How To Groom A Golden Retriever Step By Step
When you groom your golden retriever make sure to pay special attention to the double coat. They like to roll in the mud and dirty up their coat. Therefore, we are responsible for our dogs grooming needs. Golden Retrievers are not an exception.
Keep in mind that when satisfying your Golden Retrievers grooming needs, a little maintenance goes a long way. Being well-groomed means your Golden Retriever will look not only good but also feel good.
The difference between a low-maintenance Labrador and a high-maintenance Golden Retriever lies in a single genetic line.
That genetic line is responsible for your Golden Retrievers long coat with heavy feathering. Consequently, that genetic line is also responsible for its grooming needs and routines.
And to be honest, they pose a serious dog grooming challenge.
So whats the best way to deal with their excessive hair growth?
We will dive into the rules for golden retriever grooming whether you are using straight scissors, a steel comb, or a brush.
What Parts Of The Coat Should You Trim
There is really no need to give your Golden an all-over haircut, but trimming the feathering is a good idea to keep the coat looking tidy.
You will want to trim the fur on your Goldens feet and paw pads, the ears, the feathering on the back of the legs, tail, and bum area.
If you want to trim the fur along your Goldens neckline and belly you can do so as well. Many people choose to leave the neck hair long and instead use thinning shears to thin it out.
Tips For Determining The Best Possible Clipper And Blade For Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers, like all dog breeds, have an undeniable look about them. Part of that look for Goldens is their thick, smooth fur. Although their fur can be wavy or straight, all Goldens have a waterproof topcoat and dense undercoat that can make trimming them at home a struggle.
Youll want to ensure that you have clippers that can handle thicker fur, and preferably can move at varying speeds. Youll want faster speeds for dense areas like your Golden Retrievers neck and chest, but you can use slower and more deliberate speeds for their paws and faces if necessary.
Because Goldens have long, thick fur, youll want to ensure that you have a long enough blade. Standard #10 blades are okay, but you wont want anything shorter than that, and longer blade options like a #7 would be ideal for most of your dogs coat. Important note: shorter, in the case of clipper blades, is a higher numbered blade like a #15 or a #30.
Your primary concern with your Golden is trimming the hair on their feet and trimming stray hairs because doing more will definitely interfere with the overall look and breed standard of a Golden Retriever. You will want to get a clipper set that has precision abilities to ensure that you can get the most natural look with the least amount of trouble while you trim.
The Best Brush For Golden Retriever Grooming Is A Selection Of More Than One
The basic tools required are : pin brush, undercoat rake, bristle brush and slicker brush .
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Golden Retriever Ear Shape
Golden Retrievers sport a V-shaped earlobe with a medium length. Its tips drop by the side of their faces, which covers the entrance of the ear canal.
Unlike other breeds, its not common practice to crop the floppy parts of a Golden Retrievers ears. Since this pooch isnt meant to be guard dogs, they wont benefit from ear cropping. Besides, this practice is only performed to retain the specific breed appearance of a dog.
On the inside, all dogs have a narrow, L-shaped ear canal. Its deep and leads to the inner ear where the likes of the cochlea, auditory nerves, and Eustachian tube are located.
Such ear anatomy makes dogs prone to ear infections. It easily allows ear wax, debris, and moisture to linger inside. And since Golden Retrievers have floppy ears, the dirt can be left unseen for long, unless you groom the pooch religiously.
Another reason why Goldies get frequent ear infections is their love of swimming. Contrary to some beliefs, the ear shape of a dog doesnt really affect its susceptibility to ear infections. Vets have seen many dogs with erect ears suffer from the worst cases of ear problems.
Professional Pet Grooming In Frederick Md
At Old Farm Veterinary Hospital, we want to make sure your pets stay healthy and happy for as long as possible. Thats why weve got a professional groomer on staff to help keep your pets coat in peak condition. Our groomer gives your pet a good wash, trim, and brushing, going back to you clean and shiny. Schedule your grooming appointment today!
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Ways To Dry Your Golden Retriever
Here are 11 efficient and effective ways to dry your golden retriever after a bath:
For my complete guide to bathing your dog, check out my post on how and when to bathe your golden retriever here.
How To Take Care Of Your Golden Retrievers Coat
When most people think of grooming, they think of taking care of their dogs coat.
And although goldens have beautiful coats, they arent just for lookstheyre important for their health as well.
Golden retrievers are a double-coated breed which means that they have a thick, fluffy undercoat and a long, smooth outer coat.
Their water-proof double coat protects them from sunburn, extreme warm and cold temperatures, dirt, and other debris.
Because of the importance of their double coat, its important to never shave them.
