Grooming Your Golden Retriever:
Golden Retriever's have a double coat that requires regular bathing and grooming. Goldens shed constantly so basic, so regular brushing, for example three times a week will significantly reduce the amount of hair you find throughout your house.
The Golden Retriever's double coat is designed to protect them during any season. Throughout the winter, the undercoat grows to protect them from the cold. As the weather warms, the undercoat sheds as the Golden no longer needs it. Regular brushing with a quality bristle brush, along with regular use of an undercoat rake will significantly reduce shedding,
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Golden Retriever's require regular bathing too. Yes, you can bath your Golden as often as you like without worrying about damaging their coat or skin. Regular use of a good quality dog shampoo is important to keeping your Golden clean and their coat healthy.
The Golden Retriever's require regular shorten using a nail trimmer or a grinder; if you can hear their nails on your floors their nails are too long and should be shortened. It is a good practice to trim the nails weekly taking off small amounts each time. Long nails are uncomfortable for the dog and for anyone they might jump on. Long nails can also compromise the shape of your dog's foot, causing it to splay or their toes may begin to turn sideways. Check the nails and trim them regularly by carefully snipping the tip with a pair of dog nail clippers. If you are lucky enough to have a dog with clear nails, you will be able to see the quick. Do not cut too close to the nail quick. You should have a styptic powder on hand in the event you do clip the quick. Appling the septic powder will stop the bleeding quickly and will decrease the risk of infection.
The Golden Retriever's require trimming in three areas to keep stickers down to a manageable level. The only areas of hair that require grooming are on and inside the ears, the tail and featherings, and the feet.
Ears: The ears will require some general grooming on the inside and outside. The hair on the inside of the ear should be kept thin with the use of thinning shears and regular grooming shears. Take care not to trim the inside hair too short because it may cause your dog to shake their head if their ears are tickled by short prickly hairs.
Hair covering the outer part of the ear and along the edges should also be kept shortened and neat. Ear cleaning is a basic requirement in keeping your Golden healthy. Golden Retrievers have a tendency to get ear infections if they swim allot and their ears are not cleaned regularly. Check your Golgen's ears regualy during your grooming sessions and clean your Golden's ears as necessary with a quality ear cleansing solution.
Tail & Featherings: The Golden Retriever's tail should be groomed to look like a fan. The best way is to twist the end, put your thumb just below the end of the tail bone and trim the end near your thumb. Then, working from the end, carefully form a fan towards the base of the tail. Featherings, or the back of the legs may be trimmed to minimize length and thickness which will help keep your pet cooler in the summer and reduce the amount of stickers they may bring home.
Feet: Using an ordinary pair of grooming shears, trim the hair around the pads keeping its length even with the pads. Most Goldens also tend to grow "slippers", or longer hair between their toes. This hair should also be kept trimmed. The look that you want to create is that of a cat's paw.
If you are interested in learning how to properly groom your Golden, we have found a website that provides excellent information and instruction. Click the following link for instructions on basic grooming of the feet, nails, ears and tail.
- Ears - Morningsage Goldens Grooming
- Feet - Morningsage Goldens Grooming
- Tail and Shoulders - Morningsage Goldens Grooming
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