# Do all Goldens need groomed?



## Burd (Aug 11, 2011)

Since Dixie is just a pet, I do all her grooming myself. Bath only when needed, brush 2x a day, fur on the bottom of her paws trimmed, occasional ear cleaning, teeth brushed every night - just the basics. She's very easy. 

Dixie has very cottony fur on her hindquarters (look up 'spay coat') so I use thinning scissors on that when it starts looking raggedy.


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## Mom28kds (Mar 8, 2013)

So I need to trim the fur on the bottom of her paws? When people say groomed I thought they meant a hair cut. I didn't think goldens needed a cut. What kind of brush is best, slicker, pin, undercoat rake?


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## Burd (Aug 11, 2011)

I only trim it when it starts getting longish - it cuts down on dirt around here more than I expected. 

I use an undercoat rake (it's been a lifesaver!) and a slicker and comb.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Please check out this website:

Morningsage Goldens Grooming

Other than keeping your dogs brushed and bathed on a regular basis, everything else is optional (but it looks nice when done correctly).

Because there's a lot of WRONG ways to groom a golden retriever, I would be very selective as far as who I let near my golden with scissors.


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

I never considered getting my old man (Obi - RIP) trimmed - perfect length coat.

However, my current guy has tail/butt feathers that get really long; he also gets little white "tufts" I like to see trimmed off. Both dogs more of the "field" variety" and nail wear comes naturally. 

Gotta admit, getting Bridger groomed is my one indulgence = I love getting a sweeting smelling dog without my back hurting


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

I take Max every three months or so to the groomer. He normally has a very thick coat and it's hard for me to get him bathed, and rinsed, and dried. The groomer has the tools to really give him a good bath and then get him dry. I don't trust myself to trim his paws correctly - I've tried when he gets Hobbit feet, but I'm just not very good at it! She doesn't "cut" his fur, she trims where it's ratty (he has a lot of butt fluff!) and makes him look pretty. He mats very quickly between his back legs, and around his ears, and she can take care of that without making him look butchered.

Is it necessary? Maybe not, but I think it makes him feel good.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I trim the fluff off the ears and paws. Some of my dogs I trim up the end of their tail so it has a cleaned up look, others of mine don't really need their tail done. A good pair of thinning shears is a good investment for any Golden owner.


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## Pup (May 12, 2012)

I do all of Rain's grooming myself. Nails, anal glands, bath, I trim the fur under her paws and the top, and I also trim her ears a tiny bit, brush (I use an under coat rake and a comb). She does have a shorter coat, which makes it a bit easier


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

I groom Luke myself. We call it spa day and it's a nice way to show him attention. He loves it. I shampoo and condition him about once a month to every six weeks. I own a groomer's blow dryer and it's great -- shoots out a powerful cool air stream which blows the water right off his coat. I trim the tops of his feet, and between his paw pads and behind his ears (lots of thick curly hair which can get matted if allowed to stay in ringlets. It's so cute though.) I don't trim the length of his ears on top as I like them natural as opposed to the closely cropped ear haircuts. I undercoat rake him and also brush him with a slicker brush every day. He rarely gets matted. I brush his teeth every evening before bed.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

I never had my first two goldens groomed. I bathed and brushed them myself and cut any mattes out that needed to be trimmed. Their paws never needed to be trimmed. Whenever we went to the vet, I would have their nails trimmed, but did those on my own, as well. 

My current golden is a whole different story. Her fur is incredibly thick and long. I brush her once a week and have to get her paws trimmed almost every three months. I've done it myself but it doesn't look as nice as when the groomer does it.


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## PiratesAndPups (Sep 24, 2013)

I give my girls their baths, brush them with half a dozen brushes, clip their nails and clean their ears, but when it comes to using scissors, I've learned that I am really bad at it. I've made ears look like they were groomed with a lawnmower before. I've never hurt either of them, but I've made their ears look just plain terrible. So about twice a year, they get groomed. I wait until the ears have just gotten crazy and then I take them in. The one thing I won't do is take them somewhere like Petco where they take the dogs and leave them in drying cages in the back where you can't see them. I tried this once or twice nd I was worried sick the entire time. Now I'll go a couple times a year to a groomer that lets me stay where I can see them at all times.


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

Years ago, I got my dogs groomed every 3 months or so, but I just can not afford this nowdays, so I try to do it myself,not very good at it.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

Yes, every dog- pet, show dog, hunting companion needs to be groomed. Either a professional or even yourself- but it is something every dog should have done. 