Many people think that shaving them in the summer is helping them, but since their double coat regulates their body temperature , its important to never do this.
When it comes to taking care of your golden retrievers coat, there are three parts:
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How To Check Your Goldens Ears What To Look For:
As stated earlier, its best to start this routine when your dog is a pup so that it is a common practice and your pup understands what is happening.
Examine your dogs ears daily, if possible.
Lift up the ear flap and check ear. Healthy ears should be white to slightly pink inside.
Some wax and dirt are normal.
The ears should also be odor free.
Make sure the hair in the ear canal is trimmed.
Trim fur under the ears to increases air flow and keep the ears drier.
Just as long hair/fur under the ears can foster potential infections, long hair in the ear canal can increase the chances that dirt, bacteria, moisture and allergens will also contribute to infections.
If you notice a waxy discharge, a buildup of dirt and/or blood, red or inflamed skin, a foul odor, your dog may already have an irritation or infection.
Complete The Grooming Of Golden Retriever
The grooming of the Golden Retriever is not complete without paying attention to its ears, eyes, and nails. Use mineral oil and cotton ball to clean your dogs eyes, but do not apply directly in the eyes. Take your time and cut your golden Retrievers toenails. Use a good pair of dog nail trimmers for nail clipping. If you dont want to bath your golden Retriever, then apply dry shampoo. To complete the grooming rituals, remember to use flea and tick preventive.
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Can You Use Clippers On A Golden Retriever
Many people will say that you should never need to use clippers on a Golden Retriever because their hair is meant to be long. Any trimming that is needed can be done with scissors and thinning shears.
However, many people use clippers to trim their Goldens feet or to give them a summer haircut. If you wish to give your Golden an all-over haircut, it is important to only use high-quality dog clippers and make sure you do not cut into their undercoat.
You never want to shave a Golden Retriever! When using clippers at home, you want to make sure that you do not cut the coat any shorter than 1 inch, this way you leave their undercoat intact.
If you are going to a groomer and ask for a summer cut, also known as a puppy cut, make sure the groomer knows exactly what that is.
The Golden Retrievers Double Coat
Double coats consist of an inner layer known as an undercoat and an outer layer known as the outer coat. The undercoat is short and dense with a wooly-like texture.
The undercoat sheds twice a year extensively . The coat is long and made of so-called guard hairs. The outer coat sheds moderately all year round.
The undercoat and outer coat grow at different speed rates and various lengths from each other. The undercoat grows faster but shorter. The outer coat grows longer but slower.
Being much thinner during summer and denser during winter, the undercoat serves as an insulator. It keeps the dog warm in cold, wet weather and cools in hot, humid weather.
The outer coat repels water and catches dirt and debris. It also protects against potentially harmful UV lights.
Retrievers have dense, water-repellent, and medium to long double coat in a very pale cream color or light golden shade. They also have extensive feathering.
Feathering refers to the linger fur that grows on specific body areas such as the neck, underbody, tail, and back of legs.
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Clean Out The Inside Of Your Goldendoodles Ears
Once you have finished brushing out your Goldendoodles coating, you will want to turn your attention to the dogs ears. Hair is known to grow from the inside of your Goldendoodles ears and that can block out the air from flowing inside which isnt very good since it will make it harder for the ears to dry after a bath. That can attract bacteria to the inside of your Goldendoodles ears which isnt a good thing for the dog.
So, you will want to cut the hair out of the ears in order to open them up more. You can use a scissor to accomplish this. Just be careful not to point the tip of the scissor at the ears so that you dont accidentally cut the ears with it. You will then want to clean out the inside of your Goldendoodles ears because waxes and debris can gather inside which can lead to ear infection. You can clean them out with a washing cloth rinsed with warm water.
Tips For Golden Retriever Puppies
To ensure that your Golden Retriever puppy becomes comfortable with having their ears cleaned when they grow older, there are some things you can do. One of the most important things you can do for your Retriever puppy is socializing them when they are young. This includes making them comfortable around loud noises, other dogs, and especially around children.
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Apply Flea And Tick Medication To Finish Your Golden Retrievers Grooming
On the off chance that you are grooming your Golden Retriever every month, at that point this is an incredible chance to make sure to take flea and tick precautions.
Keeping your canines coat liberated from insects wont just assist the canines overall health but will likewise keep its coat liberated from dander and flea dust.
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The 5 Best Tools For Clipping Hair Between A Golden Retrievers Paw Pads
Regardless of how tough their paw pads appear to you, your dog may not like you touching the area between their paw pads, especially with a trimmer or scissors. Moreover, your dog may not like the sound or feel of hair clippers.
