Mats-is it ever okay to cut?

[Ewokpup]

I was wondering if it is ever okay to cut out a mat.
I'm not so much talking about the fur-hair that is seen every day as a dog walks by. I'm talking about the hidden spots-tummy and armpits.

I found a tiny tangle/mat under Bama's arm last night. She was being rather squirmy and wouldn't let me work it out. Since she hasn't blown coat or hit puppy uglies (she's a havapom so her fur could go either way I guess), I decided to take the easy way out and just trim it out.

I know I probably shouldn't have. But being under the arm it isn't visible, and I didn't want it waiting until the next day when she would be more cooperative (it was bedtime). I hadn't noticed it earlier in the day (although I didn't thoroughly check armpits), but she had been in her harness all afternoon.

Did I do something horribly wrong?

[Tom King]

You didn't do anything wrong at all. Even if it's a show coat, the judge won't look under the armpits. I've seen Pam take the little clippers to those parts many times.

[angiern2004]

Heck no, there's nothing wrong with what you did.

Heck, Trooper is blowing coat and I just cut a mat out of a not-hidden place (behind his ear). Hair grows. Sometimes it's necessary for your sanity and the pup's.

[davetgabby]

I'm hardly a groomer, but there's one sure way to get a dog to hate and even fear grooming , and that's by torturing him on next to impossible mats. The key is to stay on top of the grooming so that it doesn't become a nightmare for the dog. You'll be glad you did. And your dog will love you for it. I like Linda's (Havanese Soon ) saying, ... hair grows back. Snip away. lol

[Ewokpup]

Well I feel better now. ;-)
We are watching Extraordinary Dogs on the documentary channel...I decided to break out the eye wipes and do some beard and face trimming. But I didn't trim any of the white beard hair...gotta match her new white eyelashes (is that what the upper eye hairs are called?).

Hair does grow back.
What I always loved about grooming the family yorkie...one haircut can give you a whole new dog.

Bama is only half Hav, so she will never be a show dog. So no 'breed standards' to comply with...just the adorable standard. ;-)

Now if only human hair grew back so fast...my hair doesn't get as long as it used to.

[Izzy-bella]

Originally Posted by davetgabby

I'm hardly a groomer, but there's one sure way to get a dog to hate and even fear grooming , and that's by torturing him on next to impossible mats. The key is to stay on top of the grooming so that it doesn't become a nightmare for the dog. You'll be glad you did. And your dog will love you for it. I like Linda's (Havanese Soon ) saying, ... hair grows back. Snip away. lol

Snip away... like it, especially in those hidden areas...I keep all of it cut very short, have also cut into the mat (with blunt nose scissors) snipping a couple of times and then trying to comb it out...aiming the scissors into the mat (not sideways).
It is less stressful if you don't beat yourself up about it. No havanese hair cut inspector has ever come to my door yet, bet he doesn't show up at yours either

[Becky Chittenden]

no problem with the armpit, and no problem since you aren't keeping a show coat anyway

[krandall]

I ALWAYS chose to cut out armpit knots rather than torturing Kodi with trying to comb them out. When he was blowing coat, we actually clippered out his armpits to avoid those terrible, ouchy little knots.

My philosophy was that if it didn't show, I didn't care at all! If he had a knot where it DID show, and I couldn't work it out with just a comb and corn starch without hurting him, I'd slip a sharp scissor blade between the knot and his body, and pul straight up, away from his body, effectively slicing through the knot. Some knots required more than one slice to break them up enough that it was easier to comb out the rest. I knew I wanted to keep him in long coat, but not enough that I was willing to torture him!

[heatherk]

Originally Posted by krandall

I ALWAYS chose to cut out armpit knots rather than torturing Kodi with trying to comb them out. When he was blowing coat, we actually clippered out his armpits to avoid those terrible, ouchy little knots.

My philosophy was that if it didn't show, I didn't care at all! If he had a knot where it DID show, and I couldn't work it out with just a comb and corn starch without hurting him, I'd slip a sharp scissor blade between the knot and his body, and pul straight up, away from his body, effectively slicing through the knot. Some knots required more than one slice to break them up enough that it was easier to comb out the rest. I knew I wanted to keep him in long coat, but not enough that I was willing to torture him!

I've also found that with the very tiny knots under the armpit and such, you sometimes get almost as much hair in the comb from trying to comb then out as clipping. I still comb, because Cey doesn't mind and I want to keep what hair is there as long as possible, but if Cey did mind at all I would probably certainly just clip them out (or do what Karen just said, with the sharp scissors pulled up to break the knot up).

[HavaneseSoon]

Thanks Dave! Yup! Hair grows! I have two little boys and when I do those belly trims to keep those boys smelling good, I also try to get those little hairs under the armpits.

If I get desperate and want to get at a mat, I will take some very sharp scissors and slide the blades through the mat, this helps work out those knots/mats so easily when combed. I have used this technique many times to get out those big mats that some how I seemed to missed.

You do want works for you and your Hav. Sometimes it is not worth the pain to work out those tough mats, so try the scissor gliding technique. It works!