Every groomers goal is to have clients that love coming to them and leave happy, healthy and looking beautiful.
The one thing that can make your furbaby dislike their groomer is knowing that each time they turn up to the salon they are going to be brushed, and most of the time have mattes and knots pulled. You cannot ask your groomer to brush and pull mats out of your dogs coat and then wonder why your dog does not like going to the groomer.
Groomers do not want to be made the bad guy by having to be the mean person who brushes out mats and tangles that the owner allowed to get into the coat.
What causes matted and tangled hair?
Lack of regular brushing:
With our busy lifestyles, many owners don't have extra time to stop and thoroughly brush out their dogs coat.
Many pet owners think that they don't need to brush their furbabys hair.
Unfortunately, many breeders don't bother to educate the people buying their puppies about how to groom them between salon visits.
Medium and long hair breeds require daily brushing to keep their coats tangle free.
Just imagine the dreadlocks you would have if you didn't brush your hair.
Non-shedding and short hair breeds still require brushing between baths. This stimulates blood flow under the skin and reduces the likelihood of sebaceous cysts and removes dead hair.
Dead hair, from long or double coated breeds tend to stay in the coat and wraps itself around the good hair causing mats. Removal of large matts will take more time to do and it will cost more.
Why can't my groomer just brush the mats and tangles out? That is their job!
A groomers job is to gently brush, comb, bathe, and trim or clip and pamper your pet. Creating a bond where your furbaby is happy to come for their pamper.
De-matting is both stressful for the groomer and your furbaby due to the owner not regularly brushing.
Brushing and combing mats and tangles out of a pets coat is a painful process.
Imagine having a head full of dreadlocks and asking your hairdresser to brush them out so you don't loose length.
People become groomers to help dogs feel good, not to hurt them.
It is an owners responsibility to take care of their dogs coat between professional grooms.
Won't the mats and tangles just fall out when the groomer bathes my dog?
Mats and tangles cannot be 'wash out' of a dogs coat.
When matted hair becomes wet and is left to dry, the mats and tangles become even tighter, making them even harder to remove. We all recommend that if you bath your pup, dry with a hairdryer and brush out to stop matts occurring.
I DO brush my dog everyday, but the groomer still said that he is matted.
The most common mistake that pet owners make when brushing out their pets, is that they only brush the top of the coat. Leaving mats to gather in the undercoat.
When brushing out a coat start at the tail and with your hand push the fur forward. Take the brush and gently brush the hair back. You will see any matts and find it easier to remove them before they become larger and closer to the skin.
Different stages of Matting
In some cases the groomer can cut mats and tangles out leaving most of the coat intact.
There are several different types of mats.
Small, loose hanging mats:
The leg pictured is a Shih-tzu's leg.
This dog has a few small, looses mats that are not tight to the skin.
The one thing that can make your furbaby dislike their groomer is knowing that each time they turn up to the salon they are going to be brushed, and most of the time have mattes and knots pulled. You cannot ask your groomer to brush and pull mats out of your dogs coat and then wonder why your dog does not like going to the groomer.
Groomers do not want to be made the bad guy by having to be the mean person who brushes out mats and tangles that the owner allowed to get into the coat.
What causes matted and tangled hair?
Lack of regular brushing:
With our busy lifestyles, many owners don't have extra time to stop and thoroughly brush out their dogs coat.
Many pet owners think that they don't need to brush their furbabys hair.
Unfortunately, many breeders don't bother to educate the people buying their puppies about how to groom them between salon visits.
Medium and long hair breeds require daily brushing to keep their coats tangle free.
Just imagine the dreadlocks you would have if you didn't brush your hair.
Non-shedding and short hair breeds still require brushing between baths. This stimulates blood flow under the skin and reduces the likelihood of sebaceous cysts and removes dead hair.
Dead hair, from long or double coated breeds tend to stay in the coat and wraps itself around the good hair causing mats. Removal of large matts will take more time to do and it will cost more.