Groomers can use tools to help decrease shedding and remove dead undercoat to promote a healthy coat. I cringe when I see a golden with ear hair that is more like a cocker spaniel than a golden retriever. The golden has a hallmark headpiece, having all that extra hair ruins the look IMO. A good bath and grooming by a professional will keep your dog looking good, control hair and shedding, and is another set of hands and eyes to look for new growths or lumps. 


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

How do you groom their ears? I want to attempt it myself at least once. Archer's only a year and is just starting to get more feathers so grooming and shedding hasn't been too bad so far.


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

I trim his feet because he gets HUGE Hobbit feet but that's all the cutting I do.

Nails he wears down himself playing at doggy day care, they don't click on tile or hardwood at all so I know they're worn down. 

I do get him professionally groomed, more so that he is used to someone else handling him and because he just looks so darn purrrrrty when he's all trimmed and neat. I generally do that around the holidays or when my Liverpudlian comes over for a visit.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

ArchersMom said:


> How do you groom their ears? I want to attempt it myself at least once. Archer's only a year and is just starting to get more feathers so grooming and shedding hasn't been too bad so far.


Check the morningsage grooming site - it gives a fairly good description on how to clean up the ears. 

Having the right tools makes a huge difference in how easy/quickly you can clean up the fluff.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

Lilliam said:


> I trim his feet because he gets HUGE Hobbit feet but that's all the cutting I do.
> 
> Nails he wears down himself playing at doggy day care, they don't click on tile or hardwood at all so I know they're worn down.
> 
> I do get him professionally groomed, more so that he is used to someone else handling him and because he just looks so darn purrrrrty when he's all trimmed and neat. I generally do that around the holidays or when my Liverpudlian comes over for a visit.


I call Josie's paws "Grinchy" when the fur gets long.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Yes, all goldens need to be groomed  The really good news is that you can do it yourself. I currently have 4 goldens and had 2 that have passed. Each dog has a slightly different coat and may require different schedules but my current grooming schedule is below

Nails are dremelled and feet are trimmed each week and their coats are thoroughly combed out at least once a week - I prefer combing to brushing (regular or slicker). During shedding season this may be increased to a few times a day.

Tails usually are trimmed about once a month.

The sides of the neck and under the ears are done perhaps every 3 months 

Ears rarely need grooming for my dogs - once or twice as a puppy and then they may not ever need trimming again.

My Casey has tons of fur - a glorious mahogany coat that grows fairly quickly so he needs his hocks and furnishings trimmed perhaps once a month. The other dogs might need their hocks trimmed every few months and their furnishings rarely.

The feathering on their front legs is rarely trimmed and I prefer to bring them to a trusted groomer for this - if they needed trimming more often I would probably just learn how to do it myself  

Perhaps because they eat primarily raw their ears rarely need cleaning, and I don't brush their teeth either - vets comment on how clean they are. 

They are shampooed/conditioned and blown dry as needed - usually every few months unless they have been rolling in the nasties or working in the field. Mud is usually just hosed off. Casey, as a hypothyroid dog, is the one who needs routine baths most often since his fur can get kind of greasy looking mid back but even he is bathed perhaps every 4-6 weeks.

One exception to my bathing - if my dogs will be examined by anyone (judge for obedience or for CCA etc; not for the vet) they will be bathed & blown dry a day or 2 before their first show.

ETA: I know many dogs who are bathed & blown dry weekly. These very same people probably do not have to wash their comforters or throw rugs every week  Me, I do a lot of laundry...


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## goldengolfer (Jan 6, 2014)

I know many will probably give me a big thumbs down but since my goldens are only family pets and we live in FL we have them shaved twice a year by a groomer. Makes them more comfortable, easier to dry after they swim in the pool, and MUCH less hair around the house. Our male is 5 and our female will be one in May. We will wait until the female has fully developed her coat before having her shaved for the first time.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

goldengolfer said:


> I know many will probably give me a big thumbs down but since my goldens are only family pets and we live in FL we have them shaved twice a year by a groomer. Makes them more comfortable, easier to dry after they swim in the pool, and MUCH less hair around the house. Our male is 5 and our female will be one in May. We will wait until the female has fully developed her coat before having her shaved for the first time.


I don't think there is anything wrong with what you do to keep your goldens comfortable. I had to do that the last few summers with my first golden as she aged. It was hard for her to get in and out of the lake to cool off and I know she was much more comfortable in the summer heat (no air conditioning at my parent's house). 

My goldens have never been show dogs and never will be. So if people cringe when they seem them because their paws and ears are a little hairy or there is a twig sticking to their fur because they were just running through the woods, then so be it. That doesn't mean I don't take care of them or do not love them. I will always do what is best for my golden first and foremost. I had to laugh when someone mentioned they look like cocker spaniels if the fur on their ears isn't cut. Really? Josie is one strange looking cocker spaniel then. I love her soft fuzzy ears. Anyone that meets Josie knows she is all golden retriever!


