Humanity Over Vanity

The holidays are coming! So are the visits from family and the photos. Our whole staff knows the importance of making sure your pup looks adorable for the festivities  – and wanting them fluffy for the colder winter (or chillier here in Texas). We love working with the fluffy ones, too! It’s incredibly satisfying to see a happy fluffball walk out our shop looking stylish.

However, there is something more important to us than the perfect “cute” haircut and that is the comfort of our clients (the dogs). We practice a concept called “humanity over vanity”. We do not not do extensive dematting in our shop. The reason for this is simple: your pet’s well-being and comfort comes first. While we understand that you would like your dog to be fluffy, we will not subject the dog to the long, difficult and very painful process of yanking matts away from their skin.

Mats begin as tangles and, just like with human hair, tangles are generally caused simply by living. Friction from the collar can cause tangling, as well as scratching, rolling around in the dirt, running on the beach…you know, being a dog. Brushing (combing) your dog’s coat every few days can take care of these tangles while they are loose, which is to say before they turn into dreaded mats.

Minor and localized matting occurs in those areas that rub constantly – like around the dog’s neck under their collar, behind their ears, in the tuck-up, armpits and around the tail. These also happen to be some of the more sensitive areas. Minor matting can be brushed out in less than 10 minutes and with minimal pulling, so we are happy to address the minor issues since it can be done without hurting our furry friend. More serious matting in sensitive areas is best clipped out, but does not require a full body haircut.

Now we come to the worst sort of matting… We call it “felting” or “pelting”. This is when the pups entire undercoat becomes matted and basically forms a thick, intertwined layer that resembles felt material,  This level of matting often requires a very (very) short blade to get underneath. At the point felting is present, we will shave the dog.  Felting and severe matting can cause so many issues including serious hematomas… it’s best to remove it and start fresh.  PLUS, they’ll feel so much better without their fur tugging every time they take a step.

We have several levels of service available to help prevent the dreaded mats. Ask a pack member about your options so we can keep these pups fluffy.