An abundance of grooming tools flood the market for dogs who battle hair mats. I urge you to do your due diligence if you prefer to handle much of your dog’s grooming yourself. All tools are not right for all dogs, making research and listening to user reviews very important. Also important, as you will see here, is keeping up with mats and grooming.
I have an Ovcharka (also known as a Caucasian Shepherd Dog) and a Chow Chow. These dogs are about as floofy as it gets. The same rake that I used with my previous Ovcharka is the one that I prefer with my current Ovcharka. Oddly though, the super expensive Chris Christenson slicker brush that was gifted to me for my previous cream Chow Chow does not work well for my current red Chow Chow.
My cream Chow Chow had cotton-candy texture fur that was thick but fine. That brush worked great with her almost delicate coat. My red Chow Chow has a very thick coarser coat that is better dealt with by the same rake that I use with my Ovcharkas. Dog coats can be very different, even within breeds.
Removing Mats From Dog Hair
Mats are painful for dogs and can irritate and pull their skin if left in. I prefer to finger-comb mats out when they are just starting, especially in the floofy parts and the back of the legs. Neck mats can often be minimized by simply keeping up with the rake several times a week to remove the excess.
A light touch is important to a low-stress grooming experience. If a mat is too difficult to remove easily without stressing the dog, I cut them out with my hair cutting scissors (place a human comb between the dog’s skin and the scissors to avoid cutting the dog’s skin when removing a mat with scissors). Of course, try to trim evenly. They don’t care if they look snappy, but their mom does!
Rakes: I use primarily rakes with my dogs. For shorter-haired dogs, Furminators work fine, but they seem to cause too much pulling in my longer-coated dogs. An undercoat rake removes fur more deeply but needs a light touch to not rip out fur harshly.
Slicker brushes: Among the long-haired-dog parents I polled on this subject, slicker brushes were favorites.
Deshedding blades: These tools can work with thicker coats. The Zoom Groom is a favorite for silker coated smaller dogs.
Dematting combs: A trusted colleague of mine recommends the Raw Paws dematting comb for her dogs. A regular dog comb can work just fine as well.
Clippers: There are no best dog clippers for removing mats. Leave that tool to the professionals.
Preventing Mats in Dogs
Remembering to demat regularly—at least once or twice weekly—and brush around the ears and tails, preferably daily. This can go a long way toward preventing mats. Remember that mats can form wherever there is hair, including on the inside of back legs or in the elbow area. There are spray detanglers for after baths, but nothing beats proper grooming maintenance.
Mats can become painful, especially when they get large, so use patience when removing the mat. It’s important to minimize potential stress on your dog. And keep up with regular grooming, there’s no better mat prevention technique.
