Shampoodles Grooming Studio

11/15/2025

Proper grooming = healthcare! 🙌🏻

Matting: What You Don’t See Really Does Hurt

Matting isn’t just “tangled fur.” It’s tight, painful knotting that pulls at the skin every time a dog moves. Even small mats can cause discomfort, hide skin issues, trap moisture, and make everyday movement uncomfortable. What looks like a minor grooming issue can actually be a serious welfare concern.

How Matting Happens

Matting can build up fast. Common causes include:
• Skipping or inconsistent brushing
• Curly or long coats growing out between grooms
• Harnesses, collars, and clothing rubbing the coat
• Seasonal shedding getting stuck and compacting
• Moisture from rain or snow drying in the coat
• Undercoat not being removed properly

Some coat types (poodles, doodles, shih tzus, cockers, bichons, etc.) are simply more prone to matting even with decent care.

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Why Matting Is More Serious Than It Looks

Mats can:
• Pull on the skin and cause pain
• Hide redness, sores, or infections
• Trap debris, moisture, and bacteria
• Restrict movement in severe cases
• Make brushing painful or unsafe
• Cause stress or fear around grooming

Once mats tighten, brushing them out isn’t only unrealistic—it risks injury.

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Humane Grooming Decisions

When matting becomes severe, shaving isn’t a “last resort,” it’s the safest and most humane choice. Removing the coat allows the dog to be comfortable again and prevents hours of painful dematting.

After a reset, you can start fresh with a coat maintenance routine that fits your dog’s coat type and lifestyle.

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What Proper Home Coat Maintenance Actually Looks Like

Preventing matting isn’t about brushing “when you remember.” It’s about using the right tools, the right technique, and staying consistent.

Here’s what realistic, effective coat care looks like at home:

1. Brush BEFORE bathing

Water tightens mats. Always brush and comb through the coat before getting a dog wet.

2. Use the right tools

For most long or curly coats, you need:
• A slicker brush (quality, not dollar-store)
• A metal greyhound comb
• Detangling/slick spray to reduce friction

Brush with the slicker, then follow with the comb. If the comb can’t pass through the coat, it’s not mat-free.

3. Brush in layers

Don’t “surface brush.”
Lift the coat in small sections and brush from the skin outward. This prevents hidden mats from forming underneath the top layer.

4. Check friction zones daily

These areas mat the fastest:
• Behind ears
• Under the collar
• Armpits
• Tail base
• Groin area
• Legs where they bend

A quick daily check can prevent big problems later.

5. Keep up with regular trims

If your lifestyle, schedule, or the dog’s temperament makes brushing difficult, shorter, lower-maintenance styles help prevent matting entirely.

6. Stick to a grooming schedule

Most long- or curly-coated dogs need grooming every 4–8 weeks, depending on coat type and length. Even with great brushing, professional upkeep prevents buildup.

7. Use conditioner or detangling spray

Coats tangle when they’re dry and staticky. A proper spray or leave-in conditioner reduces friction and keeps hair smoother between grooms.

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A Fresh Start Is a Good Start

If the coat needs to be shaved due to matting, it’s not a setback. It’s a reset that lets you create a routine that works for both you and your dog.

10/15/2025

Excellent guidance for anyone with “puppy fever” thinking about getting a new dog! 🐾

Some good comments on the post as well.

05/30/2025

Handy tick chart!
Note esp. the TYPE of infection - different treatments for different types! Also beware that a standard tick test does not check for all of these infections, so if you suspect something like RMSF you need to specifically order that test. Apparently it's in the area now. 😝

Ticks are really bad this spring.
Be aware that Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is in Maine and New England.
Previously unheard of in this area ,it is not picked up on a the usual dog tick blood test, and needs to be ordered .

My friend's dog recently had a very serious case, and had they not started antibiotics and done a RNSF blood test, she may have died.
It can be fatal to people. Link to the latest info on RMSP and people, and AN ADDITIONAL TICK , Rabbit Tick to worry about, in the comments.

08/29/2024

Yes! Too many people think fat pets are healthy. 🙁 Please learn to monitor your pet’s weight properly. There are so many health risks to carrying excess weight.
Also remember that weight is relative… 5 lbs may be no big deal to a human, but for a small dog, that’s a very large percentage of their natural weight; the equivalent of me gaining 30-40 lbs! 😲 Can you imagine the impact that would have on my health and physical comfort? How is that any different for your pet? 🐾

Many of you know we are huge proponents of keeping your pets lean and fit. Unfortunately (particularly in the States), many people don't know what a lean dog is supposed to look like. Owners of healthy, lean dogs are always being told their dogs are "too skinny" when in fact they are not. We are just used to seeing overweight dogs and think that's normal.

Here's one of our favorite visual comparisons from malnourished (too thin) to obese. The middle two pics are healthy lean dogs. From the side, you should see a nice tuck behind their ribs and a noticeable hourglass waist when looking down on their back. And for some short coat dogs, yes seeing one or two ribs is OK!

Keeping your dogs at the low end of their healthy weight range will not only help their joints and prevent disease, studies have shown that dogs which are kept at a lean weight, live two years longer than overweight dogs!

📷 Thanks Midwest Canines for this great visual. ♥️

03/21/2024

FYI, the shop phone has been on the fritz AGAIN this week... and so I've made the difficult decision to shut it off. I've had this landline for Shampoodles for 26 years! Change is hard, but the monthly TDS bill (even before adding in long distance charges) isn't worth it anymore.
Most of my remaining clients have my cell phone number anyway, so I will just be using that from here on. (Hey at least now I can write it off as a business expense. haha)

Bye bye shop phone, hello future.

One more step towards the end of an era. 😕 Definite mixed feelings! At minimum, semi-retirement is inevitable sooner or later. For now I remain focused on what I can fit in for current clients. I will also still be available on working days for nail trims/grinding.

If you are an existing client and do not have my "new" number and need to contact me, please email me (address on my website). I'm still deciding on how much I want to publicize my personal phone number.

Thanks again for all the support throughout the years! 💗

08/17/2023

Sharing because I like Poodles & poetry - and more importantly, because it's true. 😉
The dog's welfare comes first. If you want full coat, you have to maintain it properly.
i.e. Brush your dog!

If you don't understand how to correctly brush & comb your dog, your professional groomer can instruct you. 👍
If you are unable to maintain a long coat, then you will have to compromise with a shorter clip.

Also note that maintenance baths are important as well. Show dogs in full coat get a proper bath & fluff dry every 1-2 weeks at minimum. Your dog may be a pet, and even a mixed breed, but if it's in any style of full, long coat, it requires the same upkeep as a show dog! 🐩🛁