Grooming a Golden Retriever in Three Easy Steps



Grooming a Golden Retriever is a labor of love. It takes some time and commitment, but the effort will help cultivate a happy and loving Golden. Consistent activities such as brushing, nail trimming, and bathing are three examples of grooming necessities.

 Regular Brushing

Regular brushing can be a great bonding experience for you and your companion. Most Golden Retrievers like to be brushed, so if you take your time and get her used to the brushing action, she will enjoy it and appreciate the attention. A puppy might be a little impatient, so keep calm and take your time. Make sure that your Golden’s early experiences with the brush are pleasant ones to ensure a positive ongoing experience.

Also important to ensuring a positive experience is using a proper brush. You want the dog to feel comfortable with the “feel” of the brush and the brush to effectively remove hair. There are different styles of brushes available on the market today, but the basic slicker brush is best to remove most of the loose undercoat and dead hair next to your dog’s skin .This will cut down on shedding and keep your home more tidy.

Frequent brushing is recommended to keep the volume of fur to a minimum and therefore making your life easier. Golden Retrievers tend to shed a lot, especially in the spring and fall. A good brushing twice a week or more will keep the coat looking shiny, healthy and minimize shedding. Make sure to remove all mats and tangles in the early stages since a small mat of hair is much easier to remove if done early and often. Your pet will be much more comfortable, look a lot better, and will enjoy the experience more.

 Nail Trimming

Keeping your dog’s nails trimmed allows a proper gait, helps maintain foot comfort, and lets your Golden be more active. Goldens will not want to exercise as much with long, irregular nails  that catch on debris while walking through brush or snag on  the carpet.

Trimming nails truly demonstrates the labor of love aspect of grooming since it is probably the most difficult aspect of grooming to master. Most dogs don’t like the procedure and the chance of drawing blood from clipping too close is a real possibility.

If you decide to trim your dog’s nails yourself, hold the paw firmly and make sure you can see the nail from the side. Be careful to trim just the pointy part of the nail. To avoid a possible nail bleed, avoid cutting the thicker part of the nail. Always have some supplies handy to attend to a bloody nick.

Nail trimming should become much easier when you have some success to build on. If you and your Golden have trouble seeing eye to eye with nail clipping, you might consider paying a professional to do it for you.

Also try taking frequent walks with your Golden Retriever on pavement to help keep nails short. This adds an additional benefit to regular exercise.

Bathing

Of course Golden Retrievers love water, but water in a bathtub may be another matter altogether.  There might be some initial hesitation to hop into a tub without some coaxing. Here’s your chance to demonstrate to your dog that baths aren’t as bad as they think they are. And you’ll both benefit from that!

It’s bath time!  Get yourself organized even before you start running the water.  You don’t want to get started and discover some vital piece of equipment is missing.  By the way, the following items are your basic necessities when it comes to bath time.  Have these lined up and you should be ready to go:

  • Dog shampoo
  • Nonslip mat
  • Towels – one or two
  • Hose or unbreakable container – for rinsing
  • Brush

 Having done all this, you’re finally ready to get your dog into the tub. You may have to bribe her with a doggy treat. Praise her and reward her for this.  Your first step is to wet her down thoroughly.  The water should be lukewarm.

Next apply the shampoo, starting at the neck, working it into her hair and body using your fingers. Praising her can help calm her down. Remember to wash her belly and under her back legs too. Don’t forget her tail ! Make sure you use a wash cloth to clean her face. This greatly lessens the chances of  getting soap into her eyes.  Lather the shampoo and cover her from neck to toe.

Finally, rinse with warm water and let her shake off the excess.  You might get a little wet yourself. Use a towel to wipe off the remaining water, using a patting motion to avoid matting the fur. Gently brush the wet coat. When dry, brush the coat completely, including under the belly and tail.

 Conclusion

I hope you recognize just how intimately good grooming habits are tied to your Golden Retrievers happiness. I briefly covered some key aspects of grooming and I’ll cover more  in upcoming pages. Please keep in mind that grooming your Golden friend not only makes him more handsome, it helps to keep him healthy and energetic as well! Grooming a Golden Retriever is truly a labor of love.