Dogs with long hair are prone to getting mats and tangles, and some breeds (like the Hungarian Sheepdog) are worse than others. If a dog is brushed regularly, the tangles don't usually become mats. However, when not groomed properly, mats will develop in their fur, and they can be extremely hard to remove without a good dog dematting tool.

Mats on dogs typically occur wherever there is rubbing or movement. The most common places that you'll find them are between a dog's legs, under a dog's chest and tail, or around a dog's ears. Dog hair matting also occurs when loose fur is not shed or brushed out of the dog's coat.

If left unattended, mats will continue to grow larger and begin to cause your pet discomfort and even pain. As hair mats on dogs grow, they pull the hair tighter and get closer to their skin. Normal brushes are generally useless and you'll need to use one of these best dog dematting tool brands to fix the problem.

When Owners Need Dematting Tools for Dogs?

As noted above, dealing with hair mats on dogs is essential, and this can even save your dog's life. Not only will mats cause your dog pain, but they also prevent moisture and oxygen from getting to his skin. Hair mats can become breeding grounds from pests and bacteria, and they also put a lot of pressure on the dog's skin. This could lead to sores that would quickly become severely infected.

Vets at ASPCA warn owners about the severe medical problems that matted dog hair can lead to and why every pet owner needs to have dematting tools on hand:

“Even very mild hair mats can cause skin irritation and progress to infected lesions. A wound left unattended can accumulate maggots. Fleas and ticks can live deep in the hair mat—out of the owner’s sight—and infest the animal. Mats around the hind end can cause an accumulation of feces and in severe cases impede defecation.” – Dr. Julie Horton, DVM at ASPCA

The best way to prevent your dog's fur from matting is with regular brushing. Daily grooming and brushing will almost guarantee that your dog's fur will never mat. However, if you can't do that daily, try to brush your pooch at least once a week. But if you're already late and mats are there, using dematting tools are the next stage.

Ultimately, prevention is always the best cure to avoid dealing with undercoat problems on your dog. Thus it's best to brush your dog as much as possible on a daily basis, and keep one of these best dog dematting tool brands on hand to nip small mats in the bud in case you're too late.

The Best Dog Dematting Tool Choices

1GoPets Dematting Comb for Dogs

The first on the list best dog dematting tool brands is from a popular pet grooming company GoPets. If there’s a quick and easy way for managing matting and shedding in cats and dogs, then this is it.

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This product from GoPets features a double-edged comb that has durable all-stainless steel blades. One side has 12 teeth that can cut through matted dog hair fast. On the flip-side are 23 teeth for thinning and de-shedding thick undercoats.

The teeth have rounded tips to make them safer and more comfortable on the pet’s skin, while the sharp blade cuts through severely matted hair to do away with pulling out hair strands. The handle is made of non-slip silicone gel that conforms to the hand snugly, no matter how the user grips it.

Pet owners found this best dog dematting tool to be a very handy and effective grooming tool, especially for their heavily matted pets. Stubborn clumps of hair were no match for this mighty tool. One user says that all it took her was 30 minutes to solve her dog’s yearlong grooming issue of knots, tangles and shedding. There was also no tugging or chasing around thanks to the GoPets Dematting Comb.

Removing mats has never been more effortless, and pets looked forward to the activity instead of evading and hating it. A few found it to be more effective in preventing mats, but not so much in removing extremely matted dog hair. Overall, customers found this to be the perfect item for improving not only their pets’ look, but also for improving his quality of life.

PROS:

  • Double-edged comb that has durable all-stainless steel blades
  • Sharp blades cut through severely matted hair
  • Teeth have rounded tips to prevent cutting your pet's skin
  • Handle is made of non-slip silicone gel that conforms to the hand
CONS:

  • Good at preventing mats but not at actually removing matted hair

 

2Easy Pet Grooming Undercoat Rake

This de-shedding tool is made of durable and high-quality stainless steel that features 20 round-tip teeth with a rubber-coated handle for an easy and secure grip. This best dog deshedding tool works great for pets with coarse long hair. It gently removes tangled hair while de-shedding the undercoat without irritating the skin.

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This second best dog dematting tool is an indispensable piece of equipment for keeping pets’ topcoat in healthy condition. It functions like a tiny high-quality rake that works through tough tangles and makes hair easier to manage. This is ideal for de-shedding, shaping, and regular pet grooming. Customers consider this as every groomer and pet owner’s must-have tool for pet grooming.

Cats and dogs seem not to mind being brushed and preened with this rake-like comb, and in fact look like they’re enjoying the grooming activity, observed their humans. And unlike other standard brands where it leaves loads of hairy mess all over the place, the Easy Pet Grooming Undercoat Rake – Deshedding Tool allows accumulated hair to stick to it until taken off and deposited in the trash. This thing can really clutch the dog’s hair firmly, so customers cautioned other users to exercise extra care when brushing, by not yanking or pulling through the hair hastily.

One customer, however, had mixed feelings about this product. While it did wonders untangling mats and removing loose and dead fur on one of his rough- and heavy-coated dogs, it did very poorly on his other pet. The buyer concluded that it may not work so well with excessively fine and downy hair because they just kept on getting stuck. There may be fur types that are just difficult to work on. Generally, though, customers found this to be the best dog dematting tool for them.

