She looks like she has a cotton coat? Those are much harder to maintain.
I think you can be reeeeeeaaaally gentle and slow on the matts. I use conditioning spray and a flea comb and pull them apart one hair at a time. Thor doesn't even matt all that much, this is something I do every one or two weeks. I can't imagine 2-3x per day!
Thor needs a long puppy coat to keep him from looking completely pitiful and rat-like.
