# Tangles and Matting



## midnight mojo (Oct 7, 2008)

Mojo has long hair and I try to do some light grooming at least once a day with a really good combing about once a week. I'm not sure what qualifies as matting versus just some knots and tangles but I would say we don't have issues with matting from the neck down but just a few tangles and knots that I think would lead to matting if they weren't combed out. He's ok with me combing from the neck down (including feet) provided there aren't any bad tangles (which are worst after playing outside on a wet day). I started out brushing him but it didn't seem to do enough--just kinda smoothed out the hair over any knots or tangles.

He really doesn't like having his head combed though! When trying to groom around the muzzle and eyes, it takes two of us (he's not even 3 lbs) and I hate doing it almost as much as he hates having it done! This is the area where he does tend to have some matting because he gets this eye gunk that never seems to appear in his eyes, just in the hair around them. We switched to filtered water a couple of weeks ago but so far haven't seen a difference. At a minimum, it creates a lot of discomfort (if not pain) for Mojo when I try to comb his hair out when it's like this. I've tried using a wet washcloth to dampen the hair and loosen the gunk but he doesn't like it much better and it doesn't seem to work much better either. The only time I've really been able to remove it was during baths (which is why I had hopes for a wet washcloth).

Do they have detangling sprays for dogs? I looked at my local pet store and didn't see any. We have only bathed him twice (he's 4 months old) and are using Pet Head shampoo and conditioner. When my niece was little I bought a spray I could safely use every day when I brushed her hair that made it so much nicer for her (not to mention easier on me!) and I'd love to use something like that on Mojo. Or is there some other secret to getting out the tangles, particularly his more sensitive areas on the face?

I'm not opposed to having him professionally groomed, we just wanted to wait till after the holidays. I'm not going to be taking him to the groomers every week though, so I need to find some solution at home and could use any advice you have to offer!

This photo shows what I'm talking about. There is a little tuft of hair sticking out under the right eye that is matted with the dried gunk. Under his left eye you can't see it as well in the pic but it's on that side too! And it's just matted with the dried gunk--the hair itself isn't tangled up in knots so much as just plastered together.


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## herbetk09 (Dec 15, 2008)

Hi dear,

just a simple suggestion. He may not like it over the head because the comb may be hurting him. Why dont you use your fingers? detangle it lightly with the help of your fingers and I guess he wont mind it then


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## bizzy (Apr 4, 2007)

Also realize that he may be objecting not because its painfull (I know how loud puppy screeches can be) but because he is scared of the comb by his eyes. Most puppies need a little training to realize that things like brushes, combs, and clippers around the eyes are ok. Try paring his favorite treat with running the comb over a part of his head he is usually ok with and slowly working your way around till you can run it anywhere and he is looking for the treat. The best thing for the corners of the eyes would be to get the fur trimmed so its shorter making is easier to clean out. Also I would clean it out at least once a day not once a week.



herbetk09 said:


> Hi dear,
> 
> just a simple suggestion. He may not like it over the head because the comb may be hurting him. Why dont you use your fingers? detangle it lightly with the help of your fingers and I guess he wont mind it then


You can remove eye boggers with you fingers but you can't detangle matts with them.


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## 0hmyd0g (Aug 18, 2008)

I find that working with puppies, the two places they don't seem to like the most are the face head and feet. If you need two people to brush his face, you may be frightening him by pinning him still. When I groom a puppy I spend about 5 or 10 minutes with one hand petting his face and top of head and the other hand with his chin resting on the top while I hold his beard lightly. This way he is sort of choosing to have his head held and it feels good. I talk to him and massage his ears, all the while holding under his chin. Then when he's relaxed I start brushing him, if he starts pulling away I put the brush down and go back to petting his head. When he stays still I talk to him softly, when he puts up a fight I don't yell at him but I don't let him get away with it, I just go right back to hold him and petting his head. If you start training him for grooming you will make his future groomer VERY HAPPY!


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

If he doesn't like his head/eyes groomed, I would just do it for a few minutes everyday. That way each session is short, but he still gets used to the idea and feeling of having his head/muzzle area groomed. I would do this even when he has a perfect coat. Not only just for general grooming, but to keep getting him used to it until he can accept head grooming more easily. Gently hold his head just with enough force to keep it still and do the grooming you usually do. You may want to praise and/or treat him when you're done for accepting the grooming.


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## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

KBLover said:


> If he doesn't like his head/eyes groomed, I would just do it for a few minutes everyday. That way each session is short, but he still gets used to the idea and feeling of having his head/muzzle area groomed.* I would do this even when he has a perfect coat.* Not only just for general grooming, but to keep getting him used to it until he can accept head grooming more easily. Gently hold his head just with enough force to keep it still and do the grooming you usually do. You may want to praise and/or treat him when you're done for accepting the grooming.


That statement was spot on. If there are no matts/tangles/hard crusted boogies, it does not hurt to groom the area. Prevention is key.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

If you can't find a conditioning spray at the pet store, in a pinch, you can use a children's detangler to spray before you brush. I never ever brush my Poodle's coats dry - this will cause breakage to the hair. Brushing should always be followed by a steel-toothed comb, to ensure there aren't any knots or mats. Pin brushes should be straight, and do NOT have little balls on the ends of the pins, because they will damage the coat, and then you'll really have problems with mats. Get a soft slicker brush, and use it gently. 

I have a new puppy - a Standard Poodle. Lucia wasn't all that thrilled with being groomed, either, but, I established a daily routine, which I follow every single day. I have a small pillow on the grooming table for her, and all of my supplies and equipment, along with some yummy treats (Wellness Venison & Salmon Jerky). It took 4 sessions to change her from squiming, whirling, and trying to get away, to just laying there quite relaxed, and enjoying the sweet talk, massage, and being brushed and combed and told how wonderful she is! LOL Grooming for me is like zen. It's excellent bonding time, too.

