How Often Should You Brush A Golden Retriever

Golden Retriever Brush: 2021 Picks For Best Golden Retriever Dog Brush

Nothing beats the face of a happy Golden Retriever.

Owners when they begin to realize just how much their Golden is going to shed? Not so happy!

For Golden Retrievers, grooming sessions significantly affect their body build, overall temperament, and fur. These dogs have unique grooming requirements that they share with other long-haired dog breeds with two coats. Their long and silky topcoat presents separate issues from their thick and fine undercoat.

Its essential to keep a variety of tools on hand to combat these very different grooming problems. We know that with so many brushes on the market that choosing one can be overwhelming. So, weve put together some useful information to help you narrow those choices down.

How To Groom A Golden Retrievers Heels

The hair on the back of the heels grows longer, and it is desirable to shorten this with a small curved shear. For this, you first comb the hair straight back so that the hairs protrude. Then place the scissors at the top of the heel, pointing vertically downwards. Cut down several times in a straight line, cutting the hair entirely to one length.

Regularly comb the hair back to get an overview of what still needs to be shortened. Shorten well from all sides until the coat on the heel forms a neat overall look.

How To Keep Your Golden Retrievers Skin And Coat Healthy

We all want our dogs to look, feel, and smell their best, but it takes effort to keep that coat shiny. Grooming practices vary from breed to breed, and factors like bathing, brushing, and diet all have an impact on your dogs reflection. Lets get into the importance and logistics of keeping your Golden Retriever healthy on the outside, too.

Why do we brush and bathe our dogs in the first place?

Although bathing seems like it would be the more important of the two, brushing actually has a much greater impact on your Golden Retrievers health.

Brushing removes dead skin cells from your dogs body and helps to stimulate and redistribute the natural oils that give his coat that lustrous shine. With regular brushings , youll also start to know your dogs body like the back of your hand. This means that if any potentially worrisome growths pop up, youll notice and get them checked out by your vet quickly.

Golden Retrievers shed all year long, but typically shed more in the spring and fall when their coats change. Ideally, your Golden Retriever should be brushed daily to improve shedding. Regular use of an undercoat rake can also be a big help for you .

How does your Golden Retrievers diet affect coat health?

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Nutrition & Coat Health

Okay, this isnt technically a grooming essential, but it isessential to a healthy golden coat. Without the proper nutrition, your Golden can experience excessive shedding, which can be a scary thing.

According to Roy Cruzen DVM, the number one reason for excessive shedding in dogs is a poor diet, or rather, a lack of essential nutrients. He says that most of the cheap dog food products barely meets the minimal requirements.

Some owners even opt to give extra nutritional supplements for their dogs. And one of the best for Golden Retrievers is salmon oil. This super fish oil will help keep the golden coat soft and smooth.

Other than a shiny coat, there are many more benefits to fish oil. Some of which, include better joints, healthier heart, better skin and a stronger immune system.

While there are proven benefits to this supplement, you should be aware of the potential negative side effects. As long as youre aware, the good far outweighs the bad. However, Id still consult with a vet prior to introducing any extra supplements into their diets.

When Does Your Golden Retriever Get Its Full Coat

Although most people assume Golden Retriever has long hair since birth, it is only a myth. Generally, these breeds hair grows three months after birth.

In the initial days of their life, Golden Retrievers look like a yellow-fluffy ball with short-dense hair. And as these dogs get older, their hair grows longer and covers their entire body.

However, it does not mean that all these breeds grow long hair. Generally, the hair growth of these breeds depends on their diet, exercise, care, and genes. Moreover, Retrievers also shed a lot of hair in the spring season that affects their hair growth.

And after the age of two, Golden Retrievers hair starts graying and thinning.

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What If I Have A Show Dog

Whether you have a show dog or a companion dog, the same basic care is given regarding nutrition, socialization, and hygiene. ;The difference is the grooming maintenance and training for the show ring. ;It is always helpful if your breeder is willing to help mentor you to lead you in the right direction upon entering the show ring. ;A great place to start is with the national breed club like the Golden Retriever Club of America, www.grca.org.

Where How And How Much To Brush Your Golden Retriever

Golden retrievers need to be washed 3-7 days a week with a slicker pad. Other goldens with a lot of fluff may need to be washed more frequently. Brushing them will help prevent the mattress from getting rid of the dead hair, as well as prevent it from spilling all over your home. And heres a bonus tip: to help keep your house clean, make sure you brush your gold outside.