Why can't my groomer just brush the mats and tangles out? That is their job!
A groomers job is to gently brush, comb, bathe, and trim or clip and pamper your pet. Creating a bond where your furbaby is happy to come for their pamper.
De-matting is both stressful for the groomer and your furbaby due to the owner not regularly brushing.
Brushing and combing mats and tangles out of a pets coat is a painful process.
Imagine having a head full of dreadlocks and asking your hairdresser to brush them out so you don't loose length.
People become groomers to help dogs feel good, not to hurt them.
It is an owners responsibility to take care of their dogs coat between professional grooms.
Won't the mats and tangles just fall out when the groomer bathes my dog?
Mats and tangles cannot be 'wash out' of a dogs coat.
When matted hair becomes wet and is left to dry, the mats and tangles become even tighter, making them even harder to remove. We all recommend that if you bath your pup, dry with a hairdryer and brush out to stop matts occurring.
I DO brush my dog everyday, but the groomer still said that he is matted.
The most common mistake that pet owners make when brushing out their pets, is that they only brush the top of the coat. Leaving mats to gather in the undercoat.
When brushing out a coat start at the tail and with your hand push the fur forward. Take the brush and gently brush the hair back. You will see any matts and find it easier to remove them before they become larger and closer to the skin.
Different stages of Matting
In some cases the groomer can cut mats and tangles out leaving most of the coat intact.
There are several different types of mats.
Small, loose hanging mats:
The leg pictured is a Shih-tzu's leg.
This dog has a few small, looses mats that are not tight to the skin.
The groomer was able to thin the mats out with thinning scissors and gently brush the mat out.
Most furbaby's will tolerate the removal of these mats.
Large, loose hanging mats:
The large mats covering most of the leg and body, But not packed to the skin.
Thinning scissors can be used to try to remove these matts. This will take a lot of time and some pain to the furbaby.
Extra time taken to remove these large mats, will be an extra cost.
The large mats covering most of the leg and body, But not packed to the skin.
Thinning scissors can be used to try to remove these matts. This will take a lot of time and some pain to the furbaby.
Extra time taken to remove these large mats, will be an extra cost.
Packed, hard mats:
The mats on this Maltese are large, hard, and packed tight to the dogs skin. These mats can ONLY be removed by shaving close to the skin.
The mats on this Maltese are large, hard, and packed tight to the dogs skin. These mats can ONLY be removed by shaving close to the skin.
These are mats and tangles that have connected together all throughout the coat to make one continuous mat all over the dog. Problems can occur with shaving, irritation is one. But, leaving mats to breed bacteria and cause sores is much worse. Below is a photo of the under belly of the above Maltese. He has many sores and infections. This will cost extra.
Answers to frequently asked questions about grooming matted pups!
Why does the groomer have to shave so short?
We want to give your pet a nice hair cut and help keep them healthy and clean.
The hair will grow back!
When a dogs coat is kept in good shape, your groomer can cut their hair to almost any length.
Why does the groomer have to shave so short?
- If the matting is tight and close to the skin, the groomer will have to use a very short blade.
- If the matting is not too close to the skin, the groomer may be able to use a longer blade safely.
- If your dogs coat is matted and tangled, your groomer has no choice in the length of blade that he/she has to use to safely remove the mats from your pets coat.
We want to give your pet a nice hair cut and help keep them healthy and clean.
- A groomer is not lying when they tell you that brushing your dogs mats and tangles out will hurt them.
- There are some dogs that don't mind having small mats and tangles brushed out.
- There are other dogs that are very sensitive to any tugging and pulling that brushing out mats and tangles may cause.
The hair will grow back!
- Your groomer wants your pets grooming experience to be as pleasant as possible.
- Most groomers are more than happy to show you how to brush out your dog.
- They will also show you the proper tools to do a good job.
When a dogs coat is kept in good shape, your groomer can cut their hair to almost any length.