# Don't panic Captain Mannering



## KCsunshine (Apr 16, 2012)

They are appearing by the flipping minute I have freaked out today, blamed everyone in the house for not grooming her enough....when really I know it's my fault (hubby grooms her far more than me)...but I'm a woman, I'm allowed to do that. 

Back to subject...I've cut a couple out, and combed out some of the smaller ones. They are mostly under her arms (front legs). I'm thinking the snow has not helped, but I guess she has just hit the age when they seem to appear overnight. I'm ordering a mikki matt breaker and some detangling spray today and if that does not work then I'm taking her to be cut VERY short. I really LOVE her coat long, but I'm really scared this is going to get out of control and I think we are going to have to compromise here. Seeing some recent posts here has given me hope that at 7-10 months it is bad but it mught get better. (she is almost 8 months now)

I'd love to see some pics of your poo's if you have ever had them cut really short please so I can see how she may look shorter.


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## Cat 53 (Aug 26, 2012)

Watching this with interest. . Not there yet, but you never know!


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## Skyesdog (Jun 7, 2012)

Lola is EXACTLY the same. I have to brush her every night to stay on top of her matts. Now she never comes to lie at my feet because she knows I will start brushing her - and obviously my husband would never dream of picking up a comb!! Hers seem to appear mostly in her feathery bits on her legs, behind her ears and in her 'armpits'! Up until now she hasn't had any matts so I am hoping once her adult coat is fully in things will improve. Also, when I brush her lots of hair is coming out. It is exhausting!! I just had lola trimmed, perhaps I should have gone for a more drastic cut! Good luck x


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

Probably a combination of age and the weather!! hang in there it will get better....well a bit anyway


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

Right before Jake's snip I cut him very short. I put before and after shots in this thread.

http://ilovemycockapoo.com/showthread.php?t=11874

I love him long but the short looked good too (once i got use to it)


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## Minnie (Jun 8, 2012)

Yep I know how you feel !!!!
Merlin had never had matts until he was about 6 and a half months and I was horrified when I found them, they were at the top of his front legs and behind his ears. I cut them out but more came back and he is a devil won't let me brush him just keeps biting the brush and my fingers. 
I loved his long hair but decided he needed a cut. Told the groomer to cut about half off which she did and I must admit it is strange seeing them with shorter hair but honestly they are better for it.
I will deffinately keep him shorter now ( not too short ) I thing he looks a lot neater.
Don't get me wrong he still gets matts but he is easier to groom.

Before









After


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## Minnie (Jun 8, 2012)

Sorry 
Before


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

I LOVE Merlins coat! What a cuddly cockapoo!


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## Minnie (Jun 8, 2012)

RuthMill said:


> I LOVE Merlins coat! What a cuddly cockapoo!


Thanks 
He looked quite chubby before his cut thought I was feeding him too much but after his cut I couldn't believe how skinny he looked after - I was worried I wasn't feeding him enough !!!
I think sometimes they just need a good cut because the hair becomes straggly and untidy.


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

Merlin is so handsome. I love him both ways!!!


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

I can really sympathise because Roo's coat is an absolute nightmare at the moment . Her adult coat is coming in and she gets new matts everyday. It's taking me so long to get them out. I do one side of her body and I swear new ones appear just because I'm holding her to groom her! Her coat is long as she hasn't had a cut yet (just face trims) but I think it might be time to get my clippers out. I feel sorry for her as I'm spending too long on grooming her and of course she doesn't enjoy it. The weather doesn't help either and I've given up on using an Equafleece on her now as that makes it 10x worse! 

In addition, I used to think Obi's thick American cross coat was difficult but he never had matts like Roos. His is more difficult because it's thick, Roos is currently very fine and matts very easily. The downside of two Poos is definitely the grooming .


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

Reading these threads always scare me. Jake has not had a matt yet and I don't want him to. I really want to grow back his long coat.


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## mairi1 (Mar 12, 2012)

Bloomin matts   

xxx


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## Minnie (Jun 8, 2012)

Merlin won't let me brush his out. My son has to hold his muzzle and I cut them out.
Every time I see him scratching himself I shout at him to stop because it just creates more matts !!!


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## KCsunshine (Apr 16, 2012)

Thanks so much for the pictures, Wow, Jake and Merlin both still look super cute with their short cuts, I'm very tempted to go for it. Now I've seen the oictures I'm not so worried, they look gorgeous. I've ordered the matt breaker, matt splitter and the spray, hopefully it will be here tomorrow. If we cant get them out then she's off for a crop! If so, I'm going to take the photos of Jake and Merlin to the groomer with me and ask for the same.


