If matted hair makes you a bad Yorkie Mom, then I must be one too
....
My Garrett is a cotton coat too, and Oh Boy does he get matted!
Ever since I got him at 3 months old, I have gotten him into a nightly ritual of brushing. Right before bed time, when he wants to come up in my bed, I brush him, clean his eyes, and brush his teeth. It helps to stay on top of the mats, but they happen anyway. I use Johnson's No More Tears [which I use to use on my daughter
] and it sure helps. And I do use a conditioner when I bathe him.
I haven't had to shave him down thankfully, and I keep his hair at medium length, but from time to time he does have a few "bald spots" from me having to cut out a knot that wont untangle
....not cute! I keep his underside short though as those areas tend to get tangled the easiest and he picks up alot of debris when he goes on his safaris in the back yard
Cotton coats do take a bit of maintenance, but I think it's so worth it, I love how fluffy cotton coats are, and how fast they grow.