Matting & Detangling

For the coats that mat: doubles, long-hairs, curls and doodles. Mats do not start as mats — they start as the tangle you skipped on Tuesday.

The two-brush system is what groomers use, sized for at-home daily work. The Slicker Brush has fine angled metal pins in a solid wood handle and lifts undercoat without scraping skin. The Tangle Tamer is the large oval paddle you reach for every day. The Tiny Tamer handles faces, ears, legs and small dogs.

Work in sections from the skin outward, never from the tips in, and hold the coat at the base so the tension lands on your hand rather than your dog's skin. It takes less time and it pulls less.