# 9 mos old Standard Poodle Coat Change / Matts



## West U (Jul 30, 2014)

LoLa's coat started to change a couple of months ago. She seems to have mats , mostly on her head and ears where the old and new hair meet. She is not combed daily, but is combed 2 or 3 times a week--not just the top hair, but next to the skin also. Mats appear within hours of her being brushed / combed. Any recommendations on a coat conditioner that can be used to help with the mats?

Thanks


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## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

I do hope you use some type of leave in conditioner whenever you comb her. My goto leave in is Chris Christensens Ice on Ice, Stazko makes a good one too, and there are many others out there. A lot of regular conditioners can be mixed to be used as a leave in conditioner.

When you comb out a matted area, the hair cuticle is damaged and rough and even more prone to matting. Combing/brushing dry hair can also damage it.

If the mats are close to the skin and tight, I would just shave them out, especially if they are under/behind an ear or somewhere similar where it won't be noticed.

Other than frequent grooming, bath/dry/complete brush out, and using a conditioner after every bath, about nothing else to do. Unless you take her down short. Sully went into a Miami trim when his coat change started as his neck hair was matting up, plus that is what is "disturbed" the most when he plays with the other dogs. Just took his body down once with a 7F, and then let it grow back and no more problems. 

Diligence and sweat equity in keeping a changing coat mat free.


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## villavilla (Jul 30, 2013)

loves said:


> Other than frequent grooming, bath/dry/complete brush out, and using a conditioner after every bath, about nothing else to do. Unless you take her down short.


Actually there is: you can get your dog corded.

That's what I decided with my Pimu (spoo) in the same phase. Less than in a year she got great cords and is a corded poodle ever since. I have her father as well, he started getting matted at the age of 13 months, is now 13 years and 5 months and still gets matted. He had cords from 7-year-old to almost 13 and it was a huge mistake to cut them off because I don't want to brush or wash such an old dog every week to keep his coat unmatted.


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## AngelAviary (Aug 12, 2014)

Hi I feel your frustration with the coat change, I started my own thread about Stella and my failure to keep her coat long during this mess of a time. She started her coat change at about 10 months. Thankfully I was done showing her. I brush daily, using a diluted produce like The Stuff or my own leave in conditioner (diluted 50/50) so that I dont brush dry hair. Bathing once a week and using a force air dryer to dry. You really need to brush daily, matts will seem to form if you look at them the wrong way! lol! that was the joke at work: "Dont talk in that tone of voice, you will make Stellas' hair matt!"
I ended up having her put in a Modified Lamb cut because I intend to grow her coat back out long into her show "puppy cut" because I like the long fluffy look. Are you showing her or is she a pet? If a pet I would consider shorting the coat to make things easier but you still have to brush daily, matts still form in the short hair too.


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## West U (Jul 30, 2014)

I've always liked the way corded poodles (dogs) look. I am bit skeptical though. Not sure about bathing, how much times is involved, how to do it, keep it up etc.

Thanks


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## Rachel76 (Feb 3, 2014)

I am in the same boat. Hemi is also starting to go through coat change. She also spends literally hours running around outside getting dirty on an almost daily basis. Day after tomorrow is BATH :bathbaby: day. I start with a slicker brush then I comb, then bath her including conditioner. Forced air dry and lots more leave in conditioner. Another pf member and groomer gave me the great tips about the dryer and leave in conditioner. For someone like me with no idea about grooming those two things have made a big difference.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I use coat handler leave in conditioner. Dilute it and drench them in it! I also use it in spray form for a brushing spray. My mini Cooper is in coat change and if I use the leave in conditioner I can go almost two weeks between baths. I brush him every other day and check for matts daily, but he is in show coat. The easiest thing to do if you aren't showing is shave their bodies down.  Coat change passes, but it is several months of turmoil.


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## wolfcub81 (Feb 5, 2010)

I have had the best luck with Stazko conditioning spray. I also use conditioner in the tub. That one varies depending on how close to a show I am. I don't like using a heavy conditioner too close to a show as I need the coat to stand up nice.


