Hi
     I have a hair care problem with my 11 month old puppy. Over the summer his inner layer of hair has become very matted. Swimming in our pool and getting wet seems to have made this worse. Will he shed this layer of hair or should I have his hair cut to remove these clumps. thanks Matt and Karen Harris

Allowing a matted undercoat to become wet and drying without grooming out the matts will make it felt!  :(  The change from puppy to adult coat is the most critical time for grooming.  Speak to your breeder about the best way to sort out this felted coat.  She may recommend grooming out or clipping off but please don't do this without speaking to an expert in the breed.  As a groomer I have only done 2 well groomed Cotons, not a matted one so I don't know how difficult it would be for an experienced person to groom out the matts.