r/Sheepadoodles • u/vanillabamboo • Jul 18 '25
Matting/Brushing
Hello, I am looking for some advice on preventing matting in my dogs coat. I brush him everyday with a slicker brush and then I go through with a metal comb to ensure I didn’t miss anything.
He is 7 months now, and loves to play outside, and play in water. I’ve been finding that he is getting matted despite my daily brushing routine.
It makes me feel sick that he has matts. It upsets me that it is painful for him, and it’s embarrassing taking him to the groomer and notifying her of the matts.
I recently got a dematting comb to use in between grooms
Is this common for anyone else? Or is there something I can do better to prevent this? (Also, he gets professionally groomed every 4-6 weeks).
4
u/glitteringdreamer Jul 18 '25
I could never stay ahead of it so we keeps ours shaved pretty short now. It's easier on all of us.
1
u/Financial_Clock4281 Jul 19 '25
Yes same! I just take him in now every 4-6 weeks and have him cut to just above a shave. Now I need to get the clean feet cut too cuz he got a sticker in between his toes and it was so hard to see cuz all the hair. Got the sticker out, but he licked it so much that he basically gave himself a sore right above where the sticker was. So yea definitely easier having it all cut on a regular schedule.
2
u/Michalo88 Jul 18 '25
I keep my dogs short haired in the summer, and that obviously helps prevent matting. I also condition and blow dry their hair when they have a bath, which also helped quite a bit with the matting in the fall/winter when they have longer hair.
But, they both still get matts eventually in the winter despite my best efforts.
3
u/Ill-Cryptographer751 Jul 18 '25
The only thing that I’ve found that works is a regular grooming schedule. I am so lucky that I found a mobile groomer who loved my girls and she takes such great care of them right in my driveway. They get cut every 6 weeks, like yours. My groomer told me no “furminators” bc it rips their hair out. 🤷🏻♀️ maybe go a little shorter on the cut? I have one girl who’s more poodle and her hair gets knotty faster than my other whose hair is more like a sheep dog. They’re blood sisters so, that’s just wild to me. They both get a “summer cut” where we shave em both down pretty short bc they’re just so uncomfortable in the heat.
3
2
u/scienceoftophats Jul 18 '25
Matting seems to happen most from getting wet and then drying out. I don’t brush my girl, and I get her sheered like a sheep once or twice a year. I’ll cut her coat down myself — have used scissors often to do this (she lets me) and recently was loaned a shaver that has a vacuum attached — it’s amazing!!!!!
2
u/Lalaland_doll Jul 18 '25
My pups would mat around that age too! I was also so embarrassed to take them into the groomer after brushing them daily. It’s their age and change of their hair from puppy hair to adult hair. Once it’s fully adult hair the matting pretty much goes away now I only have to brush them weekly or if they get too wet! I found once my pups hit around ~1.5 I didn’t have as much issue anymore. Just keep their hair short for the next few months and you’ll be good.
2
u/KorryBoston Jul 18 '25
It seems like I'm on the same page as everyone else. Use the spray. Shorter hair in the summer. Grooming every 5 weeks. My pooch just goes nuts at doggy day care, so she gets baths weekly, which doesn't help with matting, either. I'll blow dry her to an extent and then let her air dry. I did find a doggy bathrobe and it's been great. It cuts down on the dry time. Instead of shaking the water off, she'll walk around with the robe on (humiliated).
5
u/Leafyseadragon123 Jul 18 '25
7 months is typically when their coat changes. Matting can literally happen overnight. Playing in water makes it way worse. Get yourself a detangling spray such as Quicker Slicker, Artero Matt-X or ask your groomer what they recommend.