shaved as some of the mattes are really bad round his legs, I am just worried about how easy it will be for the groomer to do it and what I should say to them about him before booking. 

Any first grooming advice/stories etc really would be helpful. 
It really needs to be sorted as it's uncomfortable for him having the mattes and he is looking very scruffy haha!

Thank you xx


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## Tinman (Apr 23, 2013)

Well if it looks like a full shave - it will help.
It won't look like your Bertie - but it will grow back.
I'm surprised you've got to 1 year old without a groom. Most of us give up at 8/9 months.
I love the shaggy look - but it is high maintenance, and once you go shorter, you will appreciate the ease of taking care of it - and so will Bertie.
Here is Ralph after his first full groom 
It came off like a sheeps fleece x


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Tinman said:


> Well if it looks like a full shave - it will help.
> It won't look like your Bertie - but it will grow back.
> I'm surprised you've got to 1 year old without a groom. Most of us give up at 8/9 months.
> I love the shaggy look - but it is high maintenance, and once you go shorter, you will appreciate the ease of taking care of it - and so will Bertie.
> ...


and you may get him back upside down.....!
well done for trying to keep on top of it, if it is only a couple of areas he may not need a total shave, I groomed a very matted little dog the other day, managed to save her coat but took hours, she was a sweetheart though and I gave her a couple of breaks but not many groomers would have the time (it was really as I'm starting up, only had her booked in and wanted try and keep her as a customer as she was very sweet, had very pink skin and pale hair and would have looked liked a plucked chicken if I had shaved her!)
If you can get the scissors under the matt to cut into and separate them then the groomer should be able to do that, but as I said not many would have the time if they cover big area's, the thing to remember is it won't hurt the dog to be shaved and the hair grows back, I would go to a salon though as they will have all the equipment there and he will probably behave better elsewhere. He has learnt that by nipping you he gets you to stop, a groomer won't and he will soon relaxc and let them get on with it. Good luck.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

When Max gets matts, I cut them out with scissors. He goes to the groomer and is kept quite short now. He's groomed every 8 weeks. Phoebe will be the same but only has a hygiene trim at the moment. It might be slightly more in a couple of weeks.


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