Best Tool For Clipping Hair Between Golden Retrievers Paw PadsLindsay
How Often Should I Trim My Dogs Nails
Every dog is different, but a good rule of thumb is to trim your dogs nails every three to four weeks. The ideal length for a dogs nails is just just short enough that they do not click when walking on a hard, flat surface. If your dogs nails are overgrown, it may take several rounds of more frequent trimming to get them to this length. We always suggest consulting a groomer before trying to correct overgrown nails at home.
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Find A Photo To Use As A Guide
Remember when everyone would take a picture of Jennifer Anistons hair to their stylist and ask for The Rachel haircut? And nobodys left the salon looking just like Rachel? Thats because haircuts and styles have to work with the hair you have. Doggies are no different!
Search the web and find a picture of a golden retriever cut. This will serve as a guide for you, but also, because its a golden retriever, you know the style will be functional with your own golden.
Trim And Groom The Paws
Youll need to manage the fur around the base to the feet first as they get a ton of fluffy hair development there.
So, trim the hair growing in the middle of your Golden Retrievers paws.
- Get your dog in a comfortable position.
- Open its paw pads with your fingers and brush the hair from inside to outside direction.
- Take a blunt end scissor and carefully cut the hair that are growing over the paw pads.
Then comes the Nail Trimming
- It becomes easy if you get your dog on a table or higher surface to trim the nails.
- Take the nail trimmer tool and talk nicely to your dog to distract and get the attention on you.
- At an angle of 45 degrees, trim the nail little by little until you reach quick. Make sure you dont cut the quick as it will make the nail bleed.
- And, to stop the bleeding, always keep cornstarch or styptic powder ready. Just dab a pinch of either powder on your dogs bleeding nail and within a few seconds, bleeding will stop.
- Dont forget to apply paw cream or vaseline, whatever is available to you, on your dogs paw pads to cure the cracked dry pads.
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This Groom Can Be The Perfect Answer For Golden Retriever Owners Who Want A Cut That Will Keep Their Dogs Cool In Hot Summer Weather
- Anne Francis
There has long been debate about cutting Golden Retrievers coats, and we try to educate our clients as much as possible about all sides of the argument. Still, many owners have made up their mind and want their dogs shaved down. In these cases, we compromise and use a snap-on comb and shears to do what we at our shop call the Golden Teddy Cut.
This months subject, Rory, has been groomed at our shop for eight years. During colder times of the year, he is kept in a traditional Golden trim, but Rory is a big swimmer and enjoys a short do during warmer months. When we catch up with Kata longtime coworker of mine who is performing this groomRory has already been washed, dried with a high-velocity dryer and set under a room-temperature blower.
Step 1: Finish Drying
Use a high velocity dryer to blow out excess hair and damp spots.
Step 2: Remove Dead Coat & Detangle
Using a slicker brush and undercoat rake, move through the coat to make sure the coat is dry and tangle-free and all dead coat is removed.
Step 3: Trim Nails
Clip the nails and file smooth.
Step 4: Trim Pads of Feet
Clip the pads of the feet with a #30 blade.
Step 5: Sanitary Trim
Clip sanitary areas.
Step 6: Clip Body
Using a size O snap-on comb, clip the entire body of the dog, leaving the back of the front and rear legs, which will be scissored.
Step 7: Blend Clipper Lines
Use a carding knife to help blend any clipper lines.
Step 8: Trim Tail
Step 9: Trim Rear Legs
Step 10: Trim Hocks
How To Choose A Dog Groomer For Your Golden Retriever
Aug 30, 2021 By Debbie
This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
You love your golden Max and want him to look and feel his best, but you need to find a groomer for him and dont know where to start looking.
Its crucial to do your research when deciding who to choose.
First, its important to choose a few, then check each out individually by asking certain questions and visiting their facilities.
Remember: dog groomers and salons may not be regulated at all, so its up to you to investigate them.
Some states have licensing and certification requirements which mean that the groomer should meet certain standards.
Certified groomers usually must pass written and practical exams given by accredited grooming schools.
However, some places self-certify their groomers. Be sure that the groomers meet high standards and that they havent had any complaints filed against them.
But its still incumbent on you to be sure that they meet those requirements and are right for you and your dog.
Grooming isnt just to beautify your pup. Its also to keep him healthy.
Grooming is important to keep your dogs skin, coat, teeth, nails, and ears in peak condition.
After youve done your homework, its important to trust your instincts. If for some reason youre not comfortable with a specific groomer, dont use her.
Your dogs life is literally in the groomers hands. So be choosy.
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