Animology Hair of the Dog Shampoo

Tangles are a brushing problem that becomes a washing problem, because water tightens a knot rather than loosening it. Washing a long-coated dog without dealing with the tangles first is how a manageable knot turns into a mat that has to be cut out — which is the specific job this shampoo exists for.

Hair of the Dog is Animology's anti-tangle formulation: it cleans, deodorises and conditions like the rest of the range, and adds a conditioning agent aimed at knots, tangles and matted hair. Like every 5 litre bottle in the range it is a concentrate at 20:1, so it makes 105 litres of shampoo once diluted. There is a conditioner built in with Pro-Vitamin B5, the cleaning action lifts dirt without stripping the coat's essential oils, and the easy-rinse formulation cuts the rinsing time.

• 5 litre bottle, concentrated 20:1
• Makes 105 litres once diluted
• Anti-tangle conditioning agent
• Built-in conditioner and Pro-Vitamin B5
• Easy-rinse formulation
• Cleans, deodorises and conditions

Brush before you wash, not after. A shampoo can loosen a tangle; it cannot undo a mat, and no product will. Work through the coat dry with a comb first, deal with what you find, and use this to keep the rest from getting there. A mat that is already tight against the skin is a job for scissors in careful hands or for a groomer — pulling at it hurts, and the skin underneath is often sore already.

Who it's for: owners of long or silky-coated dogs — spaniels, doodles, setters — and groomers who want one bottle that helps rather than fights the comb-out.