# How much time do you spend grooming?



## Julie Clark (Sep 8, 2011)

I have been trawling through the grooming threads trying to get a realistic idea about the amount of time you guys all spend brushing and dematting the coats of your adult Cockapoos. 

I understand that this is a bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string’ question, and that the coat type and the length will make a difference, and that walk locations will also make a difference to the amount of grooming time needed. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not afraid of a little hard work, I just want to be realistically prepared for the task! 

I love the shaggy look, about 1.5” – 2” long and I intend to do the Grooming course at Merrist Wood College with our dog-to-be so that I can maintain a look that I like without visiting professional groomers all the time.

*So my question is:*
How many hours a week do you spend grooming to maintain what length coat?


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

Oh god, very difficult, it varies on how much time I spend at home in my case & also my dad has to be there to help because Izzie hates being groomed so someone has to brush & the other has to treat...
Another problem is that if we groom for too long at any one time she can get very stressed (after about 15-30 minutes - depending where we brush her etc...)
As I said it varies as to when i'm home, we realistically should giver he a brush everyday, but we don't yet as we are still working through the matts, once they are out we will brush her everyday (& it won't hurt because there won't be matts - so it should be quicker and easier).
We are trying to brush her a couple of times a week atm to get rid of the matts but not make her really fed up with us :/ It's difficult. Try not to let matts form because they are difficult to remove!


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

I shamefully admit that Lolly only gets groomed twice a week or so and for no more than 5-10 mins  I think we are lucky that Lolly's coat is wavy not curly and so far hasn't got any tangles or matts. I am aware that this is the age that her adult coat is likely to grow so maybe should keep an eye on it with slightly more frequent brushes!


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## Kirsty (Sep 9, 2011)

Cara' only just over 5 months and her coat is about 1-1.5 inches long. She's more wavy than a curly coat and still quite puppy soft.

I groom her for 10 mins with a comb every night.


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

Laura(L)Izzie said:


> Oh god, very difficult, it varies on how much time I spend at home in my case & also my dad has to be there to help because Izzie hates being groomed so someone has to brush & the other has to treat...
> Another problem is that if we groom for too long at any one time she can get very stressed (after about 15-30 minutes - depending where we brush her etc...)
> As I said it varies as to when i'm home, we realistically should giver he a brush everyday, but we don't yet as we are still working through the matts, once they are out we will brush her everyday (& it won't hurt because there won't be matts - so it should be quicker and easier).
> We are trying to brush her a couple of times a week atm to get rid of the matts but not make her really fed up with us :/ It's difficult. Try not to let matts form because they are difficult to remove!


Hi Laura, good luck in removing the matts, you may find you are chasing your tail though Those darn matts appear in the blink of an eye and as you get rid of one there are probably two more waiting for you!!! I don't want to sound mean or anything but I don't think you will get rid of them by grooming her twice a week
If I were you I would send her to a professional groomer to give her a good going over and to dematt her properly so you can start afresh, then a quick comb through every day will prevent it happening again 
The only reason I know this is because I have just had to clip Weller right back as I just couldn't get on top of the matts, he is now a baldypoo!


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

About 20 mins every day after her evening walk..I do it while dinner is cooking..it's become a bit of a routine. I think i'm a bit paranoid about mats and , well everything else she might get.. Guess I'm just a paranoid first time puppy owner full stop!


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

wellerfeller said:


> Hi Laura, good luck in removing the matts, you may find you are chasing your tail though Those darn matts appear in the blink of an eye and as you get rid of one there are probably two more waiting for you!!! I don't want to sound mean or anything but I don't think you will get rid of them by grooming her twice a week
> If I were you I would send her to a professional groomer to give her a good going over and to dematt her properly so you can start afresh, then a quick comb through every day will prevent it happening again
> The only reason I know this is because I have just had to clip Weller right back as I just couldn't get on top of the matts, he is now a baldypoo!


I know what you mean Karen, & I haven't taken offence, just the only problem is that Izzie hates it so much! She makes it impossible to groom her because she gets so stressed, if we did her everyday while it hurts she'd hate us  So we do want to get on top of it so that we can give her a quick brush everyday & not be hurting her!
I think you're right tbh, we should book her for the groomers, we just wanted to try ourselves first because we didn't want her bald for winter because it's so cold, but the problem is around her bum! Because she sits on it all the time it's terrible! Tbh we have gotten through quite a lot with our new les pooches brushes  But aren't there yet, I shall let you know if we have to hang our heads & book her for a groom 
Her coat is just so beautiful though that we didn't want it to disappear again! :'( We had to get her clipped really short before because of matts, but when she goes on walks & things get stuck in you don't even see them or feel them & then there's a matt around it in a couple of days! Terrible.


