Be prepared to spend up to a half hour daily during shedding season for Golden Retriever grooming sessions. For feathery-coated Golden Retrievers, it can take a half hour daily just to prevent the matting to which the dog is prone. Both types of Golden Retriever, the smooth-coated and the feathery-coated, will shed and are prone to matting and hot spots.
Golden Retrievers shed in abundance. 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.
It takes thirty minutes to thoroughly brush your Golden Retriever. You can control the amount of hair that is shed in your home with regular Golden Retriever grooming. A smooth-coated Golden Retriever needs one thorough grooming session a week. A feathery-coated Golden Retriever may need daily grooming depending on the amount of matting that is present.
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.
If you can, carefully loosen and untangle smaller mats with a metal comb with widely set tines. Using a hair detangling formula or oil on the mat may make detangling easier. If you cannot use a comb on the dog or the mat is large, you will have to cut the mats out. Avoid the use of scissors when you have to cut a mat out because there is a chance for injury, particularly if trying to fix a mat that is agitating your dog. Use a mat breaker, a tool specifically made to remove mats easily and safely.
Golden Retriever grooming and cleansing will maintain and improve the quality of your dog's coat. Use Golden Retriever grooming supplies to perform the job correctly. Make frequent checks and remove burs or particles that are stuck in the coat as soon as possible. Once a week, check and clean your dog's ears. Check nails for any damage and trim as necessary. Use a flea comb to remove undercoat matting and regularly examine your dog's skin condition.
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.
