Grooming Your Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever has many fantastic attributes. They are great with children, very smart and have a lovely disposition. They don’t tend to wander, are often very simple to train and are tidy in the house.

One thing that is not a super bonus to the breed is grooming your Golden Retriever.  There are a few things about this particular breed and its coat that can make it more difficult to keep well groomed.

If you are interested in maintaining your pet here are some simple tips that will make it a lot easier.

Assemble The Correct Tools

Grooming your pet golden retriever will require a certain number of high quality tools. This is an area that you want to invest in because good tools will make the job easier. You will need a pair of toe nail trimmers for starters. These come in a guillotine fashion that is generally silver and is squeezed to ship in a manner similar to hedge trimmers.

There is also a type that is normally orange handled and works similar to scissors. Either works fine. You’ll want a pair of shears or scissors for trimming and these should be professional quality. Additionally you’ll need what’s called a ‘slicker brush’ and a wire comb. Because your Golden has what’s known as a double coat you will need to keep them well brushed to prevent excess shedding and to keep them from matting up.

Help Your Pet Enjoy It

Because a Golden is a dog that naturally enjoys water you can get them to like their bath. Give lots of praise and make sure the water is at a comfortable temperature on their skin. It can also be advisable to make sure that it feels just slightly cooler than you’d have your bath water.

The most important part to grooming your Golden Retriever is to get them very clean. Make sure to use a shampoo that is made for dogs (and there are tons to choose from) because human shampoos and dish detergents can dry their skin out. To get your pet thoroughly clean it is best to cut the shampoo with some water.

Scrub the dog in a massaging fashion all over; paying close attention to the rear end, feet and legs as well as the head and neck. You will want to be careful not to get soap in their eyes or water in their ears as the later can cause infections.

Finally, rinse your pet thoroughly to insure all the soap is removed so it won’t irritate their skin. After this it is a good idea to clean their ears out with a cotton ball and some ear cleaner made for dogs. Use a towel to dry your pooch and proceed to the next step.

Finishing Your Dogs Hair Do

Professionals use a powerful dryer to fluff and dry your pet and this also blows the undercoat out. If you don’t have one and they are quite pricey, you can dry them with your own hair dryer while gently brushing their hair. Be careful not to let their skin get too warm and to use your brush gently.

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