# Brushing a Matted Poodle



## kenzie14 (Feb 18, 2015)

I was wondering if anybody has any ideas on how to brush out a matted coat without having to shave the dog?
I also wanted to know if there is a way to keep the coat from matting without having to brush it daily.
I really would rather brush George just two or three times a week. If enyone has any idea's i would really appreciate it.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Since your boy is a poodle mix his coat is probably rather different than what I am use to caring for. The nature of the coat will dictate how to care for it. I will say that if I had a badly matted dog I would shave it down and start over again. It is the fairest and most comfortable thing to do. Perhaps you can put a few pictures that clearly show the coat people will have more concrete suggestions for you.


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

How matted is the dog? If it's more than one or two mats, I agree that shaving down is the best thing, even if it looks silly. If it's just one mat, then you can try dousing it in detangler, maybe snipping it in half to make it smaller, and then carefully working through the mat starting from the middle out. Sometimes you can use your fingers, most often you're better off with a comb or a dematting tool.

As a fellow owner of a poodle mix who constantly mats, I find the following is essential to keeping him mat-free without brushing him 24 hours a day:


Bathing once a week, with a good quality shampoo, conditioner, and detangler (I've been doing well with Chris Christensen Daily Shampoo, After U Bathe Conditioner, and Ice on Ice detangler)
Thoroughly brushing before and after that bath, including blow-drying instead of air-drying (I just use my own blow-dryer on my mini)
Detangler for most regular brushing - I usually spray down the brush, then only spray directly on any tangley areas.
A good quality slicker brush (I have the green Activet which was expensive but I love it, a lot of people like the Chris Christensen slicker better though)
Keep his hair cut short
Constant vigilance

If you want to keep the coat long, you will need to thoroughly brush at least once a day. I keep Archie in a shorter cut (around an inch or less), but since bathing him weekly and adding good conditioner and detangling products he's been mat-free and I don't brush him every day. Admittedly I _try_ to brush him every day, but I forget so often that it probably comes out to 4 days a week or so. A good brush makes a big difference, though - with my Activet brush it takes like half as long as it did with the cheap little slicker I picked up at Petco.

I don't know what your dog's coat is like, but Archie's is cottony-soft and super tangly, plus he's got straight hairs mixed in with the curly poodle ones. So he's kind of a mat machine. But the above regimen works for him.

EDIT: I wanted to add that brushing out mats is often painful for the dog in addition to being time-consuming for you, which is why it's usually better to just shave if there are more than just a few mats in the mix.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

I agree, if the coat is badly matted, that is not the dog's fault. It is unfair to put him through the pain of brushing him out. Your best bet if you don't want to have to brush often is to keep the coat shorter.

ETA: Also, never, ever bathe a dog that is matted, it will tighten the mats.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I think once the coat is badly matted shaving is the best thing to do - trying to brush out the mats is going to be very painful for the dog, and likely to put him off grooming for some time to come. If you keep his coat short, and he has a reasonably poodle-like coat, you should be fine with brushing every other day, or even every third day - I think the important things is to brush and comb really thoroughly, right down to the skin and all over, when you do brush. The longer the coat the more time and effort it takes to keep it tangle free. If he is going through puppy to adult coat change he may need more frequent brushing until that has finished, though!

ETA - Snap! Looks like we all posted at once!


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## kenzie14 (Feb 18, 2015)

Here are the pictures. His fur is softer than a regular dogs, but a little bit more course than a pure poodles.















I'm not sure if that helps. If you double click on it it should become larger.


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## kenzie14 (Feb 18, 2015)

lisasgirl said:


> I don't know what your dog's coat is like, but Archie's is cottony-soft and super tangly, plus he's got straight hairs mixed in with the curly poodle ones. So he's kind of a mat machine. But the above regimen works for him.


That's exactly how George is!


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

If he is matted all over you will have to have him shaved down......it would take hours and cause him too much discomfort to try and get all the matts out by combing. If he is only matted in a few places you can try using a detangler on the matt, pulling it apart gently with your fingers and brushing/combing it out.........If you intend to keep his coat longer than an inch or two you will need to start brushing/combing everyday, paying attention to behind the ears, in the armpits, behind the neck, and the legs and feet if they are not kept short. It only takes a few minutes a day if you are diligent in keeping it up!


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

kenzie14 said:


> That's exactly how George is!


Ohhhhh I feel your pain, then! :laugh: I adopted Archie last June, and he's been matted at every single grooming appointment since then. We've had to shave him down twice in that time (not counting the shave the shelter gave him when they brought him in). I finally established the routine I mentioned in my last post about a month ago, and it's been smooth sailing since then, though I did have to sink some money into new products and allocate time for weekly baths (it's just an hour or so every Sunday, though, so it's not too bad).


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## PoodleFoster (May 25, 2013)

kenzie14 said:


> I was wondering if anybody has any ideas on how to brush out a matted coat without having to shave the dog?
> I really would rather brush George just two or three times a week.
> 
> Hi
> ...


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Once he's groomed and the mats are gone and things are at a maintenance stage, a metal comb will be your best friend. You always want to comb along with brushing, but gently because the comb will find tangles the brushes leave behind.

Also you want to learn to line brush with a Poodle (and many other breeds too). That way you are getting down to the skin and not just brushing the top of the coat.


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## kenzie14 (Feb 18, 2015)

Thank you PoodleFoster.

No George is not a rescue. We actually got him in exchange for helping a friend who breeds poodles.

I agree with you about cutting him down. We actually gave him a hair cut. He is now like half the size he used to be.

I want to put up a before and after picture as soon as I get the chance.


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