How to brush Tiny mats??!!!
 

Can anyone help me?! I have two yorkies, one has a silky coat (so easy to groom!) and our puppy has a cotton coat. I am going to pull MY hair out! Our puppy Pippo (cotton coat) has tiny mats on his bum and legs. I can NOT brush them out:mad:. I have used every brush I own and nothing is working, or makes the hair a little fluffy then gets separated and I can see the little clumps again!!
I currently use a Madan pin brush that I bought about a month ago. This is the only brush that doesn't make him cry and bite the brush! The only thing is that it is not getting these little mats out. I also use a boar bristle brush, comb (good luck) and do have a dematting comb but I think it may be wrong (the teeth are about 1/4 apart and the hair goes between them)!
I also use a detangling spray when I brush him by Paul mitchell for dogs.
I just dont know what I am doing wrong:(?
Any advise would help! Thank you!!!!!!

I highly recommend getting the CC wooden pin brush. It literally combs out mats...pin brushes do not. Best money I've ever spent.

Greyhound combs work really well on small mats too, but I am loving the wooden bristle brush best.

Your comments on another thread convinced me I had to try this wooden pin brush lol! :rolleyes: UPS is supposed to deliver it today. I can't wait to see how it works. I also have CC's 20mm gold pin brush and a green Madan brush. I love them both!

I saw on Groomer Has It that you can work cornstarch through the mat and remove the tangle with your fingers. I have the same issue with Holly. She was at the groomer a couple of weeks ago and her bum is already matted. She hates the comb. I have a CC Pin Brush that helps very little and makes her cry. I am ready to try the cornstarch trick. If that fails, I will pull out the big guns and work in some Cowboy Magic detangler.

For that fine puppy hair that loves to mat, I would rub a drop of Cowboy Magic Shine & Detangler into it and then just sort of pull apart the mat with my fingers enough that I could comb through it. The product is sort of slimy, the perfect consistency to get mats out. I highly recommend it for that. It is a little "too much" to use as a conditioner for a silky coat, but is great on puppy mats just a drop at a time.

There is another product that you might want to consider called "The Stuff." It comes in a spray bottle and you can use it to detangle but it is a good grooming spray that will help prevent mats and condition their coats without a lot of extra scent. It also repels dirt, dust and urine. I bought it for that "protective barrier." Ben has that great silky hair that occasionally gets a tangle but no real mats but he does have a problem with getting pee on his long hair, even though he is comical the lengths he goes to trying to get that leg high enough in the air. I think "The Stuff" is helping but he still needs frequent baby wipes.

So, (1) Cowboy Magic Shine & Detangler to get out the mats and (2) The Stuff to help prevent them!

I have had no luck with either cornstarch or Cowboy Magic. I think I need detailed instructions on how to apply, how long to leave in, how to brush/comb out the tangle, etc. Maybe someone could do a video for me lol? I'm hopeless with mats and tangles. :confused:

I use a dematting comb

I had a horrible time with Lilly's hair when she was a young pup. I finally just gave her a puppy cut and it's the best, I love it.

I always used a very fine flea comb...starting at the tip of the hair and working toward the skin, gradually picking the tiny mat apart. That way, you can hold onto the hair above the mat, between it and the skin, so there's no pulling and pain for your pup. Above ALL things, you don't want to make them hate grooming.

on a cotton coat you need to use a slicker brush to get those mats out. pin brushes won't work, even the wooden one, in this hair situation. combs will just pull unless you know what your doing. Get a universal slicker brush.

:thumbup::thumbup: I just bathed Pablo, I use Cowboy Magic shampoo, condition and the best Cowboy Magic Shine & Detangler. Takes them right out..and leaves a shine...

Did you receive it yet??? I swear you will never touch either of those pin brushes again.

Yes, I got it last night! It went through Chelsea and Colby Tate's hair so smoothly, but I didn't have time to try it on Murpy who has some mats & tangles. I will be working on him this weekend. I'm so excited! :)

How do the wooden pins feel to your hand? Are they soft and flexible...smooth and flat on the tips? Are they round or rectangular? I'm just having a lot of trouble picturing this wonder brush...but I'm really considering it, what with all of the rave reviews here. :)

I have 3 yorkies all in full length coats and slicker brushes and conditioning spray are the only way to go! Always running a comb through after will catch any of those little knots that you have missed!

Harmony:aimeeyork Hershey:aimeeyork and Pitico:animal36 Mom

Thank you! I am still debating on getting a new dematting comb (mine is more of a rake with a thump rest), the CC wooden brush or trying one of the products with a fine comb.
I have a slicker brush, it isn't working for him:(. It just brushes the outer layer of it and makes him all cute and fluffy but the mats are still under there!!!
I plan on keeping both of mine with shorter hair. What method do everyone think I should use?
Im so lost!!! I hate to buy the wrong thing, but I guess I wont know what works unless I try it.

I too have a Yorkie with a thick, cottony coat. After tons of different shampoos, conditioners, combing sprays and two different brushes, here's what I find to be working best for me.
Wash with BioGroom Protein and Lanolin Shampoo. This seems to "calm down" the hair. Almost like silicone does to naturaly curly hair on people? I then follow with BioGrooms Silky Shine Conditioner. The reason I like this combo is it seems to "prevent" the matting throughought the week (between baths). Sophie will still get some, but not nearly as bad. Then daily I use Four Paws Soft and Silky Coat Conditioner. I spray her down with that. A light coating on the top and a bit heavier at her armpits where the matting seems to be the worst. Then I massage it into the coat for a few secs. I then use a pin brush. I did have a slicker brush cause that's what the groomer recommended, but it tugged and pulled so hard that Sophie would yelp. No matter how gentle I was. I use the pin bursh and start at the bottom of her hair and work my way up, holding the hair in my hand so that if I pull a bit, it's not pulling her skin. The second best thing I did was buy myself a small grooming table. I got a really awesome grooming table with arm/tie from PetEdge.com for $34. Prior to this I would put Sophie in the sink and she'd squirm and try and jump out. Unless I fed her Cheerios hand over fist. As soon as I put her in the grooming tie she immediately went still. The table is circular, so the base actually spins and you can turn her around to get all angles. It is truly the best $34 I spent. I'm sure different things work better for different coats, but if you look at Sophie's pics, you will see that she has a very thick, cottony coat. Good luck as I spent tons of money on different products till I found the combo that worked for me. It's not 100% full-proof but it does cut down the grooming time for me immensely!