Golden Retriever Grooming For Coat And Skin Health
Golden Retriever grooming must be started as early as possible. Even though the puppy may not need the grooming yet, you must groom anyway because, if groomed regularly, your puppy will come to enjoy grooming and be familiarized with Golden Retriever grooming supplies.
Golden Retrievers shed in abundance. You can control the amount of dog hair in your home by regular grooming. During shedding season, groom your dog daily. Brushing your dog’s coat thoroughly will take up to half an hour so be prepared to devote time to Golden Retriever grooming. Golden Retrievers are prone to the skin condition known as hot spots. Involve a groomer whom you trust, if you need assistance.
Matting should be cared for immediately through proper Golden Retriever grooming. For some feathery-coated Golden Retrievers, resting for long periods can produce a mat. The typical locations for matting are the ears, rear, tail and feathery sections. For dogs with feathering, a mat problem can result overnight. A mat will enlarge by pulling in nearby hair into itself. This can produce painful spots that are prone to irritation. Wetting the mat worsens the condition by pulling the hair tighter. Mats are inviting hiding spots for fleas. Regular Golden Retriever grooming must be performed regularly to avoid matting problems.
Once a mat starts, it will irritate the dog and eventually become painful as it pulls more hair into itself as the mat grows in size. A mat can cause skin irritations if it is not removed. In addition, fleas will migrate to mat spots. The places, where most matting occurs, are behind the ears, rear, tail and at feathery spots. Mats can happen overnight to some dogs with feathering. If matting is occurring regularly, you will have to brush the area frequently or trim the hair regularly.
You will need a few Golden Retriever grooming supplies to deal with mats. A mat must be carefully untangled with a wide toothed comb by starting at the edges and then working into the mat. Plain water will tighten the mat so you may use oil or detangle formula conditioner to untangle the mat. A mat can be cut away easily and safely with a mat breaker. Try to avoid using sharp edged scissors on a mat, use rounded edged scissor if necessary. Use the services of a groomer as necessary. With the right Golden Retriever grooming supplies, you can groom your dog well.
Regular brushing is a part of correct Golden Retriever grooming. You can choose two main brushes for your Golden Retriever grooming supplies needs. The slicker brush is versatile. The wide head and short bristles, set wide, are useful for shedding and regular brushing of smooth and feathered coats. The pin brush has longer pins, set wide, is useful for brushing feathered portions. The pin brush will reduce shedding as well. Regular brushing will remove any particles and dirt from the coat.
Brush your dog thoroughly before a bath or wetting the coat. Tangles tighten with water. A vegetable oil or detangle solution can help to detangle tangles. Avoid too much bathing or using detergent based shampoo because of undercoat fall out or skin irritation. Brush dirt from the underside and legs for spot cleaning and wet as necessary.
During regular Golden Retriever grooming, check for hot spots while using a flea comb to inspect the skin beneath the undercoat and to detangle the undercoat. Gently check and clean your dog’s ears and nails once a week. Trim nails as necessary as a part of your Golden Retriever grooming schedule.