If you don't groom your dog regularly, dead skin and dirt are going to pile up on their coat. When you brush your dog between their grooming appointments, you're not only helping keep their coat tangle-free, you're also helping remove dead skin and dirt - as well as dead fur and dandruff.
Mats occur in dog breeds with curly, fine, or double coats.
Mats can also occur due to friction, or excessive licking/chewing.
Friction
Does your dog rub their whole body or face into your couch or carpet? This repeated friction may be causing your dogs matting. Leaving harnesses and/or collars on your dog too long can also be a common area for mats due to the constant friction.
Licking/Chewing
These spots are usually the near the dogs behind and privates, as well as paws
Mats on a dogs behind
Tangled fur harbors feces and urine, so not only is it painful but the irritation causes itching and raw skin.
The most common spots mats occur:
• Ears/Behind the ears
• Armpits
• Tail
*Though they can occur anywhere if your dog goes unbrushed too long*
Mats cut off the air flow in your dog's hair and can trap moisture, which can cause irritation and sores on your dog, as well as skin conditions if bacteria is left to breed. Even mild matting can be painful, but in severe cases, matting can cut off circulation to your dog's skin and cause hematomas. Once a matted dog is shaved down you may even see bruising.
Hematomas
If your dogs' ears become matted, the mats can cause delicate blood vessels in the ears to rupture, causing hematomas in the ears. Hematomas can be very painful for your dog and must be treated by your veterinarian.
Doodles are especially prone to matting. Brushing your Goldendoodle at least twice a week prevents mats and helps keep your dog's coat healthy.
Double-coated dogs, such as: huskies, german shepherds, golden retrievers, australian shepherds, corgis and pomeranians etc.
If you don't brush your double coated dog regularly, the undercoat can become compacted if not removed, causing mats and tangles that are both painful and potentially harmful to your dog.
So your dog is not tolerable of brushing? That actually makes regular brushing sessions of more importance. If your dog isn't a fan of 5-15 minute brush out sessions, they certainly wont be a fan of an hour long brush out session to remove all of their neglected undercoat.