After youve brushed them, rub your hands down your back, stomach, tail, and legs to get any extra fur that sticks to their body. Today, a lot of people are asking about killing their golden retriever with a tool like the Furminator. This is not recommended because their undercoats are extremely necessary, and they may also strip off their outer coats. And finally, one more trick about brushing your gold is to take this opportunity to brush and rub it all over to check for lumps, bruises, or any other odd spots.

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S To Clean Retrievers Ears

Now that weve gone over what to look for when inspecting your dogs ears, the process of inspecting your Golden Retrievers ears, and the health risks associated with dirty ears, we can now go over the steps involved in cleaning the ears. For this, you will need an ear cleanser, cotton balls or pads, tweezers , a towel, and treats.

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What Can I Give My Dog To Clean Her Teeth

You can give your dog the C.E.T enzymatic oral hygiene chews, ProDen plaque off powder, any oral care dry dog food, or greenies dog dental chews dog treats, you can also provide them with carrots and strawberries they are healthy snacks that your dog will clean their teeth and whiten them.

If this article was useful to you and your furry friends, please share it with your family and friends. It might be a useful source for them too and I will be thankful as well.

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Cleaning Your Golden Retrievers Teeth

Not everyone realizes it, but dogs can experience many of the same dental problems that affect humans, such as tartar buildup, gum disease, and cavities.

If your pooch contracts gum disease, bacteria may enter their bloodstream, leading to additional health problems.

Experts suggest that you clean your Golden Retrievers teeth about two or three times every week for optimum dental hygiene and some even suggest daily.

How Do I Trim My Golden Retrievers Feet

As long as your dogs nails have been trimmed correctly then you can get started on trimming their feet: First, push the fur between your Retrievers toes down with your fingers. Hold the paw backwards and with straight edge scissors trim the unruly hairs so that theyre even and level. Turn back to the other side of the paw, pull the fur from between your dogs toes up and carefully trim this hair. Always take critical care around your pups foot pads, doing this wrong could leave serious damage for them when they walk.

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How Often Does A Golden Retriever Need A Bath

It is not advisable to wash your Golden regularly because the shampoo detracts natural skin oils from your dog. Of course, your Golden gets dirty during your walks with him or her, so to prevent having a smelly dog in the house, youll need to bathe your Golden at some point. If you want to bathe your Golden regularly or your Golden pooch really needs to because he or she has rolled in something dirty again, make sure you use a mild dog shampoo, especially for dogs with skin conditions.

On average, if you give your Golden a bath once every 1 3 months is fine. Bathing is not a necessity. I know people who almost never give their Golden a bath or shower because the coat tens to clean naturally. When the coat dries, most of the dirt, sand, and mud will fall off. If you regularly let your Golden swim in clean water, the coat will remain beautiful and frequent washing is unnecessary.

If you dont have clean, natural water in your area, the high-velocity dryer, which I wrote about earlier, might also be a good option for you to blow dry the dirt and sand out of your Goldens coat.

If your Golden retriever needs a bath, I recommend giving him or her a shower instead of a bath. Because Goldens have a double coat, its almost impossible to get all the shampoo out of the coat unless you shower them. Bathing them in standing water is fine as long as you can rinse them off with a hand-held shower sprayer to rinse away all the shampoo.

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Why Do You Need To Brush Your Dog

Not only does regular brushing reduce the amount of hair, dirt, and dander in your home, but it also helps to keep the skin and coat of your golden retriever healthy.

Brushing stimulates natural oils in your dogs skin that help move dirt and debris along the hair shaft and away from your dog. Additionally, it also helps minimize the doggy odor that golden retrievers are prone to. Also, regular brushing can remove any mats and tangles, which, if left, can develop into uncomfortable knots.

Since Golden Retrievers are working dogs, they are not shy of water, mud, or running through dense undergrowth. So if you want a dog with minimal maintenance, the Golden is not for you. Golden retrievers shed a lot of fur. Not only will they lose some fur all year round, but they are especially productive in spring and autumn when the soft and downy undercoat comes out.

Regularly brushing your golden retriever also allows you to check your dogs skin, ears, and paws for any potential issues. The earlier in life you can get your dog comfortable with being brushed, the better.

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Best Undercoat Rakes For Your Golden Retriever

Here are some of the best undercoat rakes that will work well for your canine friend.

