How to get rid of mats in my poodles hair

Question
Hi there,
I have a 7 month old standard poodle.  Her coat is straight not curly.  I just read an answer you gave that said the hair may mat when the adult hair comes in.  This is happening to us so I was wondering what is the best comb to use and also the best way to get rid of the existing mats.

Thanks,
Micaela

Answer
Hello Micaela,
I like any of the Resco Combs for Straight hair.  Here is the one I use and love:  http://www.amazon.com/Resco-Combination-length-Medium-spacing/dp/B0006ICB1W/ref=  but you can check out their total line of combs and get the one that works best for you.  I like this one because it has combination spaced teeth, so you can use the wider spaced teeth when you start combing and the finer spaced teeth once you untangle some of the larger mats.  You MUST be careful when combing out mats, because it can be hard on the dogs skin.  It pulls and hurts and unless you use care and caution can make the dogs skin red or even bleed.   You can also alternate with a slicker brush, but you need to watch using these as well, because they can scratch the skin and also lead to bleeding.

For Starters, DO NOT give her a bath until you get the existing mats out first.  People think that by wetting the whole dog, you will help loosen the mats some.  In actuality, bathing tightens the mats, making them almost impossible to remove.  You can apply conditioner to the areas with thicker mats to help you loosen the mats some.  You will need to break the mats down and loosen them a little at a time.  Hand pulling mats is a time consuming task, so be sure to give your dog breaks from time to time and have plenty of water with conditioner in a spray bottle, so you can spray the hair to reduce hair breakage.  You will need to take a small section of the mat and work out a few pieces of hair at a time until you break the mat down enough to comb it out.  If you don't plan on showing her, you might shave under her belly and under her front arms (where lots of mats tend to start) to get rid of the hair there.
If the mats are too bad to comb or work out, you may need a Mat Comb to help break the mats into smaller mats that can be removed or combed out.  Here is what one looks like: http://www.amazon.com/Safari-De-Matting-Comb-for-Dogs/dp/B0002ARR2W/ref=sr_1_2?s
It is literally a handle with about 9 razor blades that slice through the mat, breaking it into smaller mats that can then be combed out or removed.  If you DO use one of these, please use caution, because as I said; these are razor blades mounted on a handle and they are as sharp as they sound.  You can break the mat up easily, but you can also cut or do damage to the skin.  They are good though if they are your last option before shaving the dog.
***Never attempt to use scissors to remove a mat as you will almost always cut your dogs skin.  The mat gets lifted up, and you may think you are pulling the mat away from the skin, but it brings the skin up with it and when you go to cut the mat, you almost always cut the skin with it.***  

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions about getting rid of mats in your dogs coat or other questions in general, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim