A mat is not a tangle. It is felted hair that has locked onto itself, and once it reaches the skin it pulls with every step the dog takes, which is why a matted dog flinches at the brush and then gets called difficult. A rake with cutting blades goes through the felt rather than dragging it across the skin, and that is a very different experience at the dog's end of the operation.

One side of this tool carries widely spaced blades for breaking mats apart, the other a denser row for lifting dead undercoat out once the mats are gone. Stainless steel holds an edge and does not rust in a damp grooming bag. The blades are curved so they cut through the mat on the pull stroke instead of scraping across skin, and the handle is shaped to be held for the length of a proper session.

• Double-sided: dematting blades and a deshedding rake
• Stainless-steel blades
• Contoured grip handle
• Two sizes, S and L
• Green and grey colourways
• Suitable for dogs and cats

Use it sparingly. These blades cut hair, so worked over the same patch repeatedly they will thin a coat and leave a visible channel in it. Take short strokes, hold the hair at the base so you are not pulling on the skin, and always work on a dry coat. A mat lying flat against the skin, or one covering a whole flank, is a job for clippers and a groomer rather than a rake.

Who it's for: Owners of double-coated or long-haired pets doing their own maintenance between professional grooms.