Most of the matted Cockapoos I see did not get that way through neglect. Their owners were brushing. They were just brushing the top of the coat, with the wrong brush, and the tangles were forming underneath where nobody could see them. This is the method that actually works, and it takes less time than you think.
Two tools, not twenty
You need two things: a slicker brush and a metal comb. That is it.
The slicker is the flat, rectangular brush with lots of fine bent pins. Pick a soft or medium one for a Cockapoo; the stiff ones scratch. The comb should be metal with two tooth widths, one coarse and one fine, and the teeth should be long enough to reach the skin through the coat.
What you can leave in the shop: the oval brush with the rounded nylon bristles (it polishes the top layer and does nothing underneath), the rubber curry mitts (for short coats), and most of the gadgets sold as “dematting rakes”. Those have blades in them, and in untrained hands they cut coat and skin alike.
Line brushing in sixty seconds
Line brushing sounds technical. It is not. It just means working through the coat in layers so the brush reaches the skin every time.
- Sit the dog on something stable at a comfortable height for you, a table with a non-slip mat or the floor if you are happy down there.
- Start low on a back leg. With one hand, push the coat upwards against the direction it grows, so you can see a line of skin.
- With the slicker in the other hand, brush the hair below that line downwards, away from the skin, in short, light strokes. Pat, do not drag.
- Let a little more coat fall, then brush that line. Work up the leg in layers, then along the body, then the chest, neck and head.
- Finish each area with the comb, pushed right down to the skin. If the comb glides through, that area is done. If it catches, go back with the slicker on that spot.
The comb is the test. A slicker can skate over a tangle and feel like it is working. A comb cannot.
The five places mats start
Mats form where there is friction or moisture, so they start in the same places on almost every dog.
- Behind the ears. The soft, fine hair here tangles if you so much as look at it. Check it every time.
- The armpits. Front legs rubbing against the chest with every step.
- Under the collar and along the harness line. Anything the dog wears, wears the coat underneath it.
- The groin and inside the back legs. Warm, damp, and easy to forget.
- The feet and the base of the tail. Feet pick up grit and sand, and the tail gets sat on.
Get the comb into those five places twice a week and the rest of the dog mostly looks after itself.
How often, honestly
For a Cockapoo kept at a medium or long length, three proper sessions a week, ten minutes each, is about right. If the dog has been in the sea, the mud or the rain, add one. For a dog clipped short, a comb-through once a week is plenty.
If three sessions a week is more than your life allows, that is useful information too. It means a shorter clip will make both of you happier, and I would far rather do that than clip off a matted coat in two months’ time. There is more on realistic schedules in how often a Cockapoo needs grooming.
Wet coats and towels
This is the one that catches people out. A wet curly coat tightens as it dries, and if there is a loose tangle in it, the drying turns the tangle into a mat. So:
- After a wet walk, blot with a towel. Do not scrub. Rubbing a curly coat with a towel is the quickest way I know to felt it.
- Let the coat dry completely before you brush. Brushing wet curls pulls them tighter.
- A hairdryer on cool, held well back, speeds things up and the dog will get used to it, which pays off at the salon.
Round here that matters more than most places. The Greensand country between King’s Lynn and the coast, Bawsey, Roydon and the tracks around Sandringham, is sandy and it holds water, so a winter walk sends a dog home wet and gritty. The King’s Lynn walks post has more on what each walk does to a coat.
What you will never manage at home
Some things need the table, the dryer and the hands. A full bath and blow-dry that straightens the coat so a clip comes out even. The sanitary area. Nails. The inside of the ears. If a mat has already formed and gone tight, do not try to cut it out with scissors; the skin underneath moves and I see the results of kitchen-scissor accidents more often than I would like.
That is what a Bath & Tidy is for: a proper wash and dry, the face, feet and sanitary bits tidied, and a check of the coat all over. Every three or four weeks between Full Grooms keeps a home-brushed Cockapoo in good order. And if a coat has got away from you, read why I clip matted coats short before you book, so nothing on the day comes as a surprise.
Quick questions
Should I brush before or after a bath?
Before. Water tightens tangles, so a coat should be combed through before it goes anywhere near a bath. After the bath, dry it fully, then brush again.
Is a detangling spray worth it?
A light conditioning spray helps the brush slide and reduces breakage on a long coat. It is not a substitute for brushing, and it will not remove a mat. Use it on a dry coat, never on one that is already tangled and wet.
Can the comb hurt the skin?
Only if you drag it through a tangle. If the comb catches, stop, hold the coat above the tangle with your fingers so you are not pulling the skin, and tease the tangle apart with the slicker first. If it will not come apart, leave it for me.