How to Cut Out Dreadlocks on a Dog

Dogs gives you and your family years of joy, not to mention personal growth. Taking care of your dog is an important task; it ensures the pet's longevity and happiness and gives you a sense of well-being, too. If you have a dog with long fur, you may have discovered that sometimes the dog's coat develops "dreaded" or matted pieces of fur that can be irritating or painful and can restrict the dog's movements. Removing dreaded fur or dreadlocks is an essential part of caring for your dog.

Things You'll Need

  • Steel comb
  • Letter opener
  • Electric razor
  • Blunt-tip scissors
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use a steel comb to split each dreaded piece of fur several times to make the trimming easier. It is possible to avoid cutting fur if you can split the dreaded fur enough to run a comb through it. Use a thin tool, such as a letter opener, to pull pieces of the dreaded fur apart from the tip of the mat down to the base. Start at the tip of the dreaded piece of fur and stick the pointed end of the letter opener into the fur. Pull gently to separate the dreaded fur, pulling it apart in small sections, a bit at a time. Comb through the separated pieces of fur when you've pulled the entire dreaded piece apart.

    • 2

      Cut the tips off of the dreaded pieces if you cannot pull the fur away from the dreads using a steel comb. If the fur is extremely matted, you can cut the fur halfway between the tip and the base to loosen the lower fur a bit. Pull fur from the dreads using a steel comb or letter opener after cutting off the tips of the fur pieces. Always point the tool away from yourself and away from the dog.

    • 3

      Use an electric trimmer to shave off dreaded pieces of fur that are not as close to the skin but that cannot be pulled apart with a comb.

    • 4

      Cut out pieces of dreaded fur that are too close or tight against the skin using blunt-tip scissors. Gently pull the piece of fur away from the dog's skin and cut as close to the base of it as you can without nicking the dog's skin. Point the scissors away from yourself and away from your dog. Always be careful not to cut too closely in areas where there are folds of skin, around the ears and by the tail.

    • 5

      Bring your dog to a professional groomer if the matted fur is too extensive and you cannot safely cut it at home. A professional groomer will be able to remove extremely matted fur with less potential risk to you and your dog.

    • 6

      Brush your dog's fur regularly and thoroughly to avoid dreaded fur in the future.