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Golden Retriever Grooming—What Tasks Need Doing

Who is a better companion than a playful and loyal golden retriever? Like humans, dogs need nurturing and maintenance to ensure a long life span.

Maintenance may include exercise, high-quality food, and a grooming and hair care routine. Golden retriever grooming is probably one of the most challenging, time-consuming, and important tasks for every golden retriever parent.

If you are a fur parent who currently has a golden retriever, there are a couple of things you need to know when grooming your pet. In this article, we’ll give you tips about proper golden retriever grooming.

We’ll also suggest some useful grooming tools and products, like hair slicker brushes and so forth, to make your grooming routine easier and more effective.

But before we proceed to that, here is some essential information that fur parents need to know before grooming their pets.

What is the Importance of Golden Retriever Grooming?

One of the most notable features of golden retrievers is their beautiful coat that flows as they move. Retrievers are a double-coated dog breed, which means they have a thick undercoat and a dense, water-repellent outer coat.

This keeps them protected from both hot and cold environments and temperatures. This is also the reason why they tend to shed heavily, especially during summer. Hence, if you have a golden retriever, you should probably get used to seeing dog hair around your house.

That said, to reduce shedding and keep their thick coats healthy, these dogs need regular grooming and brushing.

However, you have to remember that the grooming, brushing, and care routine is not just for the sake of their appearance. Dirty and tangled coats may also result in skin irritations and flea allergies, which are very uncomfortable for them.

Golden retrievers are also prone to waxy ears and ear infections because of their floppy ears that usually trap moisture. When you groom and brush them, you have to inspect their ears for redness, bad odor, or other signs of infection. You should also check and clean other parts of their body, like their teeth and paws.

Don’t worry too much, however—unlike other dog breeds, the golden retriever grooming routine should be frequent but not extensive.

By doing regular grooming, you’ll figure out how to do it properly. But while you’re still learning, we’ll help you find your way through it by offering tips and guidance.

Golden Retriever Grooming Guide

To all fur parents out there, newbie or not, here is everything you need to know about golden retriever grooming.

Finding a Comfortable Area and Getting Your Grooming Tools Ready

Since you’ll do the grooming personally in your home, you must choose a designated area or station to work in. It should be comfortable enough for you and your dog because golden retriever grooming may take a while.

It should also be a spot in your house that is easy to clean because there will surely be a lot of dog hair around after the grooming.

You can do it in the bathroom, laundry area, or even in the living room. Just as long as there is enough space and the area is not carpeted, you’re good to go.

It’s also important to keep your grooming tools and products together in one area before you start grooming your golden retriever. That way they won’t get lost, and you can easily reach for them.

Brushing and Combing the Golden Retriever’s Hair

Brushing or combing is one of the most important elements in golden retriever grooming. Not only does it enhance the beauty of their coat, but it also prevents excessive shedding. Combing the coat every day is great, especially if your dog is a heavy shedder.

For everyday combing, you can use a pin brush, comb, or bristle brush. Pin brushes are the ones with rounded ends and widely spaced bristles used for removing dead hair and for outer coat detangling.

The Chris Christensen Original Pin Brush is made from high quality and durable stainless steel pins, and it’s the best choice. It has three different pin lengths to choose from, including 20mm for short, 27mm for medium to long, and 35mm for thick and long fur.

 

You can also use a slicker brush for everyday combing. Unlike pin brushes, slicker brushes have fine, narrow spaces, and are ideal for dogs with medium to long hair. They can help detangle fur, and they may also help prevent the golden retriever’s feathery coat from matting.

However, you have to be careful about the pressure you apply in each brushstroke and avoid using it in soft parts or on sensitive areas of skin.

The Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush is currently one of the most popular and effective slicker brushes on the market. It can penetrate deep into the coat, removing all the dirt and tangles without damaging your dog’s skin.

 

If there are mats and tangles that cannot be removed by simple brushing, especially in the undercoat, you can use de-matting tools like an undercoat rake. Check out the GoPets Dematting Comb with its “Two-Sided Professional Grooming Rake for Cats and Dogs.”

 

This is great for both de-matting and de-shedding the undercoat. It also effectively clears different kinds of mats and tangles without pulling or tugging your retriever’s fur. Finally, thinning scissors can be used to even out the fur, softening and blending between sections.

Nonetheless, keep in mind that de-matting and de-shedding tools for the undercoat are only recommended for weekly use, not for every day.

Bathing your Golden Retriever

Bathing is an essential part of golden retriever grooming. It should be done monthly or whenever you feel that the dog’s coat is dirty. There is some confusion about whether you should bathe a retriever before or after coat trimming.

To address that, opt to bathe them before trimming if they are stinky and dirty. However, if they were already bathed recently, you can skip it and bathe after grooming.

Using a good quality cleansing shampoo is important to keep their coat and fur in good shape. Burt’s Bees for Dogs All-Natural Tearless Shampoo and Conditioner and John Paul Pet Oatmeal Shampoo for Dogs and Cats are two great options you should consider.

