Golden Retriever Grooming Guide: 12 Tips for a Healthy and Beautiful Coat

Golden Retrievers have mid-length, feathered coats that require quite a bit of maintenance. Golden Retriever grooming includes brushing the coat often, bathing them monthly, brushing their teeth, trimming their nails, and occasionally cleaning their ears. A pin brush and wide-tooth metal comb are the best tools for their coats.

Let’s discuss 12 tips that everyone should know before grooming a Golden Retriever so that you can keep your dog’s coat healthy and beautiful.

#1: Start by Training Your Dog to Accept Handling

Ideally, Golden Retriever grooming will begin by training them to accept handling as a puppy, but it’s never too late. You’ll want to:

• Touch them all over their bodies, especially their paws and tail. Introduce quick touches while you’re cuddling or petting your dog and move up to separating the toes, lifting the ears, and messing with the tail.
• Pet them “backward.” Run your fingers through the coat in the opposite direction of the fur growth. Many dogs won’t love the feeling, but it’s necessary so that you can brush them thoroughly later on.
• Introduce new grooming tools slowly. Give your Golden treats for simply looking at or touching the items. If there’s a noise, such as with a nail dremel or blowdryer, let them hear it from a distance first. Progress to touching the items to their coat, then using them for very short periods.
• Take things at their pace when possible. Work with your dog several times a day, but don’t push past their limits. Have patience and, when possible, don’t force anything! (Sometimes you’ll need to force grooming to prevent matting, overgrown nails, or similar–this is fine.)

#2: Brush the Coat from Head to Toe

Use a pin brush or metal comb to brush your Golden Retriever’s coat thoroughly. Start by brushing the fur in the opposite direction to which it grows, so that it stands upright. Then, brush it back down.

Move slowly in case there are any tangles or mats in the fur. Pay close attention to their armpits and stomach, neck and chest, and rear and tail areas. These are the most frequent places for your dog to develop mats.

#3: Handle Mats Gently

If you notice any tangles or mats in the fur, don’t try to tug the brush through them. This pulls your Golden’s hair and they’ll learn to associate the brush with pain.

Instead, carefully trim the mats with a pair of grooming shears. If matting is severe, it’s best to see a professional groomer or veterinarian for help. You can severely injure your dog by trying to remove mats that are close to the skin and cutting skin instead of fur.

Brush your Golden more frequently if you notice mats often. This isn’t normal, and matted fur is painful.

If your Golden Retriever only has light tangles in the coat, you may be able to work through them using dog conditioner and careful combing. Hold the fur above the tangle firmly in one hand so that the comb doesn’t tug on the skin.

#4: Create a Grooming Schedule

Brushing your Golden Retriever at least once weekly will keep the fur soft, healthy, and free of mats. It will also cut down on the amount of shed fur you find around the house.

During shedding season, your Golden should be brushed daily. In the spring and fall, Goldens lose and rebuild their undercoats, meaning they shed much more than usual and are at a greater risk of matting.

#6: Bathe Your Golden Retriever Monthly

Your Golden should get a bath monthly, or whenever they’re dirty. Some will be able to go a bit longer between baths, while mischievous pups may need to be cleaned up more frequently.

Start before your Golden needs a bath by getting them used to the tub without water as well as the sound of running water. Place a non-slip mat in the tub to make them feel more secure and to prevent injuries.

Once you’re ready to bathe your Golden Retriever, wet the coat thoroughly. Run your fingers through the fur to ensure the undercoat is also wet. Then, lather dog shampoo in your hands and apply it to the entire coat.

Rinse the coat well, once again using your hands to lather up any remaining soap suds. This can help you spot soap that you may have missed otherwise, as Goldens have thick undercoats. Removing all of the soap is important so that your dog’s skin doesn’t become irritated from it.

You can follow up with a dog conditioner if desired, or skip to drying the coat. Blow drying the coat from the “wrong’ direction and brushing it back down as you dry can help remove any tangles from the bath.

#7: Brush the Coat Before and After Baths

To best remove dead fur and prevent tangles, its best to brush your Golden’s coat both before and after bathtime. This keeps the coat sleek and healthy.

Brushing before a bath also ensures that you can get shampoo down to the skin and that any tangles don’t become more compact when wet.

#8: Check the Coat and Skin While Grooming

Grooming your dog is a perfect opportunity to check them over for health issues. Part their fur down to the skin while brushing or grooming to check for redness or irritation, especially since these dogs are prone to allergies.

Check the paws during baths and nail trims for any splinters or debris between the toes. Feel their body for any lumps or bumps.

If you notice any issues, make an appointment with your veterinarian. Finding ailments early on can save you money and, most importantly, can potentially save your dog’s life!

#9: Never Shave Your Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers have double coats that can be damaged if shaved. This is a problem because their coats help to insulate them from water as well as maintain their body temperature.

Even in the summer, Goldens shouldn’t be shaved or trimmed short. This actually gives them less protection from the heat and sun and can lead to heat stroke, sunburn, and skin issues.

#10: Clip the Ears, Chest, Tail, and Toes if Desired

While you shouldn’t cut too short, you can trim the feathering, ears, and feet. Many Golden owners will remove excess fur in these areas, or bring their dog to a professional groomer for a more appealing final result.

This isn’t necessary, however, and you can leave your Golden’s fur as-is if you’d like.

#11: Grooming Isn’t Only About the Fur!

While we’ve discussed Golden coats in this article, please remember that dogs have other grooming needs as well. You’ll also want to slot these tasks into your Golden’s grooming routine:

• Brushing their teeth at least every other day, if not daily, with a dog toothpaste. Avoid human toothpastes, which are toxic to dogs.
• Trimming the nails monthly.
• Checking the ears and, if necessary, cleaning them monthly. Remember not to stick items like Q-tips into your Golden’s ears. See a vet if there is excess wax inside of the ears or if you notice any signs of an ear infection.

#12: Use a Grooming Table to Help Your Back

Lastly, a tip for your own health! A table, even if it’s not a professional grooming table, can help to alleviate back pain while grooming your Golden Retriever.

Getting that perfect look can take time, especially if you’re trimming their coat at home. Bending down causes most people more back pain than being able to stand upright while grooming.

Another way to make things easier is to sit down with your dog in front of you as you brush them.

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