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

Is the "ear leather" mentioned in the article just the thickness of the ear? Archer has super thick ears compared to another golden we know. I thought he was just unique lol


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

abradshaw71 said:


> I don't think there is anything wrong with what you do to keep your goldens comfortable. I had to do that the last few summers with my first golden as she aged. It was hard for her to get in and out of the lake to cool off and I know she was much more comfortable in the summer heat (no air conditioning at my parent's house).
> 
> My goldens have never been show dogs and never will be. So if people cringe when they seem them because their paws and ears are a little hairy or there is a twig sticking to their fur because they were just running through the woods, then so be it. That doesn't mean I don't take care of them or do not love them. I will always do what is best for my golden first and foremost. I had to laugh when someone mentioned they look like cocker spaniels if the fur on their ears isn't cut. Really? Josie is one strange looking cocker spaniel then. I love her soft fuzzy ears. Anyone that meets Josie knows she is all golden retriever!


There's a thread here, I believe it's a sticky, that gives some very good reasons for why you shouldn't shave a Golden.
My groomer would beat me if I even suggested she shave Max.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

PiratesAndPups said:


> I give my girls their baths, brush them with half a dozen brushes, clip their nails and clean their ears, but when it comes to using scissors, I've learned that I am really bad at it. I've made ears look like they were groomed with a lawnmower before. I've never hurt either of them, but I've made their ears look just plain terrible. So about twice a year, they get groomed. I wait until the ears have just gotten crazy and then I take them in. The one thing I won't do is take them somewhere like Petco where they take the dogs and leave them in drying cages in the back where you can't see them. I tried this once or twice nd I was worried sick the entire time. Now I'll go a couple times a year to a groomer that lets me stay where I can see them at all times.


Same here. I will trim the butt fluff only because it's so thick that it hides my mistakes. I don't trust myself with scissors between his toes, or around his ears. 
I did the same as you, took Max once to a place where I had to leave him and couldn't see what they were doing. They cut off his curls! I was livid! Now I go to a very nice lady who lets me watch what she's doing.


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## Shellbug (Nov 14, 2013)

Megora said:


> Because there's a lot of WRONG ways to groom a golden retriever, I would be very selective as far as who I let near my golden with scissors.



OMG at petsmart the other day they were shaving a beautiful golden down to hardly nothing. Ahhhhh. 


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## Shellbug (Nov 14, 2013)

At this point I groom Thor myself. He jumps in the tub for me. Stands still as I wash. Actually he licks my face ❤
The only issue is drying. I have to towel dry him as he is weird with a dryer. 
I have his nails filed. He is just getting his coat (5 months old) so it's not long yet. I am not at all opposed to hiring a professional a few times a year between those times, however I will bathe him. He is solid white and it's AMAZING how dark he gets before a bath. I don't even notice until after his bath and his fur is almost blinding white lol 

I wanted to ask if anybody else's golden stinks after about 4-5 weeks? Thor stinks to high heaven around this time. 


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## Shellbug (Nov 14, 2013)

abradshaw71 said:


> I don't think there is anything wrong with what you do to keep your goldens comfortable. I had to do that the last few summers with my first golden as she aged. It was hard for her to get in and out of the lake to cool off and I know she was much more comfortable in the summer heat (no air conditioning at my parent's house).
> 
> 
> 
> My goldens have never been show dogs and never will be. So if people cringe when they seem them because their paws and ears are a little hairy or there is a twig sticking to their fur because they were just running through the woods, then so be it. That doesn't mean I don't take care of them or do not love them. I will always do what is best for my golden first and foremost. I had to laugh when someone mentioned they look like cocker spaniels if the fur on their ears isn't cut. Really? Josie is one strange looking cocker spaniel then. I love her soft fuzzy ears. Anyone that meets Josie knows she is all golden retriever!



I agree with shaving them under certain conditions. I use to have to shave my Pom as he aged in this Texas heat. 


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## Wenderwoman (Jan 7, 2013)

*sigh* You're goldens are all so behaved. My girl does not like being fussed over. I have learned one trick so that I can at least brush her. But, she's too squirmy to even think about coming at her with scissors. Fortunately, I get just enough brushing in so that I don't find mats very often. That's the best I can hope for at the moment.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

Shellbug said:


> At this point I groom Thor myself. He jumps in the tub for me. Stands still as I wash. Actually he licks my face ❤
> The only issue is drying. I have to towel dry him as he is weird with a dryer.
> I have his nails filed. He is just getting his coat (5 months old) so it's not long yet. I am not at all opposed to hiring a professional a few times a year between those times, however I will bathe him. He is solid white and it's AMAZING how dark he gets before a bath. I don't even notice until after his bath and his fur is almost blinding white lol
> 
> ...


