Matts matts and more Matts

For some odd reason Archie has decided - or more accurately his coat has deceided, over the last ten days, to really felt itself up - I am currently spending 2-3 hours every other day trying to get through this task and the other days between only giving a general pin brushing to give him a break from this unpleasant experience.

Archie is really fed up of me! as soon as the brush comes out he hides in his crate (his safe zone) I have to be quite creative in manipulating him into our lounge, before closing the baby gate to the kitchen before even considering getting a brush or his table out!

Especially on his chest and the upper parts of his forelegs matts very dense ones are forming in lines in his coat - almost as if they are taking up formation along the lines of the line grooming.

I am loosing a lot of his length in his coat trying to get these matts out it is quite frustrating but obviously I have to keep up on the assualt on these blighters!

Could this be a coat change for these to happen so thick and fast? he is almost two.

In all other aspects he appears to be his normal daft bouncy self, although he does appear to groom himself quite a lot almost like a cat.
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Summer coats is matting faster than we can brush. I have now resorted to cutting lumps out. If she sees me with a brush she scarpers, but she doesnt if my son gets the brush out. I think she is going to have to be scissor cut really short again, I am also fed up with hoovering!
This is a video of Grannie Annie taking out a matt.
I had overlooked this for a long time, but when I
finally really watched and tried it myself I was
really happy with the results. Split the matt into
several small sections and then brush them out
with a slicker. It's much easier than anything I had
tried and I didn't have to cut any matts out or shave
my dog. I did this for as long as my dog could tolerate
on the table, and it took several days, but he was
beautiful when I was done.
http://photos.oes.org/albums/userpics/10002/SplittingMats-large.wmv
I was ready to show him off to someone here from the forum
until I realized everything is relative and he probably
wasn't a beautiful as I thought. :oops:

It was pretty easy once I got the hang of it, and it didn't
take out nearly as much coat as things I'd tried in the
past. Just section the dog and concentrate on that section
only per session. Before you know it you'll be done. This
was also a lot less uncomfortable than other stuff, just be
sure when splitting the matt to pull hair against hair and not
pull against skin.

Shellie
Yes, at that age he could be going through a coat change (hopefully the last one!)

That said, my 8 1/2 year old started to mat like crazy all of a sudden. She was literally felting right before my eyes. Never seen anything like it. True, she does have that wooly mammoth undercoat, but still.

Before rescue decided to report me for abuse and neglect (oh, wait, I am part of rescue :oops: ) I buzzed her.

We're both much happier.

But you can get through it if you're determined. The mat splitting described works wonderfully if you just have the patience for it.

Hang in there.

Kristine
I have tried the splitting - Archie really dislikes it, you get the message when he gently takes your forearm in his mouth and very gently squeezes whilst growling, I have to patiently take the matts out by hair by hair line brushing repeatedly going over the area again and again quite gently so not to pull his skin.

What makes it worse he has adopted a stance on his table of superglueing his under side to the table, it can be one heck of a challenge to get him on his sides if he decides that he doesn't want to :evil:

I really would worry about taking him to a groomer because if they had the patience it probably would cost me hundreds of pounds.

And I doubt very much he would sit around for very long if a groomer deceided they had to clip him - forget it :lol: he is one strong boy, and at 6'3" and 210lbs I am no push over if he doesn't want to stay and I don't wish to hurt him struggling to keep him in place, then I have to let him free, normally he'll go straight to his cage with a big huff :lol:

Whereas if its running around bouncing like crazy - he can do that till the cows come home :roll:

What amazes me is after a grooming battle, within a very short time he'll happily walk by my side if out walking, or lay at my feet if in the house - so he obviously doesn't hate me for it to much :D

We had a couple of hours working on his left shoulder last night, I predict another couple tonight after work probably his chest if I can get him to relax!
Oh dear that sounds like a nightmare. I suppose if you get some clippers you could do it over a whole day, with breaks in between. Then when the new coat grows in, it will be more mature hair & easier to deal with. Also when you brush Archie after that, it will be much easier & he will enjoy it!

Do you think it's the mild, damp & windy weather? I'm finding it a challenge too, but I use Aussie's leave in conditioner, works better than anything else I've tried so far. The brush goes through like a hot knife through butter :wink:
not sure if it's the weather hormones or whatever, as when he gets soaked either in the rain or in the river he has never been this bad


Clippers sound like a solution but to clip him and not leave him scalped I will have to get the matts out first anyway, sort of a catch 22 and my boy would have his knees knocking together if he was nekid :lol: it certainly has not come to that yet he can't have a haircut matching my own! 8O
Clip him and start afresh - its a shame as Archie has such a lovely big fluffy coat, but might be for the best, as if he gets wet, those matts will squeeze his skin :cry:
My OH used to be a hairdresser so when we had out last sheepie we bought some really expensive dog clippers. Used them about 3 or 4 times on Katy she tolerated them. Summer hates them with a vengeance, think it relates to when she was ill at the vet hospital and they kept shaving her... We will scissor cut her soon.
Made me laugh about Archie supergluing his belly to the table, Summer does that and then if you try to turn her she sort of leans the other way! Best way to do her is on the floor! One cutting, one stroking,and one distracting the yorkie who thinks it is some big game! Never tried her on a table havent really got one suitable, We got Summer from Stourbridge near Birmingham and the chap used to take his oes to a local groomer and she only charged £25...I have been quoted £90 for a clip and a bath round here!
yeh I've groomed Ollie from day one and like Archie, when the brush comes out, he's gone !! I groom Ollie on the floor, much easier for him, although not so easy for me !!
Since growing Rosie back he hair has started to matt, washng them monthly works really well and keeps the matts back. I still swear by the detangler i've mentioned before staight after the bath.

If Archie is really bad you could always you Horse tail and maine leave in conditioner, I now that the phlevelare different but this stuff really shifts matts if you can't split tem out. becareful though because if you get this onany floors it becomes like a ice-rink.

I charge £45 for a total clip off, the full coated oes I charge £60.00 this normally takes 4hrs and they get breaks in between if I go over this then its £12.50 per hour. Most other groomers I know also charge around these amounts.
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