Hi! any1 got advice re grooming a TT, Kintra is almost 10 months old, I thought i had grooming under control but over past month or two its become a nightmare! Namely 'MATS' big ones! they seem to appear where there were none minutes before! I have never dealt with 'Mats' as i previously had a german shepherd who other than you could brush constantly never seemed to acquire Mats!  I love Kintras long coat but wondering if im going to be able to keep it mat free, does it get better as adult coat comes in? should i have it clipped short and start again - with a more rigorous grooming routine?- please help? : )

No NO NO dont get it clipped yikes ..

Get some Cowboy Magic detangle and shine from Hub international cost around £13 a tube, just rub it into the matts leave for a few minutes and gently tease out the matt with a comb.

always use a grooming spray before brushing, dezynadog do a lovely one called amazing trix you could also try 'the stuff' which puts a coating on the hair to protect it and stops leaves etc clinging and matts forming so quickly to the coat. Hub or petcetra sell it .

I have beardies but the coat is of a different texture to TT but still long and needs attention.

Make sure you use a good pin brush if it scratches the inside of your arm when you run it down then it will damage the coat chris christensen do a good range but bit pricey I like the T bar 16mm cost around £23 but last years.

With a long coated breed puppy or adult you need to perfect a good regular grooming regime or matts will become to difficult to remove just imagine not brushing your own hair for a couple of weeks having it blowing in the wind and lying on it continually it would be so painful to brush through ...same for a long coated dog.
If you check all the obvious areas everyday ie: behind the ears, elbows, inside legs and remove any small matts the grooming will be much easier .

Much more regular grooming in the areas Starry suggests is needed.

Knots arrive overnight but matts take much longer.

Can you use thinning scissors on a TT coat to give a puppy trim? I used to see one in my old area, never managed to stop and chat to the owner, but the coat was kept a couple of inches long all over, so presume he was either scissored or clipper combed.

Thanks v.much, will take this on board and try out the suggested products : )

well if the same applies to TT as Beardies sissors are a no no, I imagine they can do a pet trim if wanted by the owner but I cannot ever fathom why people choose a long coated breed then have them clipped (I do accept that an old dog that is uncomfortable with the grooming may be better with a shorter coat ) , a good breeder should spend time with new prospective owners regarding the care and time required to look after a long coated breed.
If people are not prepared to do the work required  then I think they choose a dog with a short coat that is much easier to cope with.

Roni

TT as in tibetan terrier?  At 10 months old I would expect her to start growing in her adult coat - I know with my poodle youngsters that when the coat is changing that matts occur out of nothing, it's normal.  Breeds like tibetan terriers, lhasa apsos, poodles, bichons and maltese have continually growing hair.  You can clip the coat off and it will grow back fine.

That's what I thought Granitecitygirl - I know terriers should be stripped, and Cavaliers shouldn't be clipped, but I often do pet bichons / shih tzus / lhasas on the 5/8 blade (again, I would love to scissor the bichons but owners seem incapable of learning how to brush) and the coat never seems to suffer over time.

Tibetan Terriers are not proper terriers though, its only a name - they are in the Utility group.  They look quite cute clipped down to a couple of inches all over, like teddy bears.

Yes sorry, I didn't mean TTs when I said terriers, I was thinking of Westies etc. This pet TT I used to see did look cute clipped or scissored short like that.

If its nearly bath day.... then my method of choice for nasty mats is baby oil. I use this a lot on my TT's tummy cos he gets widdle on his tummy fur *bleurgh*, but for any mat thats down to the skin, this is cheap and will allow you to unpick and then comb out the mat. Just soak the mat, use kitchen roll to get any excess up.... unpick/comb and then more kitchen roll and a good stiff bristle or better yet, bristle/nylon 'teeth' mix brush and brush through realy well if you are not bathing that day.

Otherwise, cowboy magic detangler and regular baths with lots of conditioner to keep the coat in an easily brushable state, and just grit your teeth and hang on in there.

Mines now 14 months old and is getting better!

Hi, i have 2 TT's and have had both of them shaved due to the matts, their hair grows back absolutely fine. My youngest is 19 months and has had his puppy hair shaved and he needs combing about 2 a week now his hair has grown back.when their pups they do seem to matt everyday. I find once their puppy hair has been shaved, when it grows back its a lot better and dosent matt as much. I find it easier to use a metal comb, as they have a double coat, i dont think a brush gets through all the matts.