Matting in poodle

**emilyanderson93** · 12-30-07, 03:25 PM

I have a 1 year old standard poodle. I'm having problems with her hair matting. I took her to petco to get groomed and asked the lady how to keep her from matting and she didn't really seem to have any good answers. I bought a slicker brush and use it. I also bought a de-matter which works good on matts in her longer hair. But the worst problem I'm having is around her back and sides. She is only about 2 inches long with the poofy head. I brush her out daily and be sure to get down to the bottom layer, but her coat is so curly that is seems to be all matted the next day. I have searched all over the internet and I read something about coat oil, but I don't really understand it. Is there any kind of leave in conditioner or something that can keep her hair from becoming so matted all the time? I wanted to keep her in a contential clip, but I'm not sure if I can keep all the matts out, so I doubt I can. Any tips? Thank you.

I would also like to add that the groomers gave her some of baterial infection in her hair follicals at PetCo. They also gave her some kind of a razor burn. So if anybody knows of a good groomer in the St. Louis area, I would also appreciate it.

**ejmj30** · 12-30-07, 03:42 PM

First off, your best bet is to get her groomed regularly at a place that you trust. By regularly I mean no more than 2-3 wks between groomings if you want her to be in a continental, and since she's probably going through her coat change now too, I'd even say once a week until it gets to be more manageable.

When you dematt the hair, it makes it more susceptible to matting again cause the hair is damaged and will knot up faster. Poodles going through their coat change will matt within one day, so it's probably a good idea to find a reputable breeder in the area who can help you one on one with how to care for a poodle's long coat. You can also ask your groomer when you find one you like.

Does she play with other dogs or with you a lot? That will cause her to matt cause when they're wrestling, or rolling around on the carpet, or being "roughed up" with you during play, it tends to get tangled which leads to matting.

If you're doing grooming at home, I would say it's more important to get a high quality dryer specifically for grooming than to get a leave in conditioner. Conditioners and detangling solutions help, but being able to "blow" those matts apart and get down to the skin bone dry will save you a LOT of trouble. Hope this helps! Have fun with your pup.

**Moonpiepoodlz** · 12-30-07, 05:02 PM

WELL SAID!! Poodles in patterns can be challenging to maintain. If you know anybody with a poodle who's happy with their grooming contact that groomer and talk with them to see if their comfortable with grooming your dog to keep it in a pattern and if not, see if they can recommend somebody.
Good luck!!

Originally Posted by ejmj30

First off, your best bet is to get her groomed regularly at a place that you trust. By regularly I mean no more than 2-3 wks between groomings if you want her to be in a continental, and since she's probably going through her coat change now too, I'd even say once a week until it gets to be more manageable.

When you dematt the hair, it makes it more susceptible to matting again cause the hair is damaged and will knot up faster. Poodles going through their coat change will matt within one day, so it's probably a good idea to find a reputable breeder in the area who can help you one on one with how to care for a poodle's long coat. You can also ask your groomer when you find one you like.

Does she play with other dogs or with you a lot? That will cause her to matt cause when they're wrestling, or rolling around on the carpet, or being "roughed up" with you during play, it tends to get tangled which leads to matting.

If you're doing grooming at home, I would say it's more important to get a high quality dryer specifically for grooming than to get a leave in conditioner. Conditioners and detangling solutions help, but being able to "blow" those matts apart and get down to the skin bone dry will save you a LOT of trouble. Hope this helps! Have fun with your pup.

**wet noze** · 12-30-07, 05:36 PM

I have to commend you for coming here to get advice about caring for your poodle. I know you would like to keep your poodle in a continental trim but you have to be realistic. That is a high maintenance trim and a big job. Are you willing to put in the time and money to do it right? You need to find a trim that fits your lifestyle and budget.

I have many customers who want to keep their pups long when they first start out but when reality sets in, they realize it's a big commitment. Many of them switch to a puppy trim which is much easier on them and the puppy. Emily, I have a poodle myself. I keep my poodle short, round feet, clean face. I groom him every 4 weeks. In between, all I have to do is brush his ears out and I'm able to groom in in an hour and a half. What I'm saying is you have to find what is right for you. You are on the right track, asking questions here.

Ask your friends and neighbors for referrals for a good groomer or maybe someone will respond here. Once you find them, ask them what they recommend for a grooming schedule and what tools and products they feel is right for your poodle.

