Best Dog Brushes for Golden Retrievers
It's hard not to feel your heart melt when looking at a Golden retriever. They are amazing with a sense to explore and enjoy with humans, but there playful nature can make you explore areas where they're only going to get dirty. It can be difficult to bring them back to their beauty because their long, wavy coat will test your grooming skills. Even if your dog doesn't play out in the mud, you'll still have to groom your Golden retrievers regularly to keep their coat healthy and shiny. That's when you'll have to look for the best dog brush for golden retriever.
Here are some options to help you select one of the best dog brushes for golden retrievers.
Chris Christensen Coral Slicker Brush
BEST for de-matting
Rated by: Amber
Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush
BEST OVERALL
Rated by: Amber
Andis Pet Steel Grooming Comb
Best affordable
Rated by: Amber
Dog Brushes for Golden Retrievers: Our Top Picks
1. Chris Christensen Coral Slicker Brush
Quick Summary
Rated by: Amber
If you're looking specifically for a slicker brush for your golden retriever, you won't regret buying this product from Chris Christensen. By using this brush, you'll make grooming so much easier for you and comfortable for your golden retriever. It serves great as a de-matting tool, which is an added benefit.
The quality is impressive and is the result of long, bendable pins. Because of these flexible pins, there's no need to worry about brush burns or irritating your dog's skin at all. The design looks good too, and the brush seems quite sturdy. It means it's going to stay with you for long.
Overall, it's one impressive slicker brush to try, as it prevents brush burn, is easy to use, and is going to last for a long time. The only issue you might encounter is regarding its price, which is a bit on the higher side as compared to other similar products on the market.
PROS
CONS
2. Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush
Quick Summary
Rated by: Amber
It's one of the best slicker brushes currently available on the market because it works gently on double-coated breeds, such as Golden Retrievers. It features fine wires that are extremely gentle on your dog's skin but still work amazingly well to remove dirt and dander. They're bent nicely, so no need to worry about scratching your dog's skin.
As it won't hurt your dog's skin, you can use it daily without an issue to slow down shedding and also promote blood circulation to keep your dog's coat healthy. It also features an anti-slip handle, which is comfortable to use and won't leave you cramped after a grooming session.
Another great feature is its self-cleaning mechanism that works reasonably well. It might be an expensive product, but it surely offers a good value for your money.
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CONS
3. Andis Pet Steel Grooming Comb
Quick Summary
Rated by: Amber
For dog owners specifically looking for a grooming tool to deal with leftover mats, the Andis comb is just the answer. Simply gliding it through the coat of your golden retriever will help leave the fur fluffy and smooth. Regular use promises a fur free of tangles and other issues.
While you can find many other similar combs in the market, Andis beats them all because of its stronger pins. The pins are strong, so it's going to last long, but the good thing is that the tips are soft enough to leave your dog's skin unharmed. The length of the pins is reasonably good, so it's possible to reach the undercoat to get rid of dead skin or loose hair.
In terms of price, this Andis comb is quite affordable. However, it's worth mentioning that some users have complained about the needles bending after a while. It's nothing serious though because it will serve you well being showing signs of wear. And again, it's affordable, so quite easy to replace as well.
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FAQ - A Buyer's Guide
How Often Should You Brush a Golden Retriever?
You'll have to do it often, and the main reason is that they have unique coats. First, there's the uppermost – top – layer, also referred to as Guard Coat. Underneath, there's a lighter and softer layer, called the undercoat. The two layers work together to create a barrier to help protect your Golden Retriever from the elements. The guard coat, which is the first layer of defense against the elements, is capable of repelling water and protecting your golden retriever from debris, dirt, and harmful UV rays. But that doesn't mean you can let your golden retriever play in the dust and mud as much as he wants because the long coat is also likely to mat and tangle, which will require regular brushing.
The softer undercoat is shorter as compared to the guard coat but its main purpose is to keep your golden retriever cool in the summer and warm in the winter. That's also the reason why you notice your golden retriever lose a lot of hair during spring and fall because that's their way to prepare for the new season. It means that just like other double coat dogs, golden retrievers will demand a lot of grooming. That’s when you'll have to think of buying the best dog brush for golden retrievers.
In most cases, it's enough to brush your golden retrievers twice a week. But, they have other grooming needs as well, which you should never ignore. For instance, it's important to clean your dog's ears at least once a week or else they're going to get ear infections. As far as the brushing goes, you may want to do it 4-5 times a month to prevent matting. Doing it more often would work better in case your golden retriever is currently shedding.
Remember, brushing alone won't suffice because it's equally important to bathe your dog regularly. You should use a mild shampoo for the task and ensure you don't do it too often because it can be harmful for their soft undercoat. Use plain water and hose the underside of your dog between baths if they get very dirty. Similarly, you need to trim their nails at least once a month. Surely, the grooming will take time and may well be a challenging process, but doing so will help keep your golden retriever look perfect.