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## Minnie (Jun 8, 2012)

I sure you won't regret getting Coco cut. I was determined I wouldn't have Merlin cut but looking back at him before his cut I can see how long his hair was and untidy. And I much prefer him now, his coat was fairly straight but wavy and very thick but you could see at the roots it was quite crinkly. So when he was cut he was quite curly but we all said he looked a lot better. 
The only thing I didn't really like was his muzzle it was kept fairly long and he looked grumpy so I just trimmed this myself and he looked like a puppy again.
I also bought the matt breaker but took one look at it and thought I'm not using that it looks deadly. 
Hope you go ok but don't worry and I must admit the coat does grow back quickly.


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## dio.ren (Jan 18, 2013)

Molly looks chubby too but it's her fur ..........if we pat her down you can feel her ribs really good but in pictures etc...she looks so chubby but it's all fur. She hasn't had a haircut yet but she is only 14 weeks old so not sure when she needs one??


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Dudley is getting more matts now, they started after he was 8 months, the snow has made things worse I think, I cut loads out last night, he hates being groomed, for the matts I try to wait until late evening when he is quite sleepy, i'll spend ages just stroking him working out where they are, hold on to one then the second I get near him with any scissors or equipment his head is on me like lightening to bite whatever I am using!! I do wonder why I am keeping his coat long when I see some of the better grooms on here. I will try to keep on top of it myself as i'm still trying to get on a grooming course then hopefully it'll get easier (least i'll have a better idea of what I am doing!), may well then have a shorter coat on him for the summer, least I know he is not cold at the moment, his undercoat is SO thick, it is like sheeps wool, that is making it harder to find the matts as well.


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## njml (Apr 21, 2012)

I had to bite the bullet and get Alvy cut 2 weeks ago. The de matting was becoming a full time job.It seemed every time he came back from a walk he had 3 or 4 new matts. I love a long coat as well so I was dreading it but I actually really like it short. I wasnt keen for the first couple of days but it started growing in again so quickly and looked great after about a week. The best thing is he's had no matts since except a tiny one on his ear. Its been great to have a break from my nightly de matting routine. Just a quick brush through has been fine. Here's a picture of him a day or two after the chop (the cat thought there was food on the go so wouldnt get out the way). He was very shaggy before and I asked the groomer to take his coat down to about an inch.


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## Minnie (Jun 8, 2012)

Alvy looks lovely. 
It was a big decision for me to get Merlin cut but I agree they do look better and not so many matts.


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

Oh Alvy is so handsome. I love him.


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## njml (Apr 21, 2012)

Minnie said:


> Alvy looks lovely.
> It was a big decision for me to get Merlin cut but I agree they do look better and not so many matts.


Yeah me too! I mulled it over for ages but Im glad I did it. Merlin looks lovely in both pics and I quite them looking a bit neater. I might grow his coat in again at some point but for now Im keeping it shorter.


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## KCsunshine (Apr 16, 2012)

aww, Alvy is gorgeous too. The mikki matt breaker arrived, and it worked really well on the largest matt, but boy did it take some time!! I knelt on the floor with a kong of peanut butter between my knees (attractive huh) that was the only thing that kept her still, then I worked the breaker through the matt, yes it's good, but I'm still going for the puppy cut. She was in quite alot of discomfort once I'd finished on the big matt, I don't want to put her through that too often. I'll be sure to take some before and after pictures! Thanks again everyone for the great posts x


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

I would just love to keep my two with their long coats but although I brush them and detangle them every other day and cut any small matts that appear, the matts always win in the end! I have to keep them quite short but I insist on keeping their faces ears, beards and tails a reasonable length but in the winter I am afraid to say they have pipe cleaner legs!


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

I have decided that I will shorten Dudley's coat sometime...can't bring myself to do it just yet though! I have taken a lot of hair away from under his ears where you don't see anyway, there was one enormous matt there which I must have missed when it was smaller which is a bit of a worry.


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## emmelg (Mar 4, 2012)

Bailey has just had a trim as he had a bad phase of constant matts, I've always wanted to keep him as long as I possibly could but gave up yesterday and took off a couple of inches, he actually looks better as he often looked a bit too scruffy, he's curlier too and you can see alot of black coming through his coat aswell which is quite nice, so I'm actually quite pleased now that I did it, hope it reduces his matts, we'll see


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## Sam1 (Mar 6, 2012)

Max is having his second haircut and on thursday and i have noticed some horrid matts! Eek! 

Cant wait for him to have a haircut! He'll smell clean at least!


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## Duckdog (Jul 23, 2012)

Well we have the matts now too! on her chest and under her front arm pits. I can't get rid of them, so we are going for the chop on Saturday morning. I have to say with the daily bathing I can't wait for the short bark and sides.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Yup, Kiki is struggling with armpit matts too... I do get them out - but she is getting a bit fed up of me sonstantly working away at them. Iwent in to have a chat with the lady who grooms her and she said that actually her coat was in good condition and these 'fricition' area matts are common, particularly at this time of year...

But Kiki is having a hair chop on Friday - because it just takes so long to sort her out!

We'll have to have a bald 'poo thread!


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