Oster Dog Rake and Shedding Brush

This undercoat rake is easy to use and is perfect for de-shedding, thinning, finishing, and shaping. It eliminates loose hair and undercoat without causing skin irritation if you use it every couple of weeks. The tool leaves your Golden Retrievers coat looking healthy and smooth. This undercoat rake is particularly designed for dog breeds that have thick or medium undercoats.

Whats more, you can easily clean these rakes. This brush is made of rust-resistant and durable aluminum and has stainless steel blades.

FURminator Grooming Rake

This grooming rake is perfect for dogs that have double coats and thick fur. It has an ergonomic non-slip handle that is ideal for long grooming sessions. The tool features long straight teeth that eliminate loose hairs, tangles, and mats with less skin irritation.;

FURminator Undercoat Deshedding Tool

This undercoat rake is specially made to reach through your Golden Retrievers topcoat and eliminate loose hair without damaging the skin. It features a curved edge that conforms to your poochs natural shape. In addition to this, the undercoat rake also features a FURejector button to swiftly release the hair. The tool has an ergonomic handle for ease of use and comfort.

You can check out my full article about the FURminator here.

Should I Shave Or Clip My Golden Retriever

You should never shave your Golden Retrievers hair, not even during the summer months. Golden Retrievers have a double coat which work together to protect your pup in both the winter and the summer months. In the summer, the undercoat is shed if you were to then shave it even further this could leave the Retrievers skin unprotected and bare for sunburn. Even clipping is not advisable with your Golden Retriever as it can hinder the growth of the undercoat later in the year.

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Runner Up: Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush

If you have golden retrievers and other dog breeds at home, you might want a more versatile brush that you can use on all of them. This one by Hertzko is worth checking out.;

Featured specs

• This brush removes knots, tangles, trapped dirt, dander and loose hair in a gentle way.
• It works on all dog and cat breeds, regardless of their hair type.;

• The last thing you want to do is accidentally scratch your pet, but this brush prevents that from happening because of how it contains fine, bent wire bristles that penetrate the fur coat without scratching your pets skin.;

• You dont want to hassle with trying to remove all the hair from the brush after your grooming session, right? This brush is really easy to clean because it has a button you can press to retract the brushs bristles. No mess, no fuss.;

• It comes with a convenient thumb rest to help you feel more in control during the grooming process, while making brushing your dog feel comfortable for him or her.

Drawbacks;

• Some people who have purchased this brush for their pets have reported that the bristles are a bit sharp. Thats something to bear in mind if your pet has sensitive skin or has short fur.;

• The button you have to press to retract the bristles is sometimes hard to push.;

Extra Features;

• This brush is not only comfortable for your pet but you too, thanks to how it has an anti-slip handle and comfortable grip.;

Buying Advice;

Four Paws Magic Coat Instant Dog Mat Remover

Four Paws has relentlessly provided the best dog care products to consumers. It comprises a double row of sturdy stainless-steel pins, which are corrosion resistant. It is a highly reliable product if you are tight on budget.

Stainless steel pins make it easier for you to detangle all the rough tangles and convoluted hair on your Golden Retrievers fur. This brush is perfect for all types of fur coats from soft to wiry, frizzy to smooth. Similarly, you can use it on your Golden Retriever puppy as well. It ensures the removal of mats and tangles without even damaging the fur coat. It gives a smooth and luscious look to your pet.

Our Rating:

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Can You Use A Human Brush

Although you might think you can use a human brush on your dog, this is where you need to tread with caution. The bristles of a human brush might be too harsh for your dogs fur and skin. In addition to that, human brushes are built differently than those that are meant for dogs.

Ideally, if you have a large golden retriever you want a dog brush that will be large to cover a wider surface of area in one go, such as the Pet Neat Slicker Brush we featured in our buying guide, and that wont be achieved with a human brush.;

In addition to the above, a slicker brush is usually recommended for brushing your dog so that you can effectively remove knots and tangles, while removing your dogs loose hair and undercoat. This is essential for dogs with all hair lengths. A human brush wont be as effective because its not built for dogs.;

If you really need to brush your dog and you dont have a grooming brush for them, you could try to use a human brush.

However, it has to be extremely soft and gentle. Again, its really not going to be an effective way to penetrate your golden retrievers thick coat and help to groom them, and it probably wont feel as nice for them, so it should only be used as a last resort!;