# Harness is causing tangles!



## RawFedHavs (Mar 26, 2016)

The dog in question is a 1.5 y/o male havanese with a very, very cottony coat. As you can imagine his coat blowing was a nightmare.

Anyway, my problem now is that his harness is causing him some pretty bad mats around his chest/armpits/right behind his neck. His armpits aren't really a problem because I keep the hair there pretty short, but his chest is the worst. It's not something I absolutely can't get out, it just takes me about a half hour more than his regular grooming (which is about 1 h already) 

He's a pretty strong puller at times, which is why our vet recommended we switch to a harness. He's currently wearing a Curli plush vest size M. 

He slips out of those standard nylon over-the-head type harnesses, and he did have some kind of "rope burn" looking thing across his neck when we tried it out. Obviously due to his pulling. I'm working on his loose leash walking as of right now but he is quite stubborn so I assume this will take at least another 2-3 months.:doh: And even the nylon type did cause him some tangles. 

So is there any magical trick to help with this or is it just something that happens? I'm open to keeping him in a shorter coat, but only if absolutely necessary. A groomer did suggest corn starch on his chest/wherever it gets tangled but he sometimes get's a bit damp and corn starch and water + dog hair do not mix very well. Or at the very least does anyone have any tips for brushing out his mats/tangles? :help:


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## Bentwings (Mar 30, 2015)

I use some horse stuff. DuMor mane & coat Detangler. I can't say it's perfect but it seems to slow down mats. It doesn't have much smell but my dog really doesn't like the sprayer. I just spray it on the brush and work it in. It's like water. Samantha gets a mat under her front legs occasionally, usually after being wet or in the water. She gets more cockle burrs than anything. They are really difficult to get out of long fur especially the tail. I also rub in coconut oil. It's more greasy but helps with the burrs.

There is better at the horse shops. About $45 for about a pint. I thought that was a bit spendy to try out. I just brush a couple times a day with te Detangler.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

I would keep trying other harnesses. I've found some cause matting in my dogs and others don't. The nylon types are generally the best for that, but I know what you mean about them being able to slip out. Anything that's more of a vest, or has a big chest plate (like the Ruffwear Front Range) causes mats in my dog with more coat.

What about the balance harness? It's harder to slip out of than most.


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## Aussie27 (Sep 25, 2010)

Honestly, I've found the best thing is just only using the harness for when Cali is actually leaving the house and then having it off when we're inside. Then I always brush her chest and armpits after. I don't like harnesses that are step-ins or don't offer that support for the chest... I prefer Puppia harnesses, so I've just gotten used to having to fix her fur after.

I'm glad you got a harness though for your dog, since small dogs are prone to trachea damage when wearing a collar.


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## Bentwings (Mar 30, 2015)

I take the harness off in the house too. I only leave the flat collar on inside. I even take it off at night and brush out her neck fur and any tangles.


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## RawFedHavs (Mar 26, 2016)

Aussie27 said:


> Honestly, I've found the best thing is just only using the harness for when Cali is actually leaving the house and then having it off when we're inside. Then I always brush her chest and armpits after. I don't like harnesses that are step-ins or don't offer that support for the chest... I prefer Puppia harnesses, so I've just gotten used to having to fix her fur after.
> 
> I'm glad you got a harness though for your dog, since small dogs are prone to trachea damage when wearing a collar.



He only wears his harness when we're out, too. I might look into Puppia harnesses, I can get those where I live. Thanks very much!


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## Constance (May 26, 2016)

I have a Havanese as well and find the same problem with armpit and chest mats. They seem to have even finer hair in this area for some reason! I just try to keep it cut really close, but of course he is not nearly as cute and fuzzy that way. I have to use a scissors in this area because there can be some uncomfortable pulling on the mats using a clipper in that area. 

Our groomer suggested a rolled collar to lessen neck mats and that seems to help. Would love to find a harness with similar functionality! I'm going to check out the Puppia harness as well. It looks like a good option because of the adjustable neck and overall design for smaller dogs.


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## Pollywoof (Nov 22, 2016)

Bentwings said:


> I take the harness off in the house too. I only leave the flat collar on inside. I'm not rocket scientist or a Trigonometry expert but even I can take it off at night and brush out her neck fur and any tangles.


I've found that the more hyper a dog is (By Breed), the harness actually becomes more of a nuisance. If things get too out of hands, I would consider re-training with a professional. Look for someone that has a math background. They seem to be better. My GSP was a SUPER STRONG puller too but I think if we trained him properly at an early age, that wouldn't have been an issue.


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