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## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

Vogue is through coat change. Lasted from 9 months to 16 months of age. I sometimes has to use every trick I know. My best one for when it gets away on you is eqyss survivor product. It's a silicone gel you use very little rub on hands and rub into coat. Even very thick coats will feel slippery and detangle easily. Can use before tub more liberally on matted areas. I don't waste time brushing dirty hair. I let my bathing system and sprays do my work. I do brush after bath after the dematting spray or silicone has been put in. Then HV.


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## LCS (Jan 8, 2014)

Itza Clip,

Can you tell us what silicone spray you use?

LCS


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## AngelAviary (Aug 12, 2014)

Its a horse product made by the company Eqyss. Its called Survivor, its a detangler product used on horses for their manes and tails. It works wonderful on horses! I am ordering some from Amazon to try it on Stella, she is still going through her coat change at 13 months old. I cant wait to see how it works on her.


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## mantlady (Jun 22, 2014)

I LOVE Poodle Forum!!

Every time something new happens with Zach, you all give me answers and insights. Zach is 8 1/2 months and just began matting like crazy so I took him to the groomer to get cut down short enough for me to be able to comb him. Both she and I use Cowby Magic as a detangler (his tail hair has never been clipped).

I didn't realize haircoat change could take so long (or that matting was a sign)- just was feeling guilty about the matts. Zach gets a weekly bath and sometimes in between showers, as we live in the Mud Capitol of the World and he and his BFF RubytheLab like to play hard- grinding the dirt in for hours. I use more conditioner than shampoo as that's the only way I can brush him out. 

You groomers will smile gently- he came home looking very much like a poodle, and on his afternoon visit to Town not one person asked me if that was a LabraDoodle  She did cut his face shorter than I wanted (read it looks shaved) but he is so cute and elegant looking. I did want his feet shaved as he is such a mudmop, and they are part of the elegance.

The one thing that bugs me a little is that in clipping the sanitary area and his belly very close (again, near shave) at my request, his not so little pinkish testicles are both very visible and just don't match the rest of the elegant look 

Ah well, the hind end hair will grow :alberteinstein:


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## AngelAviary (Aug 12, 2014)

Hi mantlady, yes his hair will grow back! lol seems to take forever when you are wanting it to be long again! I am going to grow Stella's coat back in to her puppy cut look as soon as the coat change is over. She really started to change when she hit 10 months. Thankfully I was done showing her so did not have to struggle through it in show coat. I love the long look and cant wait for it to grow back. My groomer (she is a master groomer that competes with her Spoo in competitions) told me if you want it long, don't shorten the topknot, back of the neck or the legs at the bottoms, those are the areas that take FOREVER to grow back in. So we put Stella in a Modified Lamb cut. Good luck with Zach during this time, it will end someday, Im still waiting for my day! LOL


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## mantlady (Jun 22, 2014)

I'm one of Those who doesn't show but wants good conformation, health, and good breeding , so the show coats, while very nice to look at from a distance (no mud) don't match with our lifestyle. That said, I've spent the last two days marveling at how classy and elegant Zach looks  with his shaved/close face and feet. The rest of him is about an inch all over, with his head poodled longer, and his nevercut and full length fluffytail. I WILL get pictures up (sigh, flipphone)


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## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

LCS said:


> Itza Clip,
> 
> Can you tell us what silicone spray you use?
> 
> LCS


My current two go to are k9 competition dematter as leave in for general knots. Cost feels nice. Can be used between baths. 
For heavy matting secret weapon HypKNOTic spray. Can be used full strength before bath, rinsed through in tub, or spray leave in after bath as a diluted product. Very economical. https://www.canadiangroomingdistributor.com/products/secret-weapon-dmatting-products

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## stormey916 (Feb 19, 2017)

I’m a groomer and have tried SO many dematting sprays. By far the best I’ve tried is from Artero called Matt-X. You can lightly mist after bath before blow drying, spray directly on a mat before brushing out, or my favorite is to spray a few pumps into diluted shampoo & water mixture to use during the shampooing in the tub. This stuff is a miracle worker!


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