Removing Poodle Tangles and Mats

Overview

This section will discuss how to remove tangles from your Poodle's coat, how to get rid of mats and knots and the best way to fix even badly tangled Poodle hair.

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Tangles vs Mats: What is the Difference?

Though some use these terms interchangeably, technically they are two different things.


A tangle is a twisted knot of long hairs. It is similar to how humans can get a knot in their own hair if they do not brush it often enough or did some sort of activity that caused their hair to get messy. In many cases, you can work a tangle out by hand, along with some help of a couple products.


A mat is a tight, dense wad of hairs that have twisted together so tightly they are nearly impossible to untangle by hand. Mats are often found near the roots of hairs on a Poodle's coat. They can grow in size rather quickly, pulling in more hairs each day. If not removed, a mat will often start pinching a Poodle's skin and these can become quite painful. In most cases, a mat needs to be removed via a special tool.


We will look at how to remove both tangles and mats on a Poodle.

How to Remove a Tangle from a Poodle Coat

Please note: These instructions are to remove a tangle, which is a twisted knot of long hairs. If your Poodle has a mat, which is a clump of tight hairs near their skin, instructions are below, or your can jump to them here: How to Remove a Mat from a Poodle's Coat.

Tools needed:

1) A detangling product. A detangler is a liquid product, very similar to a leave-in spray, that is designed to make a dog's individual hairs slippery so that you can attempt to work them the knot out. One that we recommend is BioSilk Detangling Plus Shine Mist.

2) A detangling comb. While you can often work out very loose tangles by hand (and especially if using the aforementioned spray), you'll find that in most cases, a comb designed for this very job will be of help. These are typically small combs, meant to maneuver into small areas, and have two levels of teeth to help pull hairs out of the knot, little by little as you go. We like Poodle Pet Store's Detangling Comb; it has a great grip and stainless steel teeth.

Instructions: 


1. Saturate the tangled knot of hair on your Poodle with the detangling product of your choice. Make sure that the tangle is completely wet. It is important to really thoroughly soak the hairs, since the detangler works by lubricating the individual hairs to then allow them to more easily slide out over each other and break the knot. 


2. Use your fingers to pull apart any loose hairs that you feel you can untangle by hand. 


3. Use the detangler comb to slowly slip hairs out of the knot. Start at the tips of the hairs, working your way down. 


4. Apply more detangler spray as needed. 


5. If your Poodle has a lot of tangles or a huge knot, don't even try to finish the entire job in one sitting. Stop when you feel tired or when your dog becomes restless.


6. If you simply cannot undo the knot, and you're sure you tried your best, it'll be time to snip it off. 

How to Remove a Mat from a Poodle Coat

Please note: These instructions are to remove a mat, which is a very tight, dense wad of hairs that have twisted together so tightly they are nearly impossible to untangle by hand. Mats are often found near the roots of hairs on a Poodle's coat. If you are looking to remove a looser tangle (knot), please go back to: How to Remove a Tangle from a Poodle's Coat.

Tools needed:

A mat breaker tool. Sadly, a mat is different than a tangle and cannot be untied; the hairs will be so tight and twisted, the mat will need to be removed. A mat breaker is a small tool, often with a curved razor. It is designed to reach down into a dog's coat and slice out the mat without damaging the rest of the coat.


You have to be very careful with these tools because the razor is sharp; it has to be, to do its job. And while it's curved to protect your dog, it had to be handled carefully by you. For a mat breaker tool, one that we like is the Aloe Care Dog Hair De-Matting Tool. It has a good grip and quality blades.

Instructions: 


1. It's best to remove the mat with the coat dry; so, unlike the tangle (previous section), you will not spray the area with detangle.


2. Following the instructions on your chosen mat breaker tool, you will carefully slice the matted hairs off the coat. Do go slow since chances are, the mat is close to your Poodle' skin.

How to Prevent Tangles and Mats in a Poodle's Coat

Salons

To save time in a busy dog salon, some professional groomers would prefer to deal with tangles while the Poodle in still in the bath. In this process, the dog is shampooed and rinsed well. The coat is squeezed to remove as much dripping water as possible and then plenty of creme rinse, conditioner or liquid detangler is applied to the damp coat and worked into the matted areas.

The groomer then gently begins to break up the tangles on the Poodle, before rinsing out the product, starting at the hair ends and gradually working down to the roots. Once the tangles are removed, the coat is thoroughly rinsed one last time.

Severe Matting on Poodles

In very severe cases of matting, it may be necessary to clip off the body and leg hair with a #5 or #7 blade. If these won't go through the mats easily, it will probably be necessary to then switch to a #8-1/2, #9 or #10 blade. 

Try to save some topknot hair and the tail pompon.

Once the mats are off, the new coat can start growing in.  If you had to shave very low, it can take anywhere from 6 to 9 months for that spot to catch up with the surrounding hair.  

Keep in mind that neglecting the new coat will result in matting just as before! This is why proper care of your Poodle is so important.
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