Matting is a common problem for dog owners with fluffy pups, especially of the curly or silky coated variety. Matts are formed when hair tangles together to become a tight, solid mass. This can be caused by multiple factors:
Friction
When hair rubs together, it sticks to itself and becomes tangled. For this reason the high friction areas on your dog (the areas with the most movement) are typically the first to matt. Ears, tails, and around the ankle, elbow and hip joints are the most commonly matted so those areas require extra brushing. The areas we pet the most also experience matting caused by the friction of our fingers rubbing the hair. This is commonly seen on the top of the head, cheeks, chin and behind the ears. Collars, if left on all the time, can also cause matting around the neck. Similarly, harnesses and clothing increase friction and matting and shouldn’t be kept on for long periods without brushing.
The Solution- Brush and comb your dog as often as possible (at least biweekly for long coats) making sure to focus on their high friction areas, longer areas and those you pet most frequently.
Oils and Dirt
The dirtier your dog gets and the longer the coat is, the more likely their coat is to start to clump together. Excess build up of oil and dirt on their coat will cause matts to get tighter and more difficult to brush out.
The Solution- Keeping dogs on a monthly grooming schedule, where they are shampooed, conditioned, blow dried fully, and thoroughly brushed out, is the best way to maintain optimum skin health and prevent build up of dirt, oils and debris that cause matting. Dogs with very active, outdoorsy lifestyles who are frequently dirty are typically better off kept in a shorter, lower maintenance hairstyle.
Water
Small tangles that get wet without being properly brushed and dried will become tighter and connect to other areas of the coat in a snowball effect. Dogs that swim frequently should be kept at a shorter length to prevent becoming matted. Wet, tangled coats that are allowed to air dry not only risk much tighter matting on the skin once dried, but hot spots and bacterial infections can form when moisture is trapped on the skin beneath the matts.
The Solution- Brush your dog out before getting them wet. Keep frequent swimmers at a short coat length and always be sure to fully blow dry, brush and comb through your dogs coat if you are bathing them at home.
Excessive Undercoat
Even double coated dogs can become matted if they are not brushed out frequently enough. On a regular grooming schedule, double coats provide protection from heat and cold and don’t require trimming for length management. But if they are not being bathed, dried and brushed out frequently enough, undercoat can become impacted and solid, preventing air flow to the skin and causing overheating as well as potential skin issues. In that situation, depending on the severity sometimes the only safe and humane option is to shave the coat.
The Solution- Double coated dogs should be kept on a monthly grooming schedule to maintain optimum skin and coat health while encouraging the natural shedding process to occur by preventing a build up of undercoat. Frequent bathing, drying and brushing will greatly decrease the fur balls around the house and help your dogs coat to regulate their temperature more efficiently, keeping them comfortable.
For a demonstration of proper brushing technique and the correct tools to use, please see our previous post on preventing matting between grooming appointments.