The Havanese is a non-shedding breed with a coat of “hair” similar to a human’s hair, rather than fur like most other dog breeds. Although they’re non-shedding, it is still important to brush their coat on a daily basis so that it does not mat! You should start grooming your Havanese from a young age so that they are comfortable with the handling required.

If your Havanese does develop a mat, you should take care of it promptly before it can get any worse. Use a slicker brush to gently work out what you can of the knot. Then carefully cut the knot in strips, starting at the base so that the scissors are pointing away from your Havanese’s body. Never cut toward your dog’s skin. Go back over the area with the slicker brush to work out the small knots the mat has been cut up into.

If there are any remaining knots, you can use a rake to gently remove them. Like you would your own hair, start at the ends of the hair and work up towards the skin! You can hold the hair clump by the base so as not to pull on the dog’s skin. Once all the knots are out, you can go back over the coat with a slicker brush.

For more information on grooming your Havanese, please see Havanese Grooming!