A mat does not brush out, it cuts out, and every owner of a long-coated dog learns that the hard way once. What decides whether a grooming session goes well is usually the few minutes before the brush comes out rather than the brush itself.

That is the job this does. It is a light spray that goes on before grooming to loosen the coat, and the working ingredient Bugalugs name is wheat protein, which they say strengthens the hair and reduces knots and tangles. The formula is vegan, it is manufactured in the UK using water from the Lake District, and it is cleared for all breeds and for puppies over 8 weeks. The bottle is 200ML.

• 200ML spray bottle
• Contains wheat proteins
• Vegan formula
• Made in the UK using Lake District water
• Suitable for all breeds and puppies over 8 weeks
• Applied before brushing rather than after washing

On the wheat. Wheat protein is the only ingredient Bugalugs actually name — there is no full ingredient list, no pH figure and no guidance on how much to use — so if you are keeping wheat away from a dog with a sensitivity, this is not a bottle to guess with. Note as well that Bugalugs' own wording is "all breeds and puppies over 8 weeks", which is dog language throughout; nothing on this clears it for cats, whatever a shop category might suggest.

Who it's for: owners of doodles, spaniels, long-coated small breeds and anything else that mats behind the ears, and anyone who wants the pre-brush stage to stop being a fight.