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## Green Fairy (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi all,
I'll be picking up our new pup on Sunday (still no name yet!). The breeder has advised me to start grooming straight away to get him used to combs/brushes etc.
Like Julie, I'm also wondering how everyone handles this and if there are any tips re what brushes/combs to use? This is our first dog so I've got no experience.
Also, my daughter (works with horses) uses a 'de-tangler' for manes/tails. Does anyone know if there's anything similar for dogs? Thanks


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## Kirsty (Sep 9, 2011)

Green Fairy said:


> Hi all,
> I'll be picking up our new pup on Sunday (still no name yet!). The breeder has advised me to start grooming straight away to get him used to combs/brushes etc.
> Like Julie, I'm also wondering how everyone handles this and if there are any tips re what brushes/combs to use? This is our first dog so I've got no experience.
> Also, my daughter (works with horses) uses a 'de-tangler' for manes/tails. Does anyone know if there's anything similar for dogs? Thanks


Hiya I use a simple dog comb then finish off with a tangle teaser- got the latter from Boots, used to detangle human hair. Cara finds it comfy on her puppy fur. Tropiclean detangling spray helps too after bath time. Xx


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

Most people on here seem to use les pooches brushes, they are expensive, but I was recommened them & got a couple & they are great! I know we haven't fixed the problem yet, but the other brush was doing nothing! & these are great 
Also there is some tropiclean detangle spray that people use on here that was recommended & I got some of that as well  & some shampoo haha.
You just can't resist sometimes  Definitely start brushing from being a pup! We are doing with Poppy now (even though there's nothing to brush haha) because Izzie is a nightmare with grooming! HATES it with a passion! But I can imagine it hurts when we're goin at the matts  Poor baby.

Good luck! You must be very excited 
Any names sticking out atm? Would love to hear the list


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## nicole29 (May 20, 2010)

Laura(L)Izzie said:


> I know what you mean Karen, & I haven't taken offence, just the only problem is that Izzie hates it so much! She makes it impossible to groom her because she gets so stressed, if we did her everyday while it hurts she'd hate us  So we do want to get on top of it so that we can give her a quick brush everyday & not be hurting her!
> I think you're right tbh, we should book her for the groomers, we just wanted to try ourselves first because we didn't want her bald for winter because it's so cold, but the problem is around her bum! Because she sits on it all the time it's terrible! Tbh we have gotten through quite a lot with our new les pooches brushes  But aren't there yet, I shall let you know if we have to hang our heads & book her for a groom
> Her coat is just so beautiful though that we didn't want it to disappear again! :'( We had to get her clipped really short before because of matts, but when she goes on walks & things get stuck in you don't even see them or feel them & then there's a matt around it in a couple of days! Terrible.


You may not have to get her completely stripped off, I do grooming for a living and see knots of every kind. sometimes you can hide clipped areas with the longer hair thats left. Speak to your groomer and disscuss different options. You need to brush a cockapoo everyday, for how long depends. If you can't pull a comb through, your groomer wont be able to either.


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## Green Fairy (Oct 31, 2011)

Laura(L)Izzie said:


> Good luck! You must be very excited
> Any names sticking out atm? Would love to hear the list


I am very excited - but am I allowed to say I'm quite nervous too?! We've had plenty of animals in the past but never a dog so this all new. I spent less time researching our first horse than I have this puppy :laugh:

We have a long list of names which keeps getting added to and crossed out on a daily basis. There are some great names on the forum but I'm trying not to copy! We'll have to see what fits him when he's here. I'll introduce him properly when he's settled in and called something other than pup!

Julie - hope you don't mind me jumping in on your post but thought it was relevant re the grooming x


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

nicole29 said:


> You may not have to get her completely stripped off, I do grooming for a living and see knots of every kind. sometimes you can hide clipped areas with the longer hair thats left. Speak to your groomer and disscuss different options. You need to brush a cockapoo everyday, for how long depends. If you can't pull a comb through, your groomer wont be able to either.


