Tangled dog!!!!!!!!

Question
I have a white poodle.  She is a great dog and loves the outdoors.  With that said she is ruff and tumble, she rolls around, slides her belly across the dirt, the whole nine yards.  It has been an unbearable task to keep her from getting tangled.  She tangles herself to the point that it is close to the skin and the tangles include the grass and sand spurs she plays in.  It has become such a problem that I almost don't want to deal with it.  I have a yorkie-poo, and he is just as ruff and tumble, but never gets tangled.  Do you have any ideas how to treat and prevent this from occurring?  Thanks a bunch!!!!

Answer
Deanna, please forgive the length of time it took to respond to your question.

Two things: Yorkies have different hair texture than poodles, therefore, Yorkies tend to be easier to maintain and easier to comb out.

If the grass she rolls around on is wet or damp, it will make her mats tighter. If you bathe her to remove the debris and do *not* completely comb her out, the mats become tighter. Imagine a shoestring that gets wet; it's much harder to get the knot out from a wet shoestring. The same applies to tangled fur. Additionally, if you bathe her, make sure you do not vigorously towel dry her; instead, squeeze out excess water with a towel to avoid further matting.

You may want to consider clipping her closely. It is very painful for the dog to undergo dematting if the mats are tight against the skin. It's much like pulling gum from your hair. Once she is clipped closely, brush her thoroughly with a soft slicker brush, then follow with a fine-tooth comb. If you feel overwhelmed with the upkeep, she may be a candidate for a year-round short clip.