Grooming Your Golden Retriever

Brushing your Golden Retriever regularly will help prevent shedding (especially important if you
have allergies) and matting of his fur. Matting is not only unattractive, but it's uncomfortable for
your dog as well. Brushing also helps you remove burs and other foreign matter that could
threaten his health. Regular grooming will help maintain a shiny, healthy coat and enhance your
Golden Retriever's quality of life.

Grooming your Golden Retriever is a time-consuming process. Grooming should be done at
least once, preferably twice, ever week. You can expect to spend about one-half an hour in the
grooming process. The first step in the grooming process is a good brushing. Brush the entire
body, from head to tail. When you've finished brushing, you can use a comb to remove any
remaining loose hair and help distribute oils evenly throughout your Golden Retriever's coat.
While you're accomplishing hair removal, you can also inspect your pet's roots and skin for ticks
and fleas or skin irritations. This will also be a good time to inspect his ears to be sure they're
clean and healthy and trim his nails.

You should give your Golden Retriever regular baths, too. Though it's a little complicated, the
path will keep his coat and skin in good condition and reduce your exposure to allergens. After
brushing to get rid of tangles and loose hair, bathe your Golden Retriever with a shampoo
designed specifically for dogs. Human shampoos are too harsh for a dog's sensitive skin. You'll
find that two baths a month will be sufficient to maintain your Golden's coat. If you do it
consistently, your Golden Retriever's coat will be easier to brush and clean.
Because Golden's have longer fur, it is important to prevent matting. Daily brushing will
accomplish this best, especially if you use metal combs or brushes. Taking the easy way by
cutting the matts out is not advisable, as it could injure your pet, and it will certainly detract from
his naturally beautiful coat. Avoid using scissors for grooming. Brushes and baths are the best
way to prevent matting and maintain your Golden's health.
Trimming your Golden Retriever's nails regularly is also important. Too-long nails are bad for
your dog's health. They can split and bleed profusely. They can change the shape of the foot
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and cause other joint problems if they force your Golden Retriever to walk so as to protect the
too-long nails.
If you have never done it before, it might be wise to take your Golden to the vet to learn how to
do it properly. Most dogs don't like having their nails clipped, and you may pick up some good
hints on how to do it without a struggle. When you do clip your Golden's nails, you should be
aggressive, trimming them about 1/16 inch or 2 millimeters, from the quick. You can expect to
see some bleeding now and then, so keep some styptic power nearby. You'll probably need to
undertake this task every few weeks.

Now, about your Golden Retriever's ears. Their ears are easily infected if you don't clean them
regularly. Ear infections are very painful for dogs, and you'll want to assure your Golden is free
of this health risk. Symptoms that may indicate ear infections include head shaking and
scratching the ears, painful reactions when the ears are touched, discharges or foul odors
coming from the ears, and blisters, swelling, or redness on or around the skin. If you notice any
of these symptoms, you should take your Golden to the vet before the problems get worse or
become irreversible.

You should clean his ears once a week using a commercial ear-cleaning solution to prevent
infection. Many people don't realize that hair can grow inside and into dogs' ears. Use a
hemostat to carefully remove any hair inside the ear canal. Then use cotton or a cloth with the
cleaning solution to gently clean no further than one-half an inch into the ear. Do NOT use Qtips
or alcohol to clean your Golden's ears. And do not use water or a syringe to clean his ears.
Leave this delicate and sometimes dangerous task to the vet. If you use tools like a hemostat,
be sure they are sterile.

Good, regular grooming is essential to the health and well-being of your Golden Retriever. It
takes some time from your daily routine, but it also helps you bond with your pet. If you don't
have the time, you should take your Golden Retriever to a dog-grooming professional. Now
matter how you do it, you must assure that your Golden receives regular grooming and baths.