I would hope we wouldn't have to get her cut short again, the only problem in regards to covering the areas with the hair left is that the matts are mainly her bum where she sits & i'm not sure how much hair would be left there to cover the rest up in regards to how much hair would be left on the rest of her body which isn't badly matted :/ We can't pull a comb through a couple of areas atm, but it's not everywhere, her back is lovely & easy to get through with the brush... If I can't sort out her matts this weekend I will discuss the groomers with my parents, I have a lot of time this weekend, so fingers crossed she will be good & let me groom :/ Thanks for your advice


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

Green Fairy said:


> I am very excited - but am I allowed to say I'm quite nervous too?! We've had plenty of animals in the past but never a dog so this all new. I spent less time researching our first horse than I have this puppy :laugh:
> 
> We have a long list of names which keeps getting added to and crossed out on a daily basis. There are some great names on the forum but I'm trying not to copy! We'll have to see what fits him when he's here. I'll introduce him properly when he's settled in and called something other than pup! x


I understand why you're nervous if it's a new experience  But you'll love it & everything will be fine  Just make sure you sleep before your pup comes home just incase! 

Not even a taster of names?  There are some lovely names on the forum  But lots have similar or the same names too! So if you like one then no one would have a problem with you calling your pup the same, at the end of the day you will call him it til the day he dies, so make sure you pick your favourite one that suits him  x


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Julie Clark said:


> I have been trawling through the grooming threads trying to get a realistic idea about the amount of time you guys all spend brushing and dematting the coats of your adult Cockapoos.
> 
> I understand that this is a bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string’ question, and that the coat type and the length will make a difference, and that walk locations will also make a difference to the amount of grooming time needed. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not afraid of a little hard work, I just want to be realistically prepared for the task!
> 
> ...


I try and groom Daisy every night but sometimes fail, like tonight!  She has a long wavy coat, I have just measured it and in places it is nearly 6 inches long!

She gets some matts under her legs and behind the ears but I have a matt breaker in addition to the Les Pooches green brush and I wouldn't be without it! I have had to cut about 4 matts out, all the rest I have been able to bet rid of with the matt breaker, it is fab! 

Good luck with your new puppies! 
x


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## marzy (Aug 20, 2010)

I've found,with boycie he occasionally gets mats when he lost his puppy coat then again when he lost his summer coat .
as you groom you ll notice more hair in comb so a regular comb will keep mats at bay and once he's lost that coat ... its easy... 
or should I say ....easier...... 
cleaner hair is,easier to comb too xx 
marzy


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## wellerfeller (Jul 12, 2011)

wellerfeller said:


> Hi Laura, good luck in removing the matts, you may find you are chasing your tail though Those darn matts appear in the blink of an eye and as you get rid of one there are probably two more waiting for you!!! I don't want to sound mean or anything but I don't think you will get rid of them by grooming her twice a week
> If I were you I would send her to a professional groomer to give her a good going over and to dematt her properly so you can start afresh, then a quick comb through every day will prevent it happening again
> The only reason I know this is because I have just had to clip Weller right back as I just couldn't get on top of the matts, he is now a baldypoo!


I am glad I didn't offend you  don't worry about sending her to the groomers, they won't clip her off drasticlly, they will just remove the matts and tidy her up, then you will find it so much easier to keep on top of. I only clipped weller so much as what I thought was just a few small matt were actually a lot more than I realised and just ended up clipping him as I got fed up with the scissors 
My method can be described as using a sledge hammer to crack a nut!!!!!!


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Ive always brushed Buddy since getting him i started with a very soft brush and i now just use a slicker brush he does see it as a game but he will now lie on his back and let me do his tummy etc.

Must admit while we were in Norfolk because he would get wet and muddy we bathed him everyday ,it was hard work but i couldnt stand the thought of just letting him dry and brush it out.

I did notice yesterday that there was quite abit of fur on his brush after id brushed him so maybe this is the start of his puppy coat shedding??


