Thursday, August 28, 2008

Golden Retriever Grooming For Comfort And Health

By Carol Matthews


Matting, shedding and hot spots are the hurdles for the Golden Retriever owner when it concerns Golden Retriever grooming. Not only that, puppies should be accustomed to Golden Retriever grooming supplies at an early age so they will welcome grooming sessions as they mature. Young puppies do not need grooming yet you should groom the puppies anyway with the array of proper 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.

Correct Golden Retriever grooming is important to the appearance of the dog's coat. Depending on the type of Golden Retriever, the coat may be the feathery or the proper smooth coat. The feathery coat is prone to matting and you should devote time everyday to Golden Retriever grooming if your dog has feathering. Both types may mat if the dog is not groomed regularly, once a week or more with Golden Retriever grooming supplies. For matting problems, grooming must be done frequently to prevent and reduce matting.

There are several Golden Retriever grooming supplies that will help with mats. A mat should be gently combed out with a wide toothed comb. Problem mats can be removed safely and gently with mat breakers. A hair detangling formula or oil can help with detangling a mat. Trimming the feathering or cutting the mat may be necessary. Use rounded scissors to prevent any accidents during Golden Retriever grooming.

With the right Golden Retriever grooming supplies and regular grooming sessions, you can effectively control any shedding, matting and skin conditions for your dog. Frequent checks for matting and the immediate removal of particles will control potential problems.

Two brushes will be good additions to your Golden Retriever grooming supplies toolkit. The slicker brush has a wide head with short bristles and can be used on a wide area. The pin brush has wide set long bristles for feathering. Give your dog a thorough brushing before a bath or wetting its 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.

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