Hertzko Double-Sided Dog and Cat Dematting Comb: Pet Grooming Tool for Removing Loose Undercoat, Mats, and Tangled Hair - Doodle Dematting Comb, Self-Cleaning (Purple)

I have a long-haired kitty who gets a lot of mats. In the past, I've had to take her to a groomer because I couldn't get them out on my own... she does NOT like to stand still very long to have her fur manhandled, and she's extremely wary of scissors.My mom worked for a pet groomer (decades ago) and recommended this product. I bought it and I'm thrilled to say Maggie has been mat-free for quite a while. It's very easy to use, and she thinks she's getting brushed, which she doesn't mind at all. It easily cuts through the mats and they come off very quickly.The mat splitter feels solid, not cheap, and it's comfortable to hold. It is well-made.The cost is low enough that when I lost the first one I purchased, I didn't worry about it and simply bought another. It's definitely worth it not to have to take her to the groomer every month!

Poor marketing skills. YES THIS TOOL CAN BE MODIFIED FOR LEFT HAND PEOPLE!!!!!In the space at the bottom of the 6 blades; use something flat to move those two rods that you can see there. You will eventually work the rods up such that you will have the two rods that you can pull out with a plier. Then you can pull out the blades. Shift the blades for a lefty.Here’s a little bit of the hard part you have to get the blaze all the line correctly or the rod will not easily go back and through the slots to anchor the blades. Try not to ban any of the blades. Try to get them all aligned correctly and poke the rods back in they will sync into their slots effortlessly if you have the blades line properly if they stop, then a little bit more tapping on the blades to get them all in equal alignment and your home free. Keep tacking the rods in until they’re all the way in and their the tool has a flat top and you can see the rods and the little area by the handle.Good luck. Get someone to help you if you kind of are not strong enough to do the above.

Our friends, also Bouvier owners, turned us on to this tool for making efficient work of clearing mats from the coat. It's definitely one of our better tools, and good value for the money. We have two, one configured for left-hand use, one for right-hand, rather than go through the trouble of reconfiguring a single article depending upon whether my wife or I are using it.First caveat is your dog's safety and comfort. I would not recommend this tool for a first time user. I also hope that no one actually points the blades toward the skin in the manner shown by the advertising photos. That was cringeworthy! The grip makes it easy to keep the edges and sharp ends parallel or away from the dog's skin. If you're not sure, talk to a professional groomer or experienced owner about technique.Second caveat is durability and sharpness. Yes, it is easily cleaned, including in the dishwasher. The stainless is very robust against rust. However, the material durability comes at price of softness and inability to hold an edge, especially against hair. The serrated nature of the edge also precludes sharpening the blades. So this tool has a finite lifespan before it becomes so dull that it pulls the hair excessively before cutting into a difficult mat. If this was a daily use tool on a good-sized dog, I'd estimate needing to replace it every six to nine months.The tool is a good (and inexpensive) attempt at the compromise between a comb, a rake, and a blade. It's a good intermediate step in finding out what tools and techniques work for you and your dogs.

This is my top go-to for getting tangles and mats out of my dog's hair and fur. I have an 8 month old mini goldendoodle that has both golden retriever fur and poodle hair. The hair is extremely long, like 4 inches at least. Both the fur and hair are very fine, and he has accumulated a lot of tangles and some mats, mostly around his feet, legs, shoulders, and ears. I read somewhere that for goldendoodles you should use a steel comb instead of a slicker brush. I purchased just about all of the Hertzko dog grooming products. I tried the slicker brush with rounded tips, and it does collect some hair and fur, but it's not great. I tried the big steel comb, but it gets stuck on tangles and mats. I finally bought this dematting comb, and I must say, it's fantastic. You probably won't be able to get all of the tangles and mats out in one sitting. I've been doing it a couple of times a day for the past week, and most of the tangles and mats are OUT. With mats, you may have to be satisfied with just getting a bit of it out each time, until it's all gone. I just do it for 5-10 minutes. Otherwise my dog would probably stop jumping in my lap. Give your dog something he likes to CHEW on, and eventually he will become absorbed with chewing and not notice the combing so much. I sit on the sofa and he jumps up, and I run my fingers through his fur to find the tangles and mats, then attack one of them. My dog hates it, and runs off after I've harvested a tangle in the comb. He's very forgiving, though, and jumps back up for more. So just don't do it for too many minutes, and give your dog something to chew on, something tough. I can't imagine a groomer taking this much time or having as much patience as I do, so it's worth it to groom your own dog and not traumatize them too much. If you just keep at it, day after day, the tangles and mats will come out. Don't try to rush it. Use the steel comb after you use the dematting comb, to remove any loose hair.Update: I ordered the Hertzko flexible slicker brush, and it's a great addition to my dog grooming kit. I already had the slicker with rounded ends, and that one didn't work so well, but this flexible one with fine points really helps a lot. So my 3 main tools are: the steel comb, this double-sided rake, and the flexible slicker (see separate review). All three work well together!