One of Max's nicknames is "tinkeee butt" and he was living up to it just before his last groom - which was last Friday. I couldn't give him a bath because of his surgery and then the weather - he takes forever to dry, too, so if it's really cold, I hate to bathe him. He was P and U!


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

goldengolfer said:


> I know many will probably give me a big thumbs down but since my goldens are only family pets and we live in FL we have them shaved twice a year by a groomer. Makes them more comfortable, easier to dry after they swim in the pool, and MUCH less hair around the house. Our male is 5 and our female will be one in May. We will wait until the female has fully developed her coat before having her shaved for the first time.





Wenderwoman said:


> *sigh* You're goldens are all so behaved. My girl does not like being fussed over. I have learned one trick so that I can at least brush her. But, she's too squirmy to even think about coming at her with scissors. Fortunately, I get just enough brushing in so that I don't find mats very often. That's the best I can hope for at the moment.


Sort of like wrestling an alligator?  I've been there. I sometimes end up with more hair on me then I think Josie has!


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

Wenderwoman said:


> *sigh* You're goldens are all so behaved. My girl does not like being fussed over. I have learned one trick so that I can at least brush her. But, she's too squirmy to even think about coming at her with scissors. Fortunately, I get just enough brushing in so that I don't find mats very often. That's the best I can hope for at the moment.


Umm, no, not my Max. He puts up with brushing, but scissors in my hand and he's gone! Hence, the groomer every three months.


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## abradshaw71 (Jan 13, 2014)

laprincessa said:


> There's a thread here, I believe it's a sticky, that gives some very good reasons for why you shouldn't shave a Golden.
> My groomer would beat me if I even suggested she shave Max.


I did read through that thread and saw that for the most part people are against shaving their golden for skin protection from weather and the undercoat. Trust me, I'm not a fan of those that shave their golden because they don't like the fur, shedding, etc. I have a friend that keeps her golden trimmed in between a golden and lab and really don't care for it. She does it because she likes the personality of the golden and length of hair of a lab. I don't agree with doing that at all...and she knows it. 

I did, however, witness first hand that my aging golden was much more comfortable the summer she was trimmed. Shaving probably isn't the right word, because to me, that means she had very short hair, which she did not. You could still tell she was every bit a golden. So, I advocate that there are times when it should be considered. No groomer would stop me from making sure my golden was comfortable.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Between reading this thread earlier and going to conf class where the teacher is both a professional handler and professional groomer.... 

I was really self-conscious of my little guy's "bed hair" and the mussy feet.  

Yes, somebody is going to get all trimmed up shortly and needed bath tomorrow....


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## Kally76 (Jun 14, 2010)

laprincessa said:


> Umm, no, not my Max. He puts up with brushing, but scissors in my hand and he's gone! Hence, the groomer every three months.


Same here. Also, I can't keep them out of the lake. They swim 2 or 3 times a day, but let me try to lead them to the bathtub and an all out battle ensues.


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

Ben has never been to a groomer, except when he got skunked while we were on the road. We bathe him when he gets really dirty and I brush him when he needs it. The only trim he gets is around his feet in the winter time so the snow doesn't ball up between his pads. OTOH, Ben doesn't shed all that much, especially compared to the stories I read here. He does a twice a year molt, but otherwise, getting brushed a few times a week takes care of it.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

abradshaw71 said:


> I did read through that thread and saw that for the most part people are against shaving their golden for skin protection from weather and the undercoat. Trust me, I'm not a fan of those that shave their golden because they don't like the fur, shedding, etc. I have a friend that keeps her golden trimmed in between a golden and lab and really don't care for it. She does it because she likes the personality of the golden and length of hair of a lab. I don't agree with doing that at all...and she knows it.
> 
> I did, however, witness first hand that my aging golden was much more comfortable the summer she was trimmed. Shaving probably isn't the right word, because to me, that means she had very short hair, which she did not. You could still tell she was every bit a golden. So, I advocate that there are times when it should be considered. No groomer would stop me from making sure my golden was comfortable.


She's not only our groomer, she's also our trainer, and a friend. She knows a great deal more about dogs than I do. If she thought there were any benefits to shaving Max, or cutting his fur short, she'd tell me, and I would trust her judgment.


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