PROS:

  • Features 20 round-tip teeth
  • Brush head is made of stainless steel
  • Rubber-coated handle for an easy and secure grip
  • Ideal for de-shedding, shaping, and regular pet grooming
CONS:

  • Doesn't work as well on dogs with fine and downy hair

 

3PawsPamper Undercoat Rake for Dogs & Cats

This undercoat rake by PawsPamper comes in various sizes of 10, 12, and 20 blades with rounded tips for a more effective performance. It works through tough tangles and removes loose hair, especially rough and thick undercoats. This best dog deshedding tool is not advisable for use on pets with soft and thin coats.

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This is a good option for pets that shed a lot. Proper grooming with this undercoat rake several times a week will leave pets’ coat healthy, full and lustrous. Amazing results are attained by using short, quick strokes and brushing in the direction of hair growth.

Professional and home pet groomers who bought and used the PawsPamper Undercoat Rake for Dogs & Cats found out that this versatile tool effectively tackles heavy mats in both small- and medium-sized dogs. They say it’s light, easy and comfortable to use, making light work of long-haired or heavy coated pets. They highly recommend it to be used mainly on the back and sides of the pet and sparingly on the belly.

Most users had great success with the PawsPamper, including one recent buyer who said that this undercoat rake worked unbelievably well with her Schnauzer, but not on her wirehaired Australian terrier. The rake barely penetrated the top layer, leaving the undercoat untrimmed, she said. A rake with higher blades would probably work better for such cases. It must be noted also, that sizes 10 and 12 are recommended for thinning the undercoat, while size 20 is best for finishing. On the whole, customers found this item to be very solid and just the perfect tool to use in dealing with matted dog hair issues.

PROS:

  • Comes in various sizes of 10, 12, and 20 blades
  • The blades have rounded tips to prevent scratching
  • Lightweight
CONS:

  • Not advisable for dogs with thin coats

 

4Rubold Fur Perfection Dematting Tool

This double-sided quality rake, with teeth set apart at different widths, works great for dematting, deshedding, and simple brushing. Rubold has created an ergonomically designed brush with angled heads that makes it glide through fur better.

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Starting with the 9-tooth side you’ll want to clear out stubborn knots and tangles in the top coat and wind up with the 17-tooth blade for faster thinning and deshedding of the undercoat.

It gets rid of unwanted dog hair from medium to long-haired coats of all breeds. With rounded tips and a sturdy handle, this 3.6-inch wide rake glides through to the undercoat smoothly and safely without scratching the pet’s skin.

Customers consider this tool way more economical than most other brands. They say that it works great for dematting heavy tangles and removing loose and dead undercoat trapped in the fur. They were also pleased to note that hyperactive dogs have become more relaxed and tolerant during brushing routines when using the Rubold Fur Perfection Dematting Tool for Dogs.

A few have tried this best dog dematting tool on small breeds and did not work out well. It is way too big to reach into tight areas, which only makes brushing more difficult and tedious. They could only wish there was a scaled-down version to it that would accommodate little dogs below ten pounds. It cuts and removes mats, solves shedding, prevents mats from forming again, reaches dead undercoat, massages skin, and maintains a shiny coat.

PROS:

  • Angled head and teeth that glide through fur easier
  • Ergonomically designed handle
  • Works best on medium- to long-haired coats
  • Less expensive than many other best dog dematting tool products
CONS:

  • Not suitable for small breeds

 

5FURminator deShedding Tool for Dogs

As noted in our review, FURminator’s deShedding Tool is ideal for all dog breeds and available in the following sizes: Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large, and Giant. The medium size is especially designed for dogs weighing from 20 to 50 pounds with hair longer than two inches.

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Made of high-grade stainless steel, its edge glides through the topcoat to thin the undercoat and remove loose and dead hair gently and safely. The last best dog dematting tool from FURminator has an ergonomically-designed handle which features a high-tech FURejector button to clear and remove loose hair from the tool itself effortlessly.

On the whole, this exceptional tool is guaranteed to reduce your pet’s shedding by up to 90%. Satisfied users call this a truly fantastic deshedding tool because it has dramatically reduced excessive shedding tin their pets.

Buyers also like the various sizes and the two styles (according to coat length and type) offered with the FURminator deShedding Tool for Dogs, which made it easier for them to find the most suitable tool for their pet. This was a big plus because other tools had this “one size/style fits all” design which didn’t really fit all the different breeds in the dog kingdom.

Most buyers said this tool solved de-shedding and prevented matting after regular use. It can’t be depended to solve existing matted dog hair, though. Finding replacement blades has also become an issue for one user, because the edges got dull after 6 months of constant use. Longtime professional and home groomers found this to be easy to use and very easy to use.

PROS:

  • Available in numerous sizes
  • Made of high grade stainless steel
  • Ergonomically designed handle
  • Features a FURjector button that pushes hair out of teeth so you don't have to pull it out with your fingers
CONS:

  • This pet dematting tool is beneficial for preventing matting, but can not be used to remove existing mats
  • The blade dulled after only 6 months of use

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My 5 Favorite Dog Dematting Tools

James has been a certified veterinary technician for the last 8 years in Birmingham, UK. After working with many dogs, he's changed his focus to writing, building businesses and researching subjects on canines and products created for dogs.