Buy a tool called the Furminator. I found mine at Pet Supplies Plus. It's great, gets the mats out w/out pain and pulling. Get to the mats early, otherwise the closer it gets to the skin, the more difficult it will be to get them out. My Pidge is old now and she detests being groomed and her mats became so bad even the Furminator couldn't get them out. I had to have her hindquarters shaved.