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## Laney (Aug 7, 2011)

I started grooming Rocky straight away with a slicker brush (rounded ends on steel, soft pad) and a normal comb. As he got older I introduced a metal wide toothed comb and 2 dematting tools as well (best things I ever bought and only about £15 in total for both as opposed to double that for one of the les pooches)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DOG-GROOM...6?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item2c60a085ee £10
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-DOG-C...3?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item3a6c24fb9b £5 (careful, I have seen this same comb for £16 so use the link) 
Rocky doesn't like being groomed but will tolerate it and likes to lie down so I try to accommodate him and work around him lying down as much as I can. 
Going back to the original question on how long to spend grooming. I try to groom him every 2/3 days...always pay special attention to neck, under ears and backs of legs. I give him a fairly close "hygiene" clip around the bottom so he doesn't have long hair here to matt. Obviously it depends on how long his coat is as to how long it takes to groom him but as long as I keep on top of it, I guess about 15 minutes every 2/3 days is about right for us. Of course, Rocky is only 8 months so this may change yet. he started to matt at about 6 months old...fortunately I have time to keep it at bay and do all my own grooming so maybe I spend a bit more time on it than I think, a few minutes here and there.  x


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## Mogdog (Feb 6, 2011)

Thanks for the links Laney. I'm going to buy these two to add to my grooming kit!


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

I was thinking the same haha, although I also have to lespooches brushes, but I might buy these myself instead of telling mum to buy them


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## nicole29 (May 20, 2010)

Laura(L)Izzie said:


> I would hope we wouldn't have to get her cut short again, the only problem in regards to covering the areas with the hair left is that the matts are mainly her bum where she sits & i'm not sure how much hair would be left there to cover the rest up in regards to how much hair would be left on the rest of her body which isn't badly matted :/ We can't pull a comb through a couple of areas atm, but it's not everywhere, her back is lovely & easy to get through with the brush... If I can't sort out her matts this weekend I will discuss the groomers with my parents, I have a lot of time this weekend, so fingers crossed she will be good & let me groom :/ Thanks for your advice


She may have to have a bald bottom for a while but it soon grows back It will be more comfy for her when the knots are gone. you could try getting a matt zapper les pooches brush, theyre very good. Sometimes dogs make a fuss when theyre owners brush them because theyre owners stop as they think theyre hurting them but your probably not. Its a bit like a child acting up for their mum, they make a fuss about nothing.

Nicky


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Laney said:


> I started grooming Rocky straight away with a slicker brush (rounded ends on steel, soft pad) and a normal comb. As he got older I introduced a metal wide toothed comb and 2 dematting tools as well (best things I ever bought and only about £15 in total for both as opposed to double that for one of the les pooches)
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DOG-GROOM...6?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item2c60a085ee £10
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-DOG-C...3?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item3a6c24fb9b £5 (careful, I have seen this same comb for £16 so use the link)
> Rocky doesn't like being groomed but will tolerate it and likes to lie down so I try to accommodate him and work around him lying down as much as I can.
> Going back to the original question on how long to spend grooming. I try to groom him every 2/3 days...always pay special attention to neck, under ears and backs of legs. I give him a fairly close "hygiene" clip around the bottom so he doesn't have long hair here to matt. Obviously it depends on how long his coat is as to how long it takes to groom him but as long as I keep on top of it, I guess about 15 minutes every 2/3 days is about right for us. Of course, Rocky is only 8 months so this may change yet. he started to matt at about 6 months old...fortunately I have time to keep it at bay and do all my own grooming so maybe I spend a bit more time on it than I think, a few minutes here and there.  x


My matt breaker is similar to your first link. They are great tools, nothing else seems to get through the matts.


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## Tressa (Aug 31, 2010)

Sezra said:


> I try and groom Daisy every night but sometimes fail, like tonight!  She has a long wavy coat, I have just measured it and in places it is nearly 6 inches long!
> 
> She gets some matts under her legs and behind the ears but I have a matt breaker in addition to the Les Pooches green brush and I wouldn't be without it! I have had to cut about 4 matts out, all the rest I have been able to bet rid of with the matt breaker, it is fab!
> 
> ...


Fully agree about the matt breaker. I got the [email protected] one with the sideways motion, but you really need to take care using it in case you get the skin instead. I did not have the confidence to use it until I had been to the grooming course where I was shown how to do it properly. It is great.