How Do You Brush a Golden Retriever?
Knowing how important grooming is for golden retrievers, it's natural to start looking for the best brush to start with. However, buying the best slicker brush, an undercoat rake, or one of many other types of brushes for golden retrievers is not enough – you need to learn how to use those tools properly as well.
Before you even turn to brushing and go for your slicker brush or a soft bristle brush, it's important to check the current condition of your dog's coat. Do you see tough tangles? If yes, you should avoid using a slicker brush or even an undercoat rake. Instead, you should consider giving him a bath first. For this, you should use a detangling shampoo as well as a conditioner, as it will also help keep your dog's skin healthy. You can then use a soft bristle brush when your dog's coat still looks a bit damp. Here's a how to proceed:
- It's a good idea to opt for a good slicker brush first, as it's not hard on your dog's skin. Use it gently but run it through the entire coat. Make sure to focus on areas prone to tangles, such as the mane, butt, and neck.
- While using the slicker brush thoroughly is important, you should avoid using it more than thrice in the same area. Otherwise, you may end up causing brush burn and hurt your dog's skin as well.
- Switch to a long pin brush after you've successfully clear the mats and surface shedding. Keep in mind that a slicker brush is really useful, but it has its limitations and can't reach beep into your dog's coat to remove tangles. You can also try a de-shedding brush but you need to use it gently because it can be damaging when used incorrectly.
Is the Furminator Good for Golden Retrievers?
If you know how to use it, you can still get good results using the Furminator, but not every dog owner is equipped with the knowledge to use different grooming tools safely. Therefore, you may be better off staying away from the Furminator when grooming your golden retrievers.
Brushing is important for all dogs and golden retrievers are no different. Regular brushing will help golden retrievers feel happy and stay healthy. However, you need to ensure that you start brushing your golden retriever early because dogs not accustomed to get brushed won't like it later. Doing it regularly would save you a lot money and effort because it will prevent mats and other issues. Just avoid doing it with harsh Furminator tools or learn to use them properly first.
The Furminator is a great tool for shedding dogs, but not using it correctly would cut through the coat of your golden retriever. It's not worth the hassle, especially when you can get better results from an undercoat rake or another soft bristle brush. Instead of the hard Furminator, you may want to pick a brush with bendable pins. A brush with bendable and flexible pins is going to work the best, as it won't push into your dog's skin even if you put extra pressure.
Similarly, you may want to buy a brush with smoothed tips – most slicker brushes for Golden retrievers are good but some may come with sharp pins, which would make brushing a torturous experience for your dog. Just like keeping your dog comfortable, focusing on your comfort is equally important, which is why you should opt for an ergonomically designed brush with a comfortable handle. A wrong brush would cramp your hand, so a comfortable grip is crucial.
How Do I Stop My Golden Retriever from Shedding?
When you're proud golden retriever parent, you'll have to understand a few important things, and realizing that your dog is going to shed no matter what you do is one such things. However, it's also true that you can take steps to help "reduce" shedding to make it much more manageable. The first step you need to take is to brush your dog often – do it no less than thrice a week to get rid of loose hair in an organized manner. Sometimes, doing it daily is the right choice because it will help prevent tangling and make maintenance a lot easier by eliminating loose hair.
Just like brushing, bathing your golden retriever regularly is equally important to deal with shedding. It's better to do it twice a month, but not more than this because frequent bathing could cause dry skin, which is only going to exacerbates shedding. While bathing your golden retrievers, you should use dog shampoos with natural ingredients, such as oatmeal or coconut.
Similarly, it's important to pay attention to his diet because adding more protein and omega3s to your dog's diet would help prevent excessive shedding. It will also improve the overall quality of your dog's coat and keep them healthy too. Don't overfeed though because it can cause other problems.
Along with doing the right thing, you need to avoid falling for gimmicks. For instance, many companies now promote products like pills and sprays to prevent golden retriever shedding. Stay away from those products because they sometimes contain harmful chemicals that can damage your dog's coat and skin.
By keeping these points in mind, you'll be in a much better position to deal with shedding, but you should also understand that sometimes excessive shedding indicates an underlying problem. Therefore, you may want to check with your vet in case you're worried about excessive shedding.
The Best Dog Brush for Golden Retriever
You may have gathered the fact that using the right type of brush is important to tackle shedding and improve the overall health of your golden retriever. But, it can be difficult to select the best dog brush for golden retrievers, and that's when you can trust the Hertzko slicker brush with self-cleaning mechanism. It may be a bit expensive but well worth the investment. Try it today!
About the Author Steven
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