 

They are made with the highest quality natural ingredients and are approved and recommended by veterinarians. They are effective in moisturizing, cleansing, and preventing skin irritations as well.

When bathing your golden retriever, start by wetting your dog with cool or lukewarm water. Then, squeeze an adequate amount of shampoo and lather it all over the body.

You may also use a simple sponge to apply the shampoo to your golden retriever’s body, but this is optional. Let the shampoo stay for a couple of minutes while massaging your dog’s body gently.

After that, rinse your dog thoroughly and make sure that no shampoo is left in the fur, as this might irritate the skin. Lastly, dry the golden retriever’s fur using a bath or pet towel to absorb all the moisture.

You can also opt to use a blow dryer, but always keep the heat at a low level and at least 6 inches away from your dog. Once the coat is completely dry, brush it again before trimming.

Trimming the Golden Retriever’s Coat

Unlike other dog breeds, a golden retriever’s coat shouldn’t be trimmed or shaved entirely. They are very sensitive to weather and environmental conditions, and their double coat is there for a reason. Avoid using clippers when trimming.

Instead, use a pair of scissors or thinning shears. You can begin trimming the largest areas of the dog’s body and eventually move on to smaller areas or spots.

The Pet Thinning Shears from Pet Magasin is one of the most bestselling and highly rated grooming scissors because of its premium quality.

 

Trimming their legs and feet

Trimming feet and legs can be a bit tricky. You have to make sure that your golden retriever is in a comfortable position, preferably lying down. Hold his paw in one hand while you hold the scissors in the other hand.

Start by trimming the tousled hair on the legs. Then, proceed to the fur around the bottom of the feet. Fuzzy hairs are usually found at the edges, so make sure to trim them with scissors as well.

Afterward, proceed in trimming the toes and the dog’s nails. Use a comb to brush the fur between the toes and trim it to around half an inch in length.

Trimming the undercoat in their chest and neck

A golden retriever’s chest and neck often have the thickest hairs. It is best to start by reducing the hair’s volume by using thinning shears.

Just make sure that you don’t trim it to the roots, and as much as possible, focus more on trimming the fuzzy hair growths. To see if the coat is symmetrical, comb it out and see if it’s lying flat.

Trimming the ears

Since golden retrievers are prone to waxy ears, this is important. There is no specific hair length required when trimming the ears.

You just have to make sure that the fur at the front and back is thin enough that it doesn’t conceal the golden retriever’s ears. The hair on the ears should also be thinned down by light handedly using the thinning shears.

Trimming the tail

Using thinning shears, taper the fur in the tail from base to tip. Be careful not to trim the fur too short as this will look very unnatural.

Cutting the Golden Retriever’s Nails

Cutting nails should also be done regularly since a golden retriever’s nails often grow fast. Using a good quality nail clipper is important because this part can be a little bit delicate.

When cutting, make sure that you don’t go beyond the flesh under the nail, as this can lead to bleeding and swelling. Check out the Boshel Dog Nail Clippers and Trimmer if you want a safe and easy-to-use nail trimmer.

 

Cleaning their Ears, Nose, and Eyes

In addition to thinning the hairs around the ears, you should also check the inside of the ears for any signs of infection. To help prevent infection, clean the ears regularly using a cleansing solution.

As for the nose and around the eyes, you can use natural oils to clean them. If you’re applying a new product, check your dog’s skin for allergies and stop using it immediately if there are any signs of skin irritation.

The Wild Alaskan Almond Oil from Zesty Paws product is perfect if your golden retriever is experiencing hot spots, itchiness, and irritation. It’s a natural fish oil additive supplement that helps your pet achieve a healthy skin and coat.

 

Applying a dry shampoo and tick+flea repellents

After you’re done with all the trimming rituals, there is one last step that will complete the grooming routine. Some people bathe their dogs after trimming their coats. However, you can opt not to and use a dry shampoo instead.

There are different varieties and formulas of dry shampoos on the market. There are those in powdered forms, but there also some that come in spray bottles.

Which to use depends on your dog’s preference. The Wahl Pet-Friendly Waterless No Rinse Shampoo is great if you want an affordable and high-quality dry shampoo.

 

Lastly, to keep your pet’s hair golden and healthy, apply a tick and flea repellent to their coat. This will prevent scratching and irritation caused by parasites.

 

Conclusion

Included in this article is a complete guide for golden retriever grooming. However, if you think that a particular step is not necessary, feel free to adjust your routine according to your dog’s needs.

If your golden retriever doesn’t grow his nails very fast, then you can skip that step and proceed to the next one.

The whole grooming process may look and feel complicated at first glance, making you want to check out a local dog groomer or grooming salon. But as you do it more often, you will eventually get the hang of it.

Doing these grooming routines can also foster a special bond between you and your furry friend. Instead of spending money on professional salons, use that money on grooming tools!

Make sure to invest in good quality products as well. Not only will they benefit your pet, but they will last longer too.