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

nicole29 said:


> She may have to have a bald bottom for a while but it soon grows back It will be more comfy for her when the knots are gone. you could try getting a matt zapper les pooches brush, theyre very good. Sometimes dogs make a fuss when theyre owners brush them because theyre owners stop as they think theyre hurting them but your probably not. Its a bit like a child acting up for their mum, they make a fuss about nothing.
> 
> Nicky


That's very true, she may have a balder bum but she will feel better & it will grow back, if I can't get through it this weekend I will mention the groomers. We do have the les pooches matt zapper & it's very good! We've managed to get through a lot of it, we're just not quite there yet, I may also look into getting the other 2 matts brushes mentioned  I think sometimes it is just acting up, bt sometimes it does hurt her as she has yelped a couple of times bless her  Thanks for all the advice Nicky


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Tressa said:


> Fully agree about the matt breaker. I got the [email protected] one with the sideways motion, but you really need to take care using it in case you get the skin instead. I did not have the confidence to use it until I had been to the grooming course where I was shown how to do it properly. It is great.


Mine is the red and black PAH one. I agree, in some areas Daisy has looser skin and you have to be careful as the brush can be sharp.

Do you use it all over the coat? I have only been using it on the matts rather than as a brush but it would be good to know if this is right?


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## colpa110 (Jul 5, 2011)

There was me feeling quite smug about being on top of Betty's grooming and
having no mats...well, I groomed her as usual last night but when stroking her this morning on the bed found a massive matt on three of her legs... HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN So it was up early for a quick de-matting session before work for meI was wondering whether the Equafleece rubbing her legs could have caused this - anyone else noticed this??


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## lady amanda (Nov 26, 2010)

Colin, Betty is just getting to that wonderful age of MATTS! it comes so fast....and a matt can go from nothing to huge in no time at all....battling ladies coat again at the moment...I don't want to shave her down right before our snow comes


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

Rosie started to get the dreaded mats about 2 week before she was spayed.and we were doing a good Job of keeping on top of them, but 10 days with a vest on after she was spayed and the mats were horrendous. Didn't want to groom her to much as she was healing. but now its time for a trip to the groomers, you get them all out and the next morning there back again, time for a good cut.
Poppy got mats but not as bad as this, she has curly fur and is cut quite short, so a brush with a slicker is all she needs. I will book them in on the same day so it will look like Poppy and mini me when they come back.


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## Pollypiglet (Oct 22, 2011)

I will be hoping to get Hattie used to being brushed from a puppy. I have a supply of horse de tangling grooming products so will try them they should be suitable for dogs as they are supposed to be kind to skin etc and my Welsh Cob being a red head has a very sensitive skin. The advantage of horse products is you get a lot more for your money and I have heard of these products being used by us humans so we shall see! Cowboy Magic is one of the best!


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## Benji (Nov 12, 2011)

Kirsty said:


> Hiya I use a simple dog comb then finish off with a tangle teaser- got the latter from Boots, used to detangle human hair. Cara finds it comfy on her puppy fur. Tropiclean detangling spray helps too after bath time. Xx


This is what I do for my daughter's matted hair every morning! And she hates brushing - she often cries ... we do it around ... well just in time for school! Aww ... I can't wait for this with our puppy ... my old dog Benji used to LOVE getting a good brush! Just think of the time as attachment therapy for the new pup!


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## Cockapoodledoo (Feb 8, 2011)

Basil is at the wonderful stage of needing just a five minute comb through. Bliss while it lasts!

Rufus snuggles with me up on the sofa and while I'm 'watching' television or chatting to hubby Gareth I work on a small area. My coarse comb is in a drawer right next to me so I can reach it easily. It might be just one leg or behind one ear. I take my time and do it very gently whilst he is relaxed. If at any stage he gives a warning growl (which occasionally happens) then I move to an area he tolerates such as his back and then creep back round when he has relaxed again! Lol. Over the week he gets a really good groom ..... just divided into little bite size sessions. To be honest it's a relaxing time for both of us. Obviously for those hard to reach areas the table has to come out. I've just ordered a Les Pouches brush ......can't wait to have a go!

Karen xx


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## tessybear (May 1, 2011)

Dexter gets groomed for 10 minutes every day. He doesn't particularly enjoy it but he gets a chew while I do it. He has never had a tangle yet but I am expecting one any day as I think he is at the age!


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## Julie Clark (Sep 8, 2011)

Thank you for all your responses and advice, I’ll check out all of the suggested products. I’m so pleased that nobody said anything too scary!   

