Relax your Havanese and then work on finding the mat in their coat. If you’re having difficulty locating the mat, try using a slicker brush!

For smaller mats, use a wide toothed comb to loosen the matted hairs. Using scissors, cut the loosened mat, being careful not to get too close to your dog’s skin. Once the mats are removed, use a slicker brush to brush out any remaining loose hairs or cut offs.

For larger mats, the process is much the same! Use a slicker instead of a comb to loosen the mat. The larger surface area of the slicker will allow you to loosen more of it than with a comb. Then, cut the mat with scissors, starting at the base of the knot and cutting away from the skin in the strips. Brush out the area to remove loosened hairs or cut offs and then repeat the process as necessary. You can use a wide toothed comb to remove loosened clumps as well. If you’re still struggling to remove all the mat, try an undercoat rake!

Repeat as many times as you need to remove all mats from your Havanese’s coat. Follow up by reading our other guides, including How to Groom Your Havanese!