How do I fix a coat that hasn't been taken care of?

L

Lynne

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I just bought a 2 1/2 year old sheltie for my daughter and he has lots of mats, including all around his neck. Jake isn't painfully matted but it is obvious that his coat wasn't taken care of. He has a very thick coat and I would rather not take him to a groomer if I can avoid it. I am afraid they might take his feathers off or worse yet try to shave him. He doesn't mind a pin brush or slicker but I know that these won't do the trick. I bought a small mat comb but I'm not real sure what I'm doing with it.

My daughter wants to show him in junior showmanship so I really want to preserve his coat. We also have a lab mix but she has a short single coat so with Luna it's wash and go.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Lynne
 
Try using Johnson's No more Tangles..in baby section,and try that with slow grooming,to pull apart the matting
Theres loads of threads here,some are recent,and maybe you can get other ideas.
I'm sure someone else may chime in here with other ideas as well!

Welcome to the forum by the way!
 
I use no more tangles and it has worked great for knots and mats on Bailey's coat. I use a thin comb around her ears every other day and we haven't had a knot since.

I believe baby powder is also recommended to remove and prevent mats
 
Congratulations on your new sheltie!
Good advice from the others here already; use your fingers to separate the tangles and work a small section at a time. Set aside a part of the day to work on it gradually and you'll get ahead of the tangles and mats.
 
Good advice has already been given. If you decide you need more help, try to find a Sheltie breeder in your area. They will probably be willing to help or at least recommend a safe groomer, especially if you let them know that this dog will be your daughter's junior showmanship animal. Also, it will be good for her to start learning how to get him ready for the ring.
 
Check the online catalogs too, like PetEdge or Cherrybrook. There are some very good mat combs that aren't expensive. I've found them very helpful with stubborn mats. It takes some work but they don't pull the hair out. If you use it in conjunction with the J&J No More Tangles as others have suggested, slowly but surely you'll get rid of them. Here's one I like:

http://www.cherrybrook.com/index.cfm/a/catalog.prodshow/vid/405784/catid/213/vname/V_Rake_Dematter

Then I'd do a nice, warm bath with a good conditioner afterward and you should be able to keep up just with your slicker and pin brush. Good luck!
 
For thick mats, use a sharp scissor to slit the mat lengthwise, skin to hair tips. Pull the mat apart and repeat as needed. Once you have all the mats pulled apart, line bursh him. Here's a clip using a furminator, which might work very well for this situation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSamOvK42F0

Once he's brushed out, you can wash him with a quality dog shampoo and use a coat conditioner. I use Chris Christensen or Plush Puppy products.
 
All good advice!

To help break apart matts, use baby powder and rub through.

Try to brush with a slicker, but if still matted, slice the matts vertically and then try again with the pin brush or slicker.

Do you know about line brushing? That's the next technique you need to learn to avoid future matting.

Congrats on your new pup! You are asking all the right questions!
 
Thanks everyone! I wasn't sure about using human detangler because of dogs licking their own coats but now I will pick some up. I also had no idea that baby powder would help with matts so we will try that too. :biggrin2:

We tried the de-matting comb but since it is meant for a right-handed person and we are both lefties it is useless for us. I watched the furminator video and at least now i know what line brushing is.

My daughter is doing a lot of the brushing with me doing a lot of the talking and online stuff. She would like to tackle this all at once but I watch her and when Jake says enough I make her stop and let the poor guy rest and play.

We are going to the vet and then it's online shopping for a round leather collar since I saw here that a new collar would help, undercoat rake, and good scissors.:biggrin2:
 
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