With those irresistible good looks, and the funniest, friendliest demeanor you’ll find around town, it’s no wonder that golden retrievers are consistently one of the most popular breeds in the world. In fact, according to the American Kennel Club, they are, “outgoing, trustworthy, and eager-to-please family dogs, and relatively easy to train.” Who could resist a dog like that?
Initially developed as a breed in the 1800s by Lord Tweedmouth in Scotland, they are a cross of a yellow wavy coated retriever and a tweed water spaniel—making them excellent sporting dogs, retrievers (duh), and companions.
And there’s that beautiful coat! Their most noticeable attribute, their gorgeous, golden fur, sets them apart in the canine kingdom—but also come with a few special instructions to keep it shiny, chic and looking fabulous.
To help you get there, here are some golden grooming tips unique to this breed.
Basic Grooming Advice
Keeping your Golden Retriever looking cute is all about tending to that fur. They are BIG shedders since they have double coats, so their fur requires some serious attention.
- In order to keep their shedding under control, it is essential to brush them often. Your couch (and your pup) will thank you. Use a bristle brush and undercoat rake for best results.
- This is particularly important when they “blow their coats,” or when the weather gets warmer and they start to shed their thick undercoat.
- Feel free to bathe your golden retriever if they’re getting stinky, so long as you use high-quality shampoo, it shouldn’t be too damaging to their hair.
- NEVER shave your golden. Their hair is the way it is for a reason—even in warm weather, they need their double coat to keep them cool and protect them from the sun, bugs and other issues.
- This breed has a tendency to get ear infections, so it’s important to have their ears checked and cleaned regularly. Plus, some owners use special ear cleaning solutions to wash them weekly to help prevent infections.
- Try to keep the hair around the feet and pads trimmed up so they don’t develop into slippers. Oh, and keeping those nails trimmed is also a wonderful idea.
Top Golden Retriever Hairstyles
1. Simple Trim
This cut seems to be the preferred style for most owners (and groomers) since it stays true to your golden retriever’s natural hair. There isn’t actually much “cutting” involved with this haircut. In fact, for a successful Simple Trim, your dog just needs some light trimming, feathering, and maybe a little thinning out around the neck and chest.
Your golden’s hair is their crowning glory with this cut—and so long as you’re able to brush it out regularly to keep it healthy, this is a wonderful option.
2. Show Cut
Much like the Simple Trim, this cut is really about not cutting much at all. In fact, the bigger the better when it comes to that beautiful, golden coat—so long as the edges and feathering are neat and clean, and the paws, ears and sanitary areas are trimmed up appropriately.
3. The Teddy Cut
Though it’s not a good idea to shave your golden retriever’s hair, some owners are desperate for ways to keep their pup’s hair shorter in hot, humid weather. This is why some groomers have adopted the “Teddy Cut,” a way to keep the coif shorter without sacrificing the double coat.
For this cut, the body is clipped to a shorter length, and the legs are scissored in the natural shape of the dog’s coat. The tail is also trimmed, along with the feet which are cut short and curved (like a cat’s paw.)
However you decide to groom your golden retriever, they’re going to look fluffy, fantastic and cuddly—and you’ll be happy once you find the right style that fits in with your family (and budget and free time).
Just remember to always pay attention to the cues that your dog is giving you, and if something is causing them stress, then it may be time to find a different approach/hairstyle/groomer/etc. We hope these hairstyle ideas have been useful for jazzing up your pup’s coif. Happy clipping!