Brushing a Golden Retriever is an important part of your dog grooming sessions. It is the easiest way to keep his coat clean and shiny, and to keep your home free of big golden tufts of fur. Brushing distributes the natural coat oils to the ends of the hair. It stimulates skin circulation , and pulls the dull, dead hairs out of the coat.

You don’t really need to brush your Golden Retriever every day, but if you do, you will probably need to vacuum less often. Plus, brushing is a great way to bond with your dog. Most Golden Retrievers love the feeling of being brushed, and love the fact that you are spending some focused time on them.

When brushing a Golden Retriever, be sure to groom the entire coat. Here is one method to get the most out of brushing:

• First, brush the body coat in the opposite direction of growth, from tail towards the head.
• Next, brush in the direction of growth, from head to tail.
• Brush your Golden’s head and ears carefully, or use a steel comb for these areas.
• Brush down each leg, paying special attention to the mat-prone areas where the legs meet the body.
• Brush your Golden’s chest and belly.
• Brush the tail, paying special attention to the mat-prone area at the base of the tail.
• Once a week, follow brushing with a thorough combing. Use a steel comb and be sure to comb from the skin, to catch any mats or tangles close to the coat that you might not see or feel with a brush. This is a good time to check for signs of fleas.
• During periods of heavy shedding, use the coat rake to pull out the dead undercoat more efficiently.