ninaandted Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 (edited) Ted is my first golden retriever, who is just eleven months old and as we are coming back into tick season here i just wanted to check with any golden experts about shedding and if it is okay to cut back some of his hair. he has a very thick coat at the moment and a very thick kind of mane, which is great for him during the cold, but i wanted to find out if he would shed alot of that before summer, and if he doesn't, is it okay to cut back some of his hair where it is really thick so that i can check better for ticks. we put advantix on both the dogs fortnightly and try and check them daily, just out of habit, but at the moment his coat is so thick i'm not sure if we would necessarily find them. he recently had a couple of sores that i didn't find for a couple of days i suspect and we wouldn't have that kind of timeline with ticks, so i'm a bit concerned. anyone have any experience with this? thanks, naomi edited 'cause i can't type one handed Edited July 24, 2005 by ninaandted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 (edited) If you are in a tick area then I would shave him. Although do be warned that it does ruin their coat...well I think so anyway, although I know others don't . I find it grows back alot coarser and thicker. Although better to have a coarse coated dog than a dead one from a tick. I've lost a dog from a tick before despite regular checks so I realise I am a little paranoid ETA: oops, I'm not a Golden Retriever expert though, sorry. But I am a vet nurse and a groomer ;) Edited July 24, 2005 by Dru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel774 Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 Nooooooooooooo dont shave him! Shaved goldens look like a lab gone wrong! As a goldie owner in a tick area I know how stringent you have to be but you will find them if they are there. Just make sure you feel the skin with your hand. They can be hard to spot (and easy to loose "was that one?" "that what?" "oh crap I cant find it!") but if your skin can run along the skin you can notice differences in colouration. Kaden had a few scabs during last tick season (from trying to climb the puppy fencing!) that gave us a good scare but we did find them all and he also had a tick that we found in his puppy coat - which I found even harder to look through because it was so tight and fluffy, harder to see the skin. I am going to get some advantix for the tick season and keep up with the checks. If you do it all the time and they are used to it you shouldnt have a problem. You can shave them if you want but it's not nice and you shave it once, you're shaving forever (and each time earlier than the last) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldielover Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 I agree - don't shave him! Keep up the daily checks and spot-ons for prevention every 2 weeks. With a golden, you could get an undercoat rake to remove some of the dead hair/undercoat. Also grab a pair of thinning scissors and you can cut the coat around his neck/chest, a little on the shoulders and the rear/pants. Here's a link for grooming a golden: http://www.geocities.com/thebumperbox/grgroom.html Cheers, Jenny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 I'm not a Golden expert either but I do have long-coated Gundogs which I inspect on a daily basis for "nasties". Is it possible to teach him to lay down to be groomed and then "line brush" him? This basically means grooming him from top to toe working on a line of coat at a time until literally every hair on his body and every crevice and skin fold has been examined? It sounds like hard work, and it's not easy but once you get the hang of it, it really won't take a great deal of time to do. I groom my guys out whilst watching TV and my fingers have become highly senstive to any variation of hair or skin. Great for "together time" too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceilidh Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 Even if you clip him down you are still going to have to go over him, unless of course you actually shave him literally to the skin ;) I personally would never clip him, just rake out the dead hair, use a tick preventative and go over him regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninaandted Posted July 24, 2005 Author Share Posted July 24, 2005 thanks everyone for your replies (I didn't mean to restrict it to just golden retriever experts! sorry about that!!) thanks for the great link. i brush him everyday with a wire brush and he just loves it and loves me checking everywhere for ticks, he's very patient and laps up the attention so I don't have a problem with checking him everyday - i'm just paranoid about missing anything because at the moment I can't see his skin through his fur, I can only feel for things! i just think it would be tick heaven in his mane and he's already a bit of a flea bag - if there is a flea within a kilometre radius he seems to pick it up! and we have to use the advantix fortnightly for the fleas alone!!! Nina on the other hand doesn't get fleas at all!! i didn't really want to have to shave him, he looks so regal with his big mane of fur and his gold curls, but i might just thin it out a bit as suggested. Thanks everyone! Naomi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espinay2 Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 If you can afford it, a professional grooming may assist in freeing up the coat a bit and make your job a bit easier. The main benefit is the drying, really. A good forced air blow dryer can get rid of a lot of the loose hair and free up the coat right down to the skin. Another thing you can use to thin out the coat is a Mars Coat King. Quite effective, but be careful not to get carried away with it. Do a few swipes then brush, then a few more swipes and so on until you get the desired thickness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 i'm just paranoid about missing anything because at the moment I can't see his skin through his fur, Is there somebody who is able to show you how to brush him properly? If you're brushing properly with the correct type of brush, you should be able to see his skin! Keeshond, Samoyed, Newfoundland people etc will tell you what hard work it can be to brush their breeds correctly, but they MUST do it or they have felted matts at skin level and that isn't good at all. I can understand that he has a lot of undercoat, but correct brushing and using some sort of stripping tool (Coat Kings are great but VERY expensive!!) will make that easier for you in the long run. If he is picking up the fleas at home, you may need to give some thought to "bombing" your home for the little blighters. Sprinkle borax powder on the floors and couches, leave sit for a while and then vaccuum well. Make sure you let the powder drift right up to walls, doors and skirting boards or the fleas have an escape route. I don't know what you feel about chemicals but I know that many people in high flea areas have good results with products like Capstar and Proban to kill the fleas and stop their cycle and then good housekeeping to remove the evidence. I would also give consideration to a tick collar if you live in an area that is prone to tick infestations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninaandted Posted July 25, 2005 Author Share Posted July 25, 2005 (edited) i don't really have anyone who can show me, but I think after reading all these replies it might be worth booking him in for a professional job and asking for some tips. I know nothing about brushes, I just use a big wire one we bought from the pet store and brush him daily. It gets a big hair ball out each day - but there are always more even more golden "tumbleweeds" around the house so we have to vacuum daily. I just thought it was the breed!! I make sure his hair doesn't get matted - it is just so thick at the moment that there doesn't seem to be much space between hairs to see the skin. I'm not sure where he is picking up the fleas but it must be somewhere in the yard - I'm actually allergic to their bite so I'm a good barometer usually if there are fleas in the house or on an animal because they bite me and I start feeling sick! but I'll certainly look into the flea bomb angle. I've never done one before, they kind of freak me out a bit (don't know why... must have some deep seeded issues there!!) Thanks, Naomi Edited July 25, 2005 by ninaandted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 I just use a big wire one we bought from the pet store and brush him daily. OK, we can start here. You MUST have a good-quality slicker brush (like a flat pad with a rubber base and metal "spikes" coming out of it and then they bend at about a 90degree angle). Looks like a torture instrument of sorts and used incorrectly can cause a lot of pain to the dog because you can actually inflict "burns" on their skin. Together with the slicker brush, a sturdy pinbrush is a good idea but a good quality metal comb is an essential. To do the job properly you need to get into a routine of brush, comb, brush, comb over the ENTIRE dog and not just what you can see. The more dead hair you can remove during brushing, the less you will see around the house. It is the dead hair that is mingling with the living hair and staying close to the skin which is preventing you from seeing it. If you purchased your kid from a breeder, why don't you contact them and ask for some grooming help. Otherwise, contact the Golden Retriever Club in your area and they may well have some grooming sheets that they can give you, or put you in touch with a breeder or fancier near you who might be able to assist. As for the flea problem....call an exterminator who specialises in flea removal. They can do the outside areas as well. It can be costly, but is well worth the trouble and expense! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abzndbonnie Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 I cant add much more than what these guys have said, they have covered everything pretty much just dont shave him whatever you do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninaandted Posted July 25, 2005 Author Share Posted July 25, 2005 boy am I glad I asked! you are right about the slicker brushes looking like items of torture. I've looked at them in the shop but as I didn't know what they were for or how to use them so I didn't even think about buying them. they looked a bit scary. i promise I won't shave him!! I'll get in touch with the nearest golden club. unfortunately we didn't get him from a real breeder, we actually bought him off a guy who was going to set up his own back yard breeding but had to move and so he sold both the two goldens he was going to use as the breeding pair when they were four months old - or at least that was the story he told us. i know we shouldn't encourage that kind of behaviour but when we saw poor little Ted all frightened, covered in fleas and scabs and underweight we couldn't leave him there. anyway - i'll find the local club and hopefully they will be happy to help. I hadn't thought about the clubs before because we didn't get him from a breeder and we obviously weren't going to show him (otherwise I would probably have a better idea of grooming!) Thanks everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 What is also good are the long toothed undercoat rakes (with long and short teeth) - especially if your boy has a thick coat. This is what has saved my day when I was grooming Rough Collies! Slicker brushes are essential and fantastic! I think Oster also makes a dematter that is similar to the Coat King? I am lucky with my guys - all I need for Diesel is a slicker brush (although I do have an undercoat rake as well). Zoe only needs a flea comb ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 Glad everyone like my suggestion ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAL Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 I agree with Mel... Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo A golden has a double layered coat. A coarse other layer that sheds rain and such, and a finer under coat that protects them from the extremes of cold, particularly in freezing Scottish rivers doing what they love most. If you clip the coat it never grows back right, so I would recommend lightly stripping the coat weekly to remove loose fur, and treating with a tick control spot on treatment or tablet. Consult your vet which one would be best for your area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninaandted Posted July 25, 2005 Author Share Posted July 25, 2005 (edited) Glad everyone like my suggestion  Sorry Dru!! ;) I'm not game to shave him now!!! you'll all be pleased to know that my OH is very glad that you all suggested not shaving him. Mind you, even though Ted is in theory "his" dog, I do all the brushing, medicating, feeding, walking, training... he's very keen to go to the shops this weekend and buy the brushes and combs, but I know who'll be using them!!! anyway - I'll do whatever is necessary to look after our smiley boy - here's a photo of him when he was about six months old. he's much more golden know and his fur is much thicker, but this is his experssion pretty much all the time. (except when I'm refusing to feed him AGAIN) Edited July 25, 2005 by ninaandted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clyde Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 (edited) Glad everyone like my suggestion  Sorry Dru!! ;) I'm not game to shave him now!!! Everyone's right though it will stuff up his coat. Like I mentioned I am tick paranoid, but I also can't deal with long coated dogs anymore - Im surrounded by three long haired pets and so over the grooming of them all. I guess Ive gotten lazy and clipping for my swf in summer is now my easy way out The main problem is dealing with the swf's coat during winter now when it grows back. It's totally stuffed and matts very easily, if he wasn't so tiny I would shave him in winter too ETA: I love that pic, I swear he is laughing at me!! Edited July 25, 2005 by Dru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel774 Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 hehehehehe can't beat the smile of a golden!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calzen Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 if you live in the sydney area - the golden retriever club is holding a grooming day in september will let you know the date and venue when i find out... :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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