Is there a better way of grooming?

beth- oif you had read the whole thread, you would know that we are talking about a terrier, who is done once a year, who is long and tangled. the poster also says the dog hates being brushed and wanted a product that magically took hair off without the dog knowing. np suggestion you made will do that (actually nothing can do that). mars coat kind works great on little mats (like poodles who get little matts everywhere) but they do not demat a dog that is matted to the skin and attempting to do so will give a dog skin irritation. it does pull harder than a brush b/c it casn catch on matts that are too big for it to get out, thus hurting the dog. and as this is a terrier we are talking about, i doubt that undercoat is the issue.

i agree a matted dog oes not always need to be shaved, but lets be serious. lolly said the dog is done once a year. what dog do you know that isnt matted to the skin if done only once a year? and furminaters are HORRIBLE at dematting (let alone the most ineffiecient tool ever made) and are not worht the money.

and i am shocked by the fact that you are a groomer and giving such dangerous advice. yes matt strippers work, but i have never told a person who had no knowledge or experiance in grooming to use one. and scissoring off matts? most groomers will tell you that this is the worst way to demat, and most dangerous. you really need to re-evaluate what you suggest to people b/c that is how they end up doing something they shouldnt and hurting the dog.

Duncan if you read back you will see I have been posting my progress - at the start I had not tackled grooming sophie myself and was looking for some miracle cure! But half way down you will see I have started grooming sophie myself, I started with brushing her and trimming her with a sissors and then introduced the electric razor.

Sophie is a medium hair length terrier, I will take some pictures and post them.

I dont think she is as bad as I first made out - she had a lot of tangled knots around her upper legs and at the back of her ears but her body is smooth - the biggest challenge was getting her to trust me to cut her and use the electric razor on her.

I appreciate the advice beth I think I will get the coat kings for future grooming.

lolly, i have been reading and know you have made progress. trust me, i am very happy to hear that you are working with her. most dog owners just think its the way their dog is nd that there is nothing they can do about it. im glad that everything is going well.

however, i hope you dont take much advice from the last poster, as most of her recomendations were really dangerous to your dog. i just wanted you to understand that the coat king is not a magic tool your dogs cant feel. it does hurt if the matt is to large for it (there a few different sizes), and again, is not something i would generaly recommend to a complete beginnner in grooming. and like i said before is really only to be used on mild matting, and nothing that is to the skin. i understand you now say that it wasnt as bad as you made it out to be. but when all we are going on is the information you proveded (dog done once a year, you said very long and tangled) i would assume the dog was a mess. and just from that assumption, i consider it unwise to tell you to demat with this tool.

well, as stated, I dont know the thickness of the coat...even terriers have different coat types...most can have A LOT of undercoat....some dont. Some have that dense cottony coat that matts as soon as it gets damp...and has to be shaved or stripped out. Can a coat king be used to do this? Yes, it can safely be used...there is some pulling yes as I clearly said before....but as stated earlier the dog is demonstrating intolerance due to her breed charactoristics and dominance, with some bad experiences and mistrust thrown in there too. The owner is now doing her part to work with her dog. Im sure she already regrets not doing this desensitizing and training earlier in the dog's life so she doesnt need someone beating her down some more...she has saught advice and is taking the advice and is using it. Now to work on that coat. A coat king can be a tool worth using...esp in the future to maintain the coat mat free and keep shedding at a minimum. Hard to say what number CK to get at this point without seeing the dog like I said before...it all depends on the coat. So, the higher the number of blades, the more coat it removes. For mats and tangles...less blades will pass through easier: there is more space between each blade. 6/8 blades versus a 10 and up. If she is matted around the ears at the skin a coat king and scizzors will not be safe...use a clipper. If the matts are like large solid/hard masses of hair that are tight to the skin then dont use the CK's, use an electric clipper.
As so "politely" stated a coat king is unsafe, like any tool with a blade, if its in unresponsible hands. I went ahead and recommended it because she is an adult with a dog that has limited options....and she is seeking alternatives that might work for her...if these tools were so dangerous they wouldnt be sold at pet stores to just anyone who wants to buy them for their dog.
Lolli, Like scizzors and the matt stripper blades and nail trimmers for that matter.... use common sense and you will be fine. you are already using scizzors on your dog with success so who am I to tell you not to. As long as you are not putting the shears anywhere near the skin you are fine...cut the matt in half and try loosening the rest with your fingers and and a detangler spray.
Lolli,This is my last post at this forum, ...good luck with your dog. keep training her and building that trust and tolerance level for grooming....that will be the key to your success in maintaining her coat.... no matter what tools you choose to use. God bless ya.