Since I Have been offering free dog grooming I have had many dogs with matted coat and two that where completely matted.
There are many breeds with a fine coat such as Bichons, Poodles and Cockers that get tangles that can be difficult to brush out.
Drop-coated breeds such as Shih Tzu, Lhasas and Malteses have similar problems.
Dogs with combination coats such as Border Collies have difficulty in the rump area and ears.
One of the reasons mats become so dense is that the undercoat grows at a faster pace than the guard coat.
Once tangles start to occur in the guard coat the undercoat quickly packs up very tightly.
Other ways of matting are dirt, static, moisture, friction or compression.
Dirt will hold the hair shafts together.
Static causes coat to tangle more easily.
Too much moisture and rubbing will create mats that are difficult to remove.
To avoid matting it is best to have a regular routine of brushing and general grooming of your dog.
By establishing a brushing routine you are spending time with your dog and with the right brush and correct technique this can be a loving time for most dogs.
This is very important if you have a dog with a fine coat.
It is important to dry dogs well once they are wet where this is practical.
Although little jackets and coats can be cute on dogs, these can cause a lot of friction and should not be used for more than a few hours at a time.The image shows very dense matting that was removed from a Cockers neck and ears.
If the matting is really bad as in this picture, the mat will put pressure on the skin and will cause low level tension/pain.
Skin irritations can also occur under this but as you can not see it, this will go untreated.
The matting on this dog was very close to the skin over most of his body and it took me hours to very carefully remove.
I even had to clip the coat on the ears.
The dog was so relaxed he went to sleep while I was working on him.
The dog emerged anew and the owner promised he would start brushing his dog.
I hope he does.