Shaving him down because he's matted is impossible too. It just would not be a happy situation. So, it took me 3 hours to demat, bath, dry and brush him out this morning before I even started styling him! He was pretty solidly matted everywhere.
I left his legs in a bell bottom style, and hopefully Mom will be able to just concentrate her brushing on the feet and working up to keep the mats at bay. This way the chest and armpits are kept short, which is where the worst of the matting usually is. His body is 1/2". I shave his muzzle to the corner of the eyes and blend into the cheeks, (like a Pomeranian). Today I also used my Fishtail Shears and worked the topknot after I shaped it to give it a shaggy look instead of a smooth styled look.
I wish I had taken a few more pictures, but alas, Mom was walking down the pathway and I only had time for this one :)
Happy Tails!
Miriam