Green Fairy, I can’t wait to see the pictures of your new arrival. I know what you mean about names, we have an ongoing list that changes on a daily basis, but it’s hard to find a name that doesn’t pop up on the forum!
Jx


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## Green Fairy (Oct 31, 2011)

Julie Clark said:


> Green Fairy, I can’t wait to see the pictures of your new arrival. I know what you mean about names, we have an ongoing list that changes on a daily basis, but it’s hard to find a name that doesn’t pop up on the forum!
> Jx


How true! Even when I find one I think is original somebody in the family says 'urgh!'. I'm guessing he'll be 'Pup' for a while. We had a stray cat that adopted us once and had to go by the name 'Puss' occasionally depending on who was visiting. Her/his real name was 'No Nuts'. Self explanatory!


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Well I just started reading this thread and thought - crickey, Millie is overdue a comb. So I sat with her and combed her as much as she would let me!. The usual, back, sides and ears, tops of legs. And that was it!

About 70% was groomed, the rest she wouldn't let me near.

Another usual grooming session !


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## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

Julie Clark said:


> Thank you for all your responses and advice, I’ll check out all of the suggested products. I’m so pleased that nobody said anything too scary!
> 
> Jx


Being entirely honest I didn't realise that Cockapoos needed so much grooming - perhaps silly I know. I remember Jukee Doodles saying that Buzz and Yum Yum get a full-on groom every three months or so and I suppose I assumed that was it. 

Don't know if I'll manage it every day - I don't wash my own hair every day. So every 2/3 days will have to suffice!

Turi x


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## Laura(L)Izzie (Sep 9, 2011)

Turi said:


> Being entirely honest I didn't realise that Cockapoos needed so much grooming - perhaps silly I know. I remember Jukee Doodles saying that Buzz and Yum Yum get a full-on groom every three months or so and I suppose I assumed that was it.
> 
> Don't know if I'll manage it every day - I don't wash my own hair every day. So every 2/3 days will have to suffice!
> 
> Turi x


Turi they won't need bathing & washing everyday, only when they get dirty or like you said every 2 or 3 months, you shouldn't wash them too much because it dries out their skin. BUT they should be brushed as much a possible, every 2/3 days should be fine, it's just to prevent matts, because once they do form they aren't easy to get rid of! :/ x


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## Julie Clark (Sep 8, 2011)

I knew that the length of time would vary but the recent talk of matted fur on the forum had me a little worried which is why I thought I'd ask. Every 2/3 days sounds perfect!
I'm quite lucky that hubbie is pretty good around the house etc so I'm sure it'll be a shared responsibility, I just wanted to avoid any nasty surprises!


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## Turi (Jun 28, 2011)

I'm glad you asked Julie, you've alerted me to something I hadn't seriously considered. 

Bit of a confession here but Elmo (my cat) comes in the bath with me! We got him when he was eight weeks old and he was a smelly little kitten - we tried to wash him but he was really scared so eventually I got in the bath with him. 

He now has a bath every 1 - 3 months and the vet says she's never seen fur quite like it. He doesn't yelp or cry but ignores me for a good hour whilst he's grooming himself and then he comes up for a cuddle and is so soft and flumpy 

I'm hoping that Marcus will share the responsibility - it'll be his first pet so I'll tell him it's a 'bonding experience'!

Turi x


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Laney said:


> I started grooming Rocky straight away with a slicker brush (rounded ends on steel, soft pad) and a normal comb. As he got older I introduced a metal wide toothed comb and 2 dematting tools as well (best things I ever bought and only about £15 in total for both as opposed to double that for one of the les pooches)
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DOG-GROOM...6?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item2c60a085ee £10
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-DOG-C...3?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item3a6c24fb9b £5 (careful, I have seen this same comb for £16 so use the link)
> Rocky doesn't like being groomed but will tolerate it and likes to lie down so I try to accommodate him and work around him lying down as much as I can.
> Going back to the original question on how long to spend grooming. I try to groom him every 2/3 days...always pay special attention to neck, under ears and backs of legs. I give him a fairly close "hygiene" clip around the bottom so he doesn't have long hair here to matt. Obviously it depends on how long his coat is as to how long it takes to groom him but as long as I keep on top of it, I guess about 15 minutes every 2/3 days is about right for us. Of course, Rocky is only 8 months so this may change yet. he started to matt at about 6 months old...fortunately I have time to keep it at bay and do all my own grooming so maybe I spend a bit more time on it than I think, a few minutes here and there.  x


Ive brought both these items to give them ago anyway the dematting comb arrived today and even though Buddy has no matts i thought id give it ago through his hair but im not sure how your suppose to do it? i had ago just combing through like you would a normal comb but without touching his skin ,not sure if this is correct but i got loads of hair out of his coat??