Get her used to being touched everywhere - head, ears, inside the ears, between the toes, etc., and reward her with treats.


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## lexilu (Jun 26, 2008)

I have had good luck with using a soft toothbrush (wet in warm water) to remove the eye gunk. Maybe that will be less threatening to Mojo.


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## midnight mojo (Oct 7, 2008)

Thanks so much for the replies everyone!

When we go to the groomer's after the holidays I will be sure to ask about clipping the area around the eyes shorter to help out! I do groom every day, but since I'm having issues around his face, I may try working on that area twice a day. Once a week, I really spend some time combing him out--I make sure he has no knots or tangles anywhere (he's so soft when I'm done!). It's just too time consuming to attempt that every day, so I usually just spend 10 minutes or so giving him a quick once over on the body and focusing on problem areas (namely the face) so when I do take the time to really comb him out it isn't that bad. 

Is there a detangler you recommend poodleholic? I assume I could order just about anything online, my local pet store just doesn't have a lot of choices for grooming and I didn't see anything that I could use outside of bath time (there were several conditioners and rinses but that's not what I want). The pin brush I have does have the little balls on the end, glad I stopped using it! I'll look for one that is straight and give brushing another try.

I do use treats (and a clicker!) with Mojo while grooming and I think we've made some progress as he's fine with me touching his face now, it's just the combing he doesn't like. It's hard for me to not be frustrated because he dislikes it so much and I'm sure my discomfort only makes it more difficult for him to settle down.

I don't have a grooming table, I just hold him while I comb him--do you think he'd be more comfortable on a table (a regular table of course, not a grooming table)?

A wet toothbrush sounds like a great idea too lexilu! I'll have to try that and see if he tolerates it better.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

I also do the beard holding technique someone described above. When he is groomed professionally, he is going to HAVE to allow his head to be groomed...safely. A wiggling, flailing pup is not going to allow a groomer to safely trim the hair in the corners of his eyes. You can also try just placing the comb against his head/face while holding his beard. Not combing with it at first, just placing it against him. He will learn its not something to fear. No matter what you do, combing the dried up eye boogies is going to pull and hurt. The only pain free way to remove them is to soak them with water, then comb them out. Once they are dried into the hair, its going to pull the hair and skin. 

I will answer your detangler question until Poodle can get back to you.  There are MANY detanglers out there that you can order online. Some of the best ones are Crown Royal #3, EZ Groom Answer, Quicker Slicker, EZ Groom Ruff Out, and Isle of Dog's Detangler. Those are the best in my opinion. You want to stay away from products with Silicone in them (quicker slicker may have, I am not sure) because Silicone will break the coat when it builds up. For the looks of your pup's coat, (softer and finer) I would go with the Crown Royal #3 or the Ruff Out. All can be googled online and purchased.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

Toothbrushes are a 'savior' for me when I groom...they help loosen eye boogers without causing too much excess irritation. 

Detangler is a negative for his face...or atleast his problem eye area...this will cause irritation to his eyes, and if it's just boogers, a bit of tearless puppy shampoo in a small cup, and using the toothbrush (soaking it often) to loosen the boogers is going to get you done quicker, and more effectively. Use the detangler on the rest of his body to help the brush and comb slide through better, and cause less damage to the dry coat. 

As far as detanglers for his body, I only use Bark 2 Basics DeMat, and it is fabulous; however Ez Groom is a good one, and Lambert Kaye has a decent one too. 

I don't like Crown Royal products, cause the perfumes in them cause me headaches.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Love's_Sophie said:


> I don't like Crown Royal products, cause the perfumes in them cause me headaches.



Oh, that is one of the reasons I like Crown Royal..LOL I just LOVE the smell of it!


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

> =midnight mojo;434113]Is there a detangler you recommend poodleholic? I assume I could order just about anything online, my local pet store just doesn't have a lot of choices for grooming and I didn't see anything that I could use outside of bath time (there were several conditioners and rinses but that's not what I want). The pin brush I have does have the little balls on the end, glad I stopped using it! I'll look for one that is straight and give brushing another try.


I order everything online because retail pet stores don't have anything I need/use - including decent pin brushes. 

For mats:

Davis Mat Out
EQyss The Survivor
Cowboy Magic
The Stuff

For daily brushing:

EQyss Premier Spray
EQyss Avacado Mist

I get my EQyss products online through KvVet Supply (www.kvvetsupply.com), because they're cheaper than from the EQyss website, plus, they don't charge shipping. Their shampoos and conditioners are awesome.




> I don't have a grooming table, I just hold him while I comb him--do you think he'd be more comfortable on a table (a regular table of course, not a grooming table)?


I bought my grooming table on sale at PetEdge.com for only $59! Before that, I had a piece of plywood that I placed on top of the crate. It worked ok, but having an actual grooming table makes it so much easier. 



> A wet toothbrush sounds like a great idea too lexilu! I'll have to try that and see if he tolerates it better.


Actually, if the dog moves, you could injure an eye. It's a lot easier to simply wipe any eye drainage or goobers when you see them, so it doesn't crust over. If it is crusted, just flush the eyes with some sterile saline solution. It's safe for their eyes, and cleans the buildup. I handle my puppy a lot, swabbing the corner of her eyes, rubbing my fingers inside her ears, massaging her lightly all over, going between the pads and toes, handling the tail, gentle tummy rubs, and inspecting teeth, etc. She allows me to do whatever I want to do, which includes brushing and combing. Your groomer will love you for it, and so will your vet!


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