Your wise to keep an open mind about this, I used the wrong type of brush when I first started to groom Joey, and brush type is extremely important, furthermore you also need to follow brushing with a comb that it placed next to the skin, as this really shows the areas where tangling has started. There are certain areas such as under the arms, that tend to mat faster, and you should carefully inspect any of the area that were previously matted. Most puppies will mat, as they get older, only cotton coats mat badly and silky coats hardly ever tangle or mat.
There are certain products that you can uses before shampooing to comb out any mats, such as Cowboy Magic. Once you get a mat wet, it's even more difficult to remove, so thoroughly inspect before bathing, and make sure you use a good conditioner after shampooing and don't forget to rinse really well. I recommend investing in a good pin brush. The pin brushes sold at pet stores can be very scratchy if you brush your arm with them, a good pin brush has specially polished tips that won't scratch your dog. Many people love the CC pin brush, but I have found that the lesser-known Madden pin brush is an excellent choice as well. To answer your question there are matting combs that have a blade that will cut the hair, and can be used if the mat is not too close to the skin, however with multiple mats, shaving is usually the best option, as this causes the dog less pain. It's not that unusual for someone to have to have their dog shaved once as a puppy, because as I stated earlier puppies seem to mat easier than adult hair. Clothing also promotes matting, so you might want to pay extra attention if your dog wears clothes. By the way some people love the lion cut. I want to see a picture. |