Grooming
There’s not much to grooming Goldens! A good bath, trim around the paw pads/feet, and nail trimming will do the trick.
In the first months, you won't need to do much on the grooming front besides nail trims and getting them comfortable with the brush.
We brush them regularly to help keep the shedding down. You’ll notice they go through cycles where they shed heavier (late spring and late fall). We use a standard brush most often and when shedding is extra heavy we will use the furminator.
Occasionally in the summer, if we’re doing a lot of swimming, we have the groomer shave under the bottoms of their ears (where there’s a lot of hair that can become matted with getting wet).
We recommend using gentle shampoos, like the Skouts Honor Probiotic brand, with limited fragrances/parfumes to avoid skin sensitivity.
Brushing Teeth
They will have puppy teeth until about 12-14 weeks of age and should not need to be brushed. If they are active chewers and have good chew toys (nylabone, benebone, deer antlers), they likely won’t need much help in the teeth brushing department. If/when you need to brush adult teeth, you can:
• use a regular toothbrush or special doggie toothbrush
• purchase something like OraVet Dental Hygiene Chews
• pay a groomer to do it
Clipping Toenails
It’s better to trim them at least every 4 weeks, best to trim them every 3 weeks. We start them on a good path by using this nail grinder which you can continue with until their nails get big. Starting young and making it a routine will help you in the future. If clipping becomes too stressful for you at home, you can have the vet do it or go to a groomer. Every time we go to the vet, I ask them to do it (it’s usually an extra $10-$15).