Easy Dog Grooming: Remove Matted Fur Painlessly

As the owner of three border collies I have spent my fair share of money at the dog groomers. Trying to remove the mats from my dog's fur used to be an exercise in futility that left both me and my dogs frustrated and exhausted. Until I learned that there is a very simple method to removing the mats without cutting them out, that is. Here's how you too can easily remove the mats from your dog's fur without paying for a trip to the dog groomers.

What You'll Need
1 box of cornstarch
1 slicker brush
1 Undercoat Rake
1 Towel

Slicker brushes and undercoat rakes are important tools for removing mats from dog's fur. Both types of brushes can be found at pet stores such as PetSmart or PetCo. You can gt help from their groomers to ensure you are purchasing the right size of brush for the length of your dog's hair.

Instructions:
This might sound crazy but do not bathe your dog before attempting to remove mats from your dog's fur. Getting the mats wet will only serve to make them worse and you will not be able to remove them until they have dried completely though which takes a long time due to the clumping. Also, give consideration as to where you will be grooming your dog, because of the cornstarch and the amount of hair you are going to wind up with I recommend the small confines of a bathroom. Gather your tools and your dog and let's get busy removing those mats.

To start with lay a towel on the floor to catch the falling cornstarch. Then have your dog stand on the towel, or sit or lay depending on what part of the body you are removing mats from.

Locate a mat in your dog's fur and use your fingers to seperate it from the non-tangled hair. Next, grab a handful of cornstarch and begin rubbing it into the mat. Rub it in all the way down to the skin. Your dog will probably like this part which helps put them at ease. Don't worry that your dog's hair turns a shade lighter, that is just the powdery effect of the cornstarch and once bathed is not permanent.

As you work the cornstarch into the undercoat of the dog's hair you should find that it will begin to come out in your hand. Set that hair aside and gently use your fingers to separate the rest of the mat. You only need to pull it apart a little bit so don't worry that you can't release the mat just yet.

Now take another handful of cornstarch and lightly coat the mat. It isn't important to rub it down to the skin this time just as long as the mat is completely covered in cornstarch.

Grasp the matted fur as close to the skin as possible and hold it between your fingers. With your other hand begin using the undercoat rake to pick at the mat. Remember those hair picking skills we learned to do our perms with in the 1980's? Those will come in handy because that is the exact motion you will need with the undercoat rake. Pick at the mat from the bottom and move inwards towards your fingers holding the mat. When you feel the mat pull, pinch it tighter between your fingers. This helps the mat from pulling the skin and hurting your dog.

Once you have picked most of your way through the mat switch to using the slicker brush. Use the same method as before, pinching the mat between your fingers, begin to brush through the mat from the bottom up.
When you have removed all the mats, give your dog a bath to remove any loose cornstarch in their hair.
You can safely use cornstarch to remove all the mats from your dog's fur. I use this method on all three of my dogs once a month and it has saved me from spending $65 to have them removed at the dog groomers.