[Lorina]

I can do a really good job of keeping Beavis smooth and tangle-free, except for behind his ears, especially his right ear. He's had small to medium sized matts behind both ears since I got him. I can usually manage to get them trimmed down quite a bit, but haven't been able to completely eliminate them.

I thought I could trim the matts down and detangle from there (I was very good at working out tangles by hand on my persian mix cat), but he's very jumpy about it. He's blind on the left side, and that's actually easier to manage than his right side. To get behind his ears, the hair usually gets pushed forward over his face, and he seems to panic when he can't see at all. And he yips and nips at any discomfort.

He actually behaves great when he's soaking wet and in the tub - it's the best way to comb out the tail - but I think this is a two-person job and there's not really room for both my husband and I to hold him and work on him in the bathroom. Stupid tiny bathroom.

So, any suggestions? He's not good with strangers, so I'm hesitant to take him to a groomers where he might misbehave or be traumatized. Should I use clippers behind the ears? Trim with scissors and try to work out the matts? Is it easier if the fur is wet? Dosed with conditioner? Help!

[Snowshoe]

I don't know what the texture of the fur behind his ears is, but I know Orchid's is really fine, as she has the "puppy fluffies" still.

My mentor told me to use baking powder, as it is really fine and soft and somehow untangles the matts.

It has worked in matts for us on other places.

[briteday]

You may have to just cut the matts out or trim all the fur on the ears so your dog doesn't look too weird. Then once you have started over you can keep them matt-free by brushing/combing every day. What breed?

[Lorina]

I'll have to try the baking soda. Thanks for the tip!

What breed?

Pekingese, and the hair behind the ears is silky. There's enough good fur for a combover that if I shaved/trimmed/clipped behind the ears, it wouldn't look too freaky. Better combover than Trump, anyway.

[briteday]

We have a neighbor with a wheaten terrier that matts really easy. They swear by a detangler solution that they get thru PetEdge. I have another neighbor that likes their kids' detangler spray that she gets in the human shampoo aisle in Walmart.

[goaltending]

Those are some great tips. I have a pomeranian that no matter how much I brush her she mats behind the ears. Interesting about the baking soda.

Regarding your small bathroom, in our city they just opened a self service dog wash. Does anybody else have one? I am anxious to try it!

[Snowshoe]

BTW- baking powder. It's silkier, lol!

[briteday]

We have a self serve dog bath here. I have toy dogs so I do them in the sink. However neighbors with large dogs love it. They have bath tubs raised up to waist height so you don't have to bend over, the spray type hoses, all kinds of good shampoos, lots of towels and aprons, blow dryers..... I think they charge abut $10 for a large dog here. Quite a bargain for all the supplies and services they are providing.

[Cheetah]

I use the Bargain Hound undercoat rake from petsmart to comb behind Shippo's ears daily, or else he gets mats. I also used it on my grandmother's pekingese with success. This would only be a solution after you get rid of the mats this time though. Her peke won't let her groom her, but she quickly learned that I don't put up with the nipping, so she gets groomed any time I have to dog-sit lol...

[ashes]

if hes so uncomfortable with the brushing it might just be best to clip out that hair. pet stores sell small quiet clippers for stuff like that. you can get some that the blades are 1/2 inch wide. and just guessing from your picture you could probubly hide the shaved matts pretty easily. just a suggestion

[lindadowns]

You dog is scratching his ear with his hind foot because his inner ear itches, may be due to some inner ear irratation. Clean the ear with mild astringent, like face toner and keep it dry. Brush mat out after sprinkling with cornstarch.

[Lorina]

Originally Posted by lindadowns

You dog is scratching his ear with his hind foot because his inner ear itches, may be due to some inner ear irratation. Clean the ear with mild astringent, like face toner and keep it dry. Brush mat out after sprinkling with cornstarch.

???

He's not scratching his ears at all. Maybe you're replying to another thread?

[Lorina]

I finally broke down and scheduled an appointment at Petsmart to get dematted. They combed out what they could, and buzzed out the worst of it.

Best $15 I ever spent. Way easier than buying all the neccessary tools to do it myself. Now that he's silky and tangle free, it'll be easier for me to keep him that way.

And it's just in time for the Pekingese Parade his rescue is having tomorrow.

[poodleholic]

I can do a really good job of keeping Beavis smooth and tangle-free, except for behind his ears, especially his right ear. He's had small to medium sized matts behind both ears since I got him. I can usually manage to get them trimmed down quite a bit, but haven't been able to completely eliminate them.

I thought I could trim the matts down and detangle from there (I was very good at working out tangles by hand on my persian mix cat), but he's very jumpy about it. He's blind on the left side, and that's actually easier to manage than his right side. To get behind his ears, the hair usually gets pushed forward over his face, and he seems to panic when he can't see at all. And he yips and nips at any discomfort.

If the matting has felted, you'll need to shave it, probabably a #7 blade. Take him to a groomer and have the groomer do it if you don't have a good clipper (forget the crappy clippers you can buy at retail pet stores. They're junk, and not worth what you're going to pay).

He actually behaves great when he's soaking wet and in the tub - it's the best way to comb out the tail - but I think this is a two-person job and there's not really room for both my husband and I to hold him and work on him in the bathroom. Stupid tiny bathroom.

So, any suggestions? He's not good with strangers, so I'm hesitant to take him to a groomers where he might misbehave or be traumatized. Should I use clippers behind the ears? Trim with scissors and try to work out the matts? Is it easier if the fur is wet? Dosed with conditioner? Help!

Groomers often have clients who are difficult, but are trained how to handle them, and they do fine. Dogs are often very good for groomers who know what they're doing - but may not be with the owner is present. That being said, be sure to get referrals from others.

If the matt has felted, it would be easier to shave wet, as you can get the blade under the hair because it'll loosen up some from the skin.

Using conditioner after shampooing a dog can actually cause matting to happen, depending on texture. I have Standard Poodles, and my male has a more cottony coat than my female, whose coat is more wirey. I never use conditioner on the male, or he'd be a matted mess. I use a diluted leave-on spray conditioner whenever brushing between shampoos (to protect the hair from breakage). The only time I've used conditioner is to work out a matt caused from a burr (which he tried to chew out). For this purpose, I usually use a product made for African American hair, like Pink Lotion, for example. Saturate the matt, and then use a slicker brush, starting at the ends, and work your way toward the skin. A steel comb is helpful, too.

You dog is scratching his ear with his hind foot because his inner ear itches, may be due to some inner ear irratation. Clean the ear with mild astringent, like face toner and keep it dry. Brush mat out after sprinkling with cornstarch.

The above well-intended advice is, unfortunately, very bad advice. If a dog has an ear infection, or itchy ears from allergies, face toner will burn like crazy. Besides, facial toner should never be used in a dog's ear.

There are cleansers made for cleaning dog's ears. There are also other formulas one can make up that work very well, and are safe for use in a dog's ears.

[Betty57]

The only way to keep matts from forming behind the ears is to comb, that's it. You will need to comb several times a week depending on how long the hair is. The longer the hair, the more you comb. Behind the ear is a very common place for matts to develop quicker since the ears move back and forth and rub the hair. If you have matts that are close to the skin behind the ears you will need to use clippers to remove them and I suggest letting someone do this that knows what they are doing. You will then need to put some regular lotion or PC lotion from UPCO behind the ear to wart off any redness and irritation that may happen. Being a professional groomer I come across this all the time. Remember comb, comb, comb.

[Shaina]

When I saw this thread up I was excited because I thought Lorina had returned...

Then I realized it is from 2007...