One thing I can suggest is a greyhound comb (wide tooth metal comb). After you slicker your dog, go over her with the comb. That will find all the tangles you missed with the slicker brush.

Best of luck and have fun with your poodle. They are a terrific breed!

**brownlikewoah** · 12-30-07, 06:41 PM

i would suggest doing line brushing. here is a video that explains line brushing a little bit. i also suggest using a comb after you use the brush to make sure you get out all the tangles. Maybe next time your get your dog groomed you can ask your groomer how to brush her. sounds basic, but people make a lot of mistakes

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jb8PKrqtWI8

**stacie-gotg** · 12-30-07, 07:27 PM

Find a groomer that will work with you, as said, with the proper hairstyle to fit your lifestyle. A good groomer will also be able to answer all your questions like here and help you to maintain your dog. You got the best advice here, now find a good groomer at a private shop.

**MysticRealm** · 12-30-07, 11:18 PM

continentals take a LOT of work, specially on a standard. I have a small mini that gets a bath and full brush out once a week but if I don't brush him every day he is matted up the wazoo. Your poodle may still be coming through it's coat change, they matt even more at this time but it will ease when the coat changes ends (tho still requiring ALOT of work)
You can buy some leave-in conditioning sprays to use when combing out (make sure you have a metal comb to comb out with). The Stuff has worked well for me.
You could also modify the continental, still have the shaved areas and the poms but make the mane shorter so it's easier to care for than a fully grown out one

Also about the bacteria/razorburn issues. Just b/c a vet says that a groomer caused issues doesn't mean it's true. I have heard insane things that vets have blamed on groomers. Now it may be true (I don't like pet-somethings, in all honesty, I did a test groom for them to try to get a job and I was better than the head groomer and the other groomer combined and I had only been grooming for about 6 months then!! They wanted me to take the job but after seeing that, and them wanting me to drive all over town, I turned them down) but it's deffinately not always the case.

**jlb0831** · 12-31-07, 05:33 AM

The advice given by the groomers here is the best advice you'll find anywhere. The only thing I can ad to it, is to recommend a leave-in that may help with matting in-between groomings. There are so many products available and I'm certain every groomer on here has thier favorite. I myself have had some great results using a leave in spray. It's a coat polish made by Bio Groom. (I hope I'm allowed to mention the product by name here). It adds luster, softens the coat and really helps with matting in-between groomings. I spray it into the coat while "blow drying" a dog. I've seen it on the shelves of pet stores so you should be able to find it easily. If not, check out the Bio Groom web site or Petedge.com. I haven't had any dogs skin react badly to it, but that doesn't mean it can't happen, so if your dog has sensitive skin, it's always good to check with your vet before using any product.

**Poodleboy60** · 12-31-07, 08:48 AM

I would recommend checking out your local Kennel Club and the AKC for nearby conformation shows. They're a great place to connect with other poodle people in your area.

It's already been mentioned here and I agree with them; at 1 year old, you're baby is at the primetime for coat change. It's going to take weekly baths and soaking with conditioner to keep the matts out. First thing, get a good pin brush. A slicker is too harsh on the top line to get enough hair growth. A Continental is a major investment in time and/or money. A full show coat takes 2-3 hours to bath, blow out, hand dry, clip and scissor plus brushing with a spray-in conditioner 2-3 times a week. (that's why you seldom see continentals on dogs that aren't in the ring or have live-in groomers).

Have fun with your new baby. Poodles are the only way to go

**emilyanderson93** · 12-31-07, 09:31 PM

Thank you guys so much! I forgot to say, but I do have a bin brush and a metal comb, too. So I've been doing the line brushing and it helps a lot. I wanted to get a shorter version of the contential clip but in all realization, its probably not going to happen. I already brush her daily and give her a weekly bath, which is a must since she's white. All the advice is wonderful. I didn't even realize that dog hair could be damaged... But I know now. It was just really confusing because she has such long hair on top of her head and it never matts. When I go to the groomer, I'll be sure and ask more advice. Thanks again!

**Fur Elite** · 01-01-08, 07:19 PM

emily, you could always try cutting the hair shorter for now during the coat change, and growing it longer again later. Leave the topknot and just take the coat down to a more manageable length and grow it back over the next 6 months or so. Maybe your poodle's hair won't mat so badly once the adult hair is in. I use biogroom supercream leave in conditioner and it really works for my poodle's hair.