She keeps tangling
 

My poor Cozy keeps on getting mats and tangles in her hair. I feel so bad. I brush her several times a day in short sessions because she cries and screams. I know that mats and tangles are what is hurting her and not me but I feel like such a bad mommy. I have tried everything I could think of to make the experience more pleasure about. The more I try the worse it gets. If I let her go ungroomed for even one day she is a tangled mess. Her puppy hair is growing out and her adult coat is coming in. Would it be better to take her to a groomer and have her professionally groomer for a couple of sessions and then work with a "fresh coat" to start with? The breeder, unfortunately, never got her used to a comb/brushing. At this point I am ready to give up and just starting cutting the mats and tangles out and live with the consequences later. She has the same crying/scream reaction to her nails as well. I now file her nails down because I keep hitting blood. I have two long haired cats and a golden. None of them have this grooming phobia. I used to have a bichon frise but he passed away. He never liked his nails to be cut but was fine with the rest. I think the main problem is that she wants to be a "mud puppy" you can't keep her out of water and mud which only makes the problem worse. Help before I shave her down!!!!

It seems like it's at it's worse when they are changing from that fine wispy puppy coat into the adult coat. I used Cowboy Magic Concentrated Detangler and it worked great and got the matts out with less effort. It also seems to help by keeping the matts from coming back so quickly. Avoid the sensitive areas like the armpits and groin - just cut any matts off there.

If you're regularly drawing blood while clipping the nails, you're not doing something right. I clip mine after baths while the nails are softer and barely take any off every week. Unfortunately, once you hit blood the dog will have a hard time trusting you again.

Are you saying that cutting off the puppy hair even if the puppy coat is not matted will make the grooming better when their adult coat grows in?

To took her to the groomer today. I couldn't watch them groom her b/c it was too hard for me to watch. She doesn't look like herself but no more tangles at least and no tramua from mom.

Ferdinand used to get tangled even 20 minutes after I had just combed him. I started using my conditioner on him and no more mats! He's a lot better with getting brushed now also.

It's amazing how mature they look with a haircut... Don't worry though, Pepper had his haircut 2.5 weeks ago and his hair got long already, he looks fluffy again. Their hair grows really fast. Just no more mats, :)