Dealing with tangles

Poms should ideally have a harsh outer coat and a softer undercoat. But not all coats are as harsh as they should be, especially if you've previously shaved or clipped a dog. Hormones, nutrition, environment, and genetics all play roles, too. So tangles happen, even to the most devoted Pom-mom. Clipping them out is a last resort- sometimes necessary, but usually avoidable as long as you've taught your dog to enjoy- or at least tolerate grooming.

The most common places for Poms to mat are behind their ears and under the front legs. Debris mats (where something has gotten tangled in the hair) are most common on the legs in the feathering, in the pants, and in the feathers on the tail. All of these can be dealt with in basically the same way. You'll need the following tools:

1. A good surface to work on. I strongly recommend getting a grooming table.
2. Detangling spray- human products like Johnson & Johnson are okay; I like Ice On Ice from Chris Christensen the best, though. You can also find horse products like Show Sheen and Cowboy Magic at many feed stores.
   
3. A mat breaker, like this Imaginetics Mat Breaker
   
4. A good comb - I like teflon-coated stainless steel, which you can frequently find at a beauty supply store, but the best are BUTTERCOMB by Chris Christensen. I like the ones that are half fine and half coarse (like the one I've linked to)
5. A pair of scissors as a last resort. Hopefully, you won't need them.
   

On any tangle, the trick is to use the detangling spray, and start at the bottom (farthest away from the skin) of the tangle. If a mat/tangle is solid - you can't separate ANYTHING, and it's so messed up that you can only see one solid felted piece, this method won't work, and it's more humane to just cut it out. If your dog has more than one or two places like this, that is one of the times that it is better to shave the dog and be much more careful to groom them carefully, every day or two, as their hair grows back.

Video coming tomorrow!