Regular combing reduces them but at times they might need to be cut out.
Slide a comb between the surface of the skin and the matt before cutting off the mat to protect your dog's skin from any nips.

Oh the things we do to keep our boys looking and feeling healthy and handsome!

 

Good idea Doug - I fostered a dog brought up from a shelter in the south and they had cut the mats behind his ear and cut up the skin quite badly. Could have used stitches. The skin is soooo thin behind the ears and it's easy to cut without you even knowing it.

 

I just comb it almost daily when I brush him and this keeps it from matting. I started being more diligent about it when I had yo cut off some matted hair from there once.


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I use this de-matting comb. Someone on this forum suggested it to me to be used in conjunction with a de-tangler creme of some sort. I don't use the creme anymore but I LOVE the comb. The comb sort of cuts through the mat and eases it out. Be careful when you use it as it is sharp.

Amazon.com : Safari De-Matting Comb for Dogs : Pet Dematting Combs : Pet Supplies

 

I use this de-matting comb. Someone on this forum suggested it to me to be used in conjunction with a de-tangler creme of some sort. I don't use the creme anymore but I LOVE the comb. The comb sort of cuts through the mat and eases it out. Be careful when you use it as it is sharp.

Amazon.com : Safari De-Matting Comb for Dogs : Pet Dematting Combs : Pet Supplies

I have one of these and it works very well.


For behind Luke's ears, I simply thin the area out with scissors. It tends to mat because it's such fine and curly hair. I brush him every day, but that will still get mats if I let it get too thick/long.

 

If the mats are already there, take him to a groomer and let them cut them out with a good pair of clippers. Once they are cute out, be sure to brush him every day behind his ears to keep the mats from forming again. You need to be brushing him every day behind ears, under is chin, down his chest, on his hips and his tail. If not every day, at least every other day.

 

After you get rid of the existing mats using a dematting comb as shown above or getting Cooper to a groomer to do it if you do not feel confident doing it yourself, you need to thin the hair as well as comb to prevent new mats. Using conditioner as you work the comb through the matt can help.

Thinning scissors look like this Millers Forge Thinning Pet Grooming Scissors at PETCO. The more teeth the finer the thinning. It really helps staying on top of the mats.

Matts are not fun to the dog if they are all the way down to the skin; they hurt and are a good place for all kind of nasty skin infections to develop so they need to be taken care of.

 

I check Oakly every day for mats and if I catch them soon enough and they are small I can often work them out with my fingers. I try to hold onto the mat with one hand and pull a few hairs at a time from the mat with the other hand. I only work at them for a minute or so at a time because he tires of it quickly.

 

I brush behind Will's ears every day to keep him from getting mats. It turns into quite the fun game of him trying to eat the brush each time. Silly puppy!

 

I don't brush back there every day, but the dogs get the area behind their ears raked at least once a week. I use a grooming rake with long tines because I find that a slicker brush doesn't do the trick.

I also thin back there with thinning shears when I trim their ears.

We haven't had mats in ages, but I use the tool Gwen posted when they do. It lets you cut the mat out without chopping the fur.

 

I brush under their ears every day. Tail feathers too when they get away from you all I've too do is cut them out & start again. Had not seen the dematter before I'll look for one, thanks Gwen!

 

I make sure to brush my goldens every other day to make sure any mats are minimized. It's easier on you and them. This will prevents fur mats under the ears especially if people like to ruffle your dog's fur under the ears!

 

Husband uses the mustache trimmer on his razor for those occasional behind the ear mats---does an excellent job


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If it's fluffy, it will mat.

I don't like using clippers, because sometimes you still get mats in the fur growing back but closer to the skin.

I use other tools to strip all the fluff out. If it's thinned out, it won't mat as badly if you don't brush it out every day.

 

I cut them out, usually by the time they're knotted behind the ear it would be more tramatic to start trying to brush them out.

 

I try to get the mats out with my fingers and a pin comb. If I can't I snip the out with scissors.

 

Comb twice per week

I use a comb with Bella twice per week.
The one I have is similar to this picture with polymer/rubber grip instead of wood.
I also use a spray conditioner that smells like baby powder & helps loosen the knots.

Mike D

 

snip snip with the scissors. Wyatt gets matts often due to swimming everyday in the summer. However you do it, just make sure you get them out because if they get too bad they will irritate and pull on the skin.

 

A Mat splitting comb or scissors.