By Laurence Burrows
We love our dogs, and golden retriever health is important to us. Goldens are wonderful family dogs, dependable service dogs, and talented in competition. However, there is that one great obstacle to golden retriever ownership: hair! So, what are the secrets of grooming? What are the keys to bathing? How do you clean the hair from your house?
How did Gomez and Morticia look after Cousin It? Luckily, grooming your golden retriever should be a lot easier. Goldens have a rich, water-resistant double coat and require regular grooming to keep them healthy. Start grooming your puppy regularly even if his or her young coat doesn't really need it. That way you train your puppy to be calm when handled making grooming easy in the future. Treat the process like a pleasant massage and reward your dog when you are done. Using a bristle brush, brush and comb your golden at least twice a week. Brush more often if your dog's coat is longer or if he or she is shedding. Also use an undercoat rake for the thick undercoat. With practice you can get your grooming done in about 30 minutes.
Mats should also be combed out before they get too big and become painful for your dog. If they can't be combed out, they must be cut out. Slide a comb between the mat and the skin. Then, carefully cut out the matted hair with scissors. Cut out as little hair as possible. If you are worried about injuring your dog with scissors, there are mat breakers that can be mail ordered or purchased. Never shave your golden no matter what the season is. The 2 coats work together to protect your dog's skin from the cold, heat, moisture, and sun. After your golden goes out running in a field, or walks through the woods, is a great time for a grooming session. Remove any thistles and burrs and check for fleas and ticks. The dog park is another hotspot for fleas.
The only hair on a golden that should be trimmed periodically is on the tail, feet, and inside the ears. For trimming, use grooming shears. Keep the tail hair from getting too long; ideally it should look like a fan. Trim any long hair around the feet and keep the lower feet hair even with the pads. On the inside of the ears, keep the hair thin. On the outside of the ears, keep the hair tidy. Goldens tend to get ear infections if they are not cleaned. Clean the ears at least twice per month. Put a few drops of ear cleansing solution in the ear canals and rub gently. Use a q-tip or cloth to mop up any solution and debris.
Your golden's nails need to be regularly clipped when they get too long. Long nails can be annoying to dog owners, but most importantly they can cause foot problems for your dog. Use dog nail clippers to trim the tip of the nails. Be careful not to clip them too much at a time in order to avoid clipping the quick. Styptic powder can be applied to stop the bleeding if the quick is damaged or cut.
How do you handle shedding? Goldens shed all year round. However, they have two major shedding periods in the spring and fall. The outer coat stays the same all year. It is the undercoat that sheds all of that golden fluff. The undercoat grows thicker in cold weather to keep your dog dry and warm. It falls out in clumps when the weather warms up again. You can reduce the fluff during these times by grooming more often. Using a grooming rake, remove as much of the undercoat as possible. How do you clean your house of all the pet hair? Start with a good vacuum, though it alone may not get rid of all of the hair. On your fabric, use a damp sponge wiping from the back to the front. This should roll up the extra hair. Another option for hair on furniture is to buy netting from a fabric store. On floors, simple sweeping and mopping should do the trick.
Before you bath your golden, brush him or her first to avoid making tangles of hair worse. Use a quality dog shampoo only, since human shampoo will dry out the skin. Do not bath your golden too often or your dog could lose his or her undercoat. You can always brush and wash off your dog with plain water. Regular grooming will build a closer relationship between you and your dog, and will keep your golden healthy and happy!
Laurence Burrows is a golden retriever lover, and trainer. Look here for more great golden retriever health and training tips. Click here for more great http://www.loyalgoldenretriever.com articles.
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