Any advice would be great thanks dx


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## Laney (Aug 7, 2011)

Hi Donna,

The comb has rounded ends so it won't hurt Buddy. When the hair matts, it like a flat clump of felt very close to the skin and quite hard to feel with bare hands. A metal comb will alert you to them but you must comb close to the skin otherwise you will just skim over them. When you find one it will be obvious what to do with the comb. You will need to comb it through several times (close to skin), holding the skin close to him so you don't drag it...letting the blades do the work. You will feel the matt loosen and start to come away and then you can tease it away gently with your fingers. Rocky has no problem at all with me using these tools, he knows they won't hurt him.
I can see why you don't get how to use them just now as they are no use at all until you get the matts. 7/8 months seems to be a key time for the first problems, though I think it has a lot to do with the length of the hair too. Keep a close eye out for matts around (and just under) the ears, the backs of legs, bottom and chest/neck.
Rocky has had them under the ears and on the chest/neck and they started when he was about 6 months. I wonder if his collar and harness were part of the problem, as since I bought a rolled collar, we've had no more bad ones. That said, I do keep on top of things as much as I can. Hope this helps...it will all become clear when he gets one  x


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## Tressa (Aug 31, 2010)

Again I return to the groomer on my one-day course - she was great and really helped a lot. One tip she showed me was to look for matts using a cool hairdryer on dry fur. When the air parts the fur you can see the matts much more clearly and you know where to target your combing and dematting. Hope this helps - it certainly helped me!


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## DONNA (Jan 7, 2011)

Where do you go for your grooming course??


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## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

Just caught up with this thread. I brush Betty as much as possible, aiming for every day but more like every other day for ten minutes or so. i use the green les poochs brush and a metal tooth comb but may look at one of the dematting combs.

Generally Betty was easy to keep with very few mats. Until she got to a year old when the mats hit and she had to have a short cut! I think part of it was from the tree sap and sticky leaves she kept walking and rolling in as once these got in her fur they were hard to get out and the firm was still tacky feeling so just matted again. My groomer told me that once you get a mat out the hair is a bit damaged and more likely to mat again, which i suppose makes sense as its only like us getting split ends.

It's always interesting to hear how much grooming others do and what they use.


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## Sezra (May 20, 2011)

Just to update I spent over an hour last night grooming around Daisy's face, chin and ears. Under her chin has needed doing for sometime, it is all that sniffing in wet grass and being a mucky pup. It was very matted underneath and although I managed to leave some length to the sides I had to cut her chin area right back. She is not a fan of being groomed but I find late evening she is very sleepy and chilled so just lies there letting me give her a good brush. Considering it was such a small area that I was grooming I had a huge amount of fluff from the matt breaker and Les pooches brush. It feels much nicer under there now . Her season is now nearly over (thank goodness) and I have groomed her all week to make sure she is matt free........so time for a lovely tropiclean bath!


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## M&M's mummy (Jul 12, 2011)

We brush Monty once a week- he doesn't get too matty probably due to his tight curly coat and that we keep him short.

Milly on the other hand has soft silky coat and matts very easily.

I used to think we had it under control when I was just using a pin and slicker brush, till my groomer advised me otherwise on putting a comb through. OMG it's not to you comb them you realise how matty they can be!!!

The both hate their bellies & tails being done and Monty hates his legs too.
Milly looks lovely when she has been done but sadly only lasts 5 mins then she looks a scruff bag again


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I keep Molly trimmed fairly short all over with it even shorter underneath and mostly groom her with a metal comb so I know I am getting right through her coat down to the skin. I aim for a comb through at least every few days with a really thorough comb through everywhere at the weekends and at the moment I seem to be bathing and trimming her around once a month.


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## JulesB (Mar 6, 2011)

M&M's mummy said:


> We brush Monty once a week- he doesn't get too matty probably due to his tight curly coat and that we keep him short.
> 
> Milly on the other hand has soft silky coat and matts very easily.
> 
> ...


Betty hates her tail being done and it's been getting matted recently so she has to sit still for 5 mins a day while i do her tail. She usually tries to sit in her tail so i can't get to it!!!!


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