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annoellyn
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06-04-2018, 01:56 AM

Matts on a double coated dog

i have a half german shepherd half golden retriever rescue (I think something else too, she has grey hair on her chest) that I am having a hard time keeping up with grooming. She's an adult rescue, great dog, but she has very very long coarse butt hair that is hard to get a brush through when it isn't matted let alone when it is tangled. It gets so muddy when we walk even with trying to avoid all the puddles. She tolerates grooming but bites at the brush when I try and groom the coarse hair. I have an appointment with a groomer next monday but everyone I call they just tells me they won't shave a german shepherd. I understand that but...I need to get the matts off. I've cut her fur so that it doesn't get uncomfortable but it's too close to the skin.

How do you all manage long haired german shepherd butt hair? LOL. The texture is not at all the same as the rest of her.
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Jackie
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06-04-2018, 08:50 AM
I have a long coated single breed dog, and I can feel your pain, when they coat gets matterd , I groom my boy at least once but mostly 2 times a week, and he still gets matts close to the skin. you need some de matting tools, and a good comb, unless you get right down to skin when grooming it is always going to matt. I would think on your dog its the undercoat that is matting,

keep the appointment with the groomer and ask her advice on what tools and how to groom him .
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Gnasher
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06-04-2018, 08:52 AM
Annoellyn: I have exactly the same problem with my Alaskan Malamute wolf cross, Ben, who has exactly the same coat as your gorgeous GSD. He too hates being groomed although over the 5 or 6 years we have had him, he has improved considerably. He was a rescue and when we first took him his coat was totally matted, impossible to get a rake, brush or comb through. When such a coat goes into these solid matts, there is absolutely no point trying to comb them out - impossible and will result in the dog being hurt, traumatised with the obvious negative results. We used to put Ben in a full face leather muzzle - not a Baskerville type, a full solid mask - the same type as the police use. Even then his reaction to any attempt to comb the matts resulted in a truly ferocious full on attack which was terrifying, even with the mask!

The only solution was to shave the matts off. We ended up buying our own set of dog grooming shears - not cheap - but to start with we were lucky enough to find a lovely couple of grooming ladies who were prepared to take him on for a whole day, gently gently shearing the matts off - they were huge, under his belly and thighs in particular were just solid carpet-like matts, these were not individual areas of matt, he was just one huge solid matt - they would rest him for periods in between doing other dogs, and his stable companion Tai was with him for company. Eventually they removed all the matts, and could then bathe him and tart him up. Every time he got stressed, they would rest him and it did take them all day, but they did it. Then it was over to us to keep him like this. As I say, we purchased a set of dog shears but we ended up selling these and do him by hand now, cutting the matts off as they form and bathing and grooming him regularly. He still gets very snarly, but we do not have to muzzle him and we ignore the ferocious lunges, knowing that now he trusts us they are just all sound and fury, signifying nothing!

To sum up - try and keep the faith, get a decent full face muzzle, and if possible financially invest in a pair of good quality dog shears and clip him. If not, then you will need to find a dog groomer who listens - most of them don't - and explain to them that you do not care what she looks like, she needs to be made comfortable. They must take time, not rush it, take all day if necessary. Ben now actually likes being bathed, less so groomed but he will tolerate it..

Hope this helps!!
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annoellyn
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07-04-2018, 01:33 AM
Thanks so much for your replies, it helps alot hearing from other people with similar coated dogs!
I am currently looking into getting the proper tools to groom her right from now on. I will keep the appointment and see what we can come up with to get her where she needs to be. If I don't feel good about her, I'll call around.

by the way gnasher, Malamutes are so gorgeous!!
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Gnasher
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07-04-2018, 05:58 AM
Aren't they just!! Good luck with the grooming!
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Dinky Dillon
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16-04-2018, 10:56 AM
You need some like this,
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mikki-Pro-S...cker+dog+brush

I have a Briard another double coated breed, I use one of these on Dillon sometime I split down the matt with scissors before brushing, I find small brushs better for matted hair.
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annoellyn
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16-04-2018, 12:25 PM
Thanks I'm getting one like that now! 😄
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