13/10/2026
There are a few factors that determine whether I can or will brush out a matted knotty tail:
1. How tight, wide and close to the skin the knots are - if they're too big or I can't get my fingers above them to take the tension of the brush, I'm chopping them out!
2. The dog's tolerance - different dogs are sensitive in different areas, some find even gentle tail handling difficult, so they would not be good candidates for intense brushing
3. The rest of the groom - if I've spent time brushing knots out of legs or faces to achieve something fluffy up front, I won't carry on to do the same with the tail
For Max here, everything fell into place. The knots were thin with good distance between them and the tail; he is comfortable with tail brushing (its his front feeties he's sensitive about 😂); and the rest of the groom was short and simple so I had plenty of tolerance and good will to play with.
With the help of my favourite detangling spray, a slicker brush and some careful attention, his beautiful tail lives to swoosh another day 😍
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