This may come as a shock to some, but golden retrievers are a rather large breed of dog. Shocking, I know. They also have very long coats, which makes grooming a bit more difficult then shorter haired breeds. Fear not though, because we’re going to look at some techniques to properly groom a golden retriever. Hopefully, this will cut down on some time and help out with an out of control mane.

If your Golden Retriever spends most of his time indoors, then they probably won’t need to be bathed very often. Unlike some breeds, Goldens don’t have scent glands that give them that musky dog smell. A healthy, well-brushed coat actually sheds dirt. This is very good for the pup’s owner.

However, a monthly bath will keep your Golden Retriever clean and smelling nice, and can keep parasites and bacteria at bay.

Bathing a Golden Retriever is relatively easy because Goldens like water. They especially love to swim. However, they might not like standing in the bathtub, so get your Golden puppy accustomed to regular baths at a young age.

Assemble everything you need before your Golden Retriever is in the tub. This will prevent escaping. Here is what you will need: shampoo, conditioner, scrub brush, petroleum jelly, and a large cup or pitcher for rinsing, if you don’t have a hand-held sprayer.

Brush your Golden Retriever thoroughly before getting the coat wet. Wet tangles tend to get tighter, so be sure to get all those tangles out first.

If you think you might get soap in your Golden’s eyes, put a dab of petroleum jelly at the corner of each eye. The jelly will repel soap and water.

Run the bathwater and be sure to check the temperature. It should be lukewarm to cool. Next, get your Golden in the tub. This can be tricky if your Golden doesn’t like the idea. Use a treat and lure the dog into the tub and have a toy on hand for distraction and chewing. If your Golden doesn’t want to stay put, use his collar and clip on a leash. Hold on to this or clip it to something sturdy, at least until your Golden has had enough baths that he to stay for his bath.
Get your Golden’s coat wet, all the way down to the skin, so you’ll get the undercoat too.

Using your hands or a soft scrub brush, work shampoo into your Golden’s coat, all the way down to the skin. Massage the skin to work the shampoo into a later.

Using a large cup or pitcher, rinse the coat thoroughly. This might take longer than you think because of your Golden’s double coat. Go over the coat several times, working out soap with your hands or the brush, until the water runs clear and you see no more evidence of soap. If you leave soap in the coat, it will encourage tangles and irritate the skin.
If you are using coat conditioner, apply this to the coat and rinse. Or, if the coat conditioner is for spraying on after the bath, do as directed.

Towel dry your Golden’s coat as well as you can. Your golden’s coat can air-dry, but you can speed the process with a blow-dryer set to the low or cool setting. When blow-drying your Golden Retriever, keep the dryer at least 6 inches away from the coat to prevent burning. Brush while blow-drying. Some Golden Retrievers really enjoy the warm dryer and the extra pampering.

Just had a bath!Just had a bath!

 Picture taken from: http://www.augiedoggy.com/

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