Maintaining Your Golden Retriever's Coat

Discover the best ways to keep your Golden Retriever's coat looking its best with our expert tips and advice. Learn how to brush, bathe, and trim your dog's coat, and get insights on the essential tools and products you need for a shiny healthy and beautiful coat.

1. Brushing: Golden Retrievers have long, thick coats that require regular brushing to prevent matting and tangling. Use a slicker brush suitable for soft coats to work through your dog's coat, starting at the head and working your way down to the tail. Be sure to brush the hair around the ears, under the legs, and around the belly, where matting is most likely to occur.
2. Bathing: Golden Retrievers need regular baths to keep their coat looking and smelling fresh. For pets prone to mud and mess, use a degreasing dog shampoo and avoid getting water and soap in their eyes and ears. While deep-cleaning shampoos work well for retrievers, there are also plenty of shampoo options to increase shine, texture and volume in the coat.
3. Coat Care: Longer coats like those on Golden Retrievers are prone to shedding and tangles, making regular coat care a must. To ease shedding, brush regularly and run a shed stopper through the coat to remove dead and loose hairs.
4. Ear Cleaning: Ear cleaning is a semi-regular process that you can carry out to keep your pets ears clean and comfortable. Use a gentle ear cleaning solution and a cotton ball or pad to clean the outer ear. Avoid inserting anything into the ear canal, as this can cause damage and discomfort.
5. Dental Hygiene: Maintaining your Retriever's dental health is crucial to prevent bad breath, gum disease and tooth loss. You can use a dental care solution – like Nature’s Specialties spray or Groom Professional Fresh Breath foam, or alternatively, brush their teeth. For long term, easily maintained dental care, consider providing dental treats or toys designed to help clean their teeth. But most importantly, always follow veterinarian advice when it comes to anything that can affect your pet’s long-term health!
6. Playtime: Golden Retrievers are among the most active of dog breeds, needing upwards of 2 hours of good exercise every day. Try to include walks, running and other forms of play that stimulate them physically and mentally.

Day-to-day care of your Golden Retriever shouldn’t be a daunting task, and by following the steps above you’ll find it easy to maintain a healthy, happy hound that always looks and feels their best!

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