How To Shave a Golden Retriever

Shaving a golden retriever has more risks than benefits, but it’s acceptable in rare instances. Still, golden retriever fur shouldn’t be shaved down entirely.

The lustrous, dense, long coat is the staple characteristic of the breed, so golden retriever owners should know how to take proper care of their pet’s fur.

Grooming a golden retriever at home takes patience and practice, whether you want to shave your dog short or give it a simple trim.

Is Shaving Safe for Golden Retrievers?

Golden retriever grooming is a somewhat controversial topic, and many owners are confused about whether shaving is safe for golden retrievers.

Many people insist that one should never shave a golden, and this statement has valid arguments.

Golden retrievers have double fur – a dense, fluffy undercoat and long overcoat. The two layers protect a golden retriever’s skin from environmental hazards, keep it dry during swimming, and act as an insulator in cold or hot weather.

One may think that shaving a golden retriever short will help it cool off in the summer months, but it does the opposite, causing the dog to overheat.

Dogs don’t cool off by sweating through their skin as humans do. Instead, they cool off by panting and sweating through their paw pads. By shaving a golden retriever, you expose its skin to sunlight, causing it to heat up faster.

Shaving a golden retriever too short can permanently damage its coat, changing its texture. Many golden retriever owners report that their dog’s fur has become sticky after shaving, collecting more dirt and debris.

Furthermore, the coat will take a while to grow and may not grow evenly. The time the hair takes to grow back varies by dog, but it will likely take at least six months.

The undercoat will grow before the overcoat, which will look odd. In the worst-case scenario, the coat will grow out in chunks. In other words, shaving a golden retriever isn’t a solution for summertime and won’t make the grooming easier.

Some golden retriever owners get fed up with constant shedding and believe that shaving their dogs will help. Not true – a shaved golden retriever will shed just as much, but the hair will be shorter and less noticeable.

Shaving a golden retriever isn’t an effective method of dealing with fleas and ticks either. After all, short-haired dogs can also have parasites. Medications and anti-parasitic shampoos are significantly more effective.

When Shaving a Golden Retriever is Acceptable

Shaving doesn’t help a golden retriever cool off, doesn’t fight fleas and ticks, and doesn’t make a dog look any better in the long term. So why shave a golden retriever, then? Is it even worth the effort?

Perhaps, the only valid reason to shave a golden retriever is if you can’t brush its long hair regularly and it constantly tangles.

Mats can be dangerous, often leading to skin condition development, and cutting the dog’s fur short is arguably better than dealing with infected lesions. But you should never trim a golden retriever’s fur too short regardless.

If you live in an extremely hot climate, you may trim your dog’s fur in the belly, groin, and thigh area but not the chest and rib area. This way, your dog will cool off faster when it lays down on a cold surface.

You can also shave your dog’s legs shorter to prevent them from collecting dust, mud, and debris, thus saving time cleaning the house.

How Short To Shave a Golden Retriever

Now, assuming you’ve adequately evaluated your decision to shave your dog, you may wonder how short you can shave a golden retriever without harming its coat and skin. Some sources will recommend you shave a golden retriever to an inch.

However, an inch is way too short for double-coat dog breeds. The average length of a golden retriever’s undercoat is four inches, so that’s the shortest you can shave your dog. This grooming style is known as the “teddy cut.”

True to its name, the teddy cut makes golden retrievers resemble cute fluffy bears. Technically, teddy cut isn’t shaving – professional groomers do it with a snap-on comb and shears.

Teddy cut involves removing the overcoat and leaving only the undercoat, trimmed slightly shorter on the legs, feet, and belly. The puppy cut, where the fur is cut to half an inch, is not recommended for golden retrievers.

Note that you will need to brush your dog’s fur at least once a week, even with a teddy cut. However, the process will be much easier because short hair doesn’t tangle as much, and the shed hair doesn’t get stuck in the coat.

Choosing The Tools

You can trim your golden retriever’s hair shorter using clippers or grooming shears. Clippers are faster, but professionals use shears for a neater look.

Look for clippers with different blades and speeds to adjust them to your dog’s coat. The blades are typically marked with a number indicating how short the cut is – the higher the number, the shorter the cut.

You would need clippers with blades number one to three and a narrow-tooth comb to lift the coat. Even the number one blade will cut the fur too short if you simply use it against the skin.

If you don’t have experience using clippers, use a clipper guard. Cordless clippers are more convenient, especially if your dog doesn’t want to sit still and moves around. If you want to use shears, pick ones with long blades.

How To Shave a Dog Step-by-Step

Before shaving or trimming your dog’s fur, bathe it to remove all dirt and debris. Pick the right moment to do it.

Your dog should be relaxed but not sleepy because it may become irritated if you groom it when it’s trying to sleep. After the bath, dry your dog’s fur with a high-velocity blow dryer on the lowest heat setting.

Brush your golden retriever’s coat thoroughly, getting rid of tangles and knots. If you see any mats, don’t try to detangle them but carefully cut them off unless they lie too close to the skin.

Next, trim your dog’s paws and use a clipper with a number three blade to shave the bottom of its legs.

Use a narrow-tooth comb to lift the dog’s fur and trim it to about four inches on the top of the legs and body, leaving the back of the legs, the chest, and tail untouched.

Next, trim the remaining fur with shears to the desired length. You can use thinning shears to blend the transition from short to long hair. Then, cut the hair around the ears and paws to about an inch.

Finally, look the dog over and trim any stray hairs. When you’re done grooming, brush the dog to remove cut fur stuck in the coat.

Consider Professional Grooming

Making a teddy cut for a golden retriever seems straightforward, but it’s easier said than done. If you have no experience grooming dogs, consider opting for the services of a professional groomer to avoid cutting your dog’s hair too short.

A professional will know how to get rid of stubborn knots and mats and trim the fur neatly, ensuring the haircut will look great even as it grows back.

There’s no universal answer to how often golden retrievers need professional grooming. Visiting a groomer every eight to ten weeks is sufficient for most dogs to keep the coat nice and healthy, but the frequency may vary depending on the dog’s lifestyle.

Better Grooming Options For Golden Retrievers

Teddy cut isn’t the only solution for owners who don’t have time to regularly take care of their dog’s hair. A simple trim is the best haircut for golden retrievers, enhancing the natural beauty of their coat and easing the brushing.

Not only is a simple trim the most breed-appropriate grooming style for golden retrievers, but it’s also DIY-friendly.

All you need to do is trim the coat around your dog’s neck, chest, legs, belly, and tail using thinning shears without removing the length.

If you want your dog to look show-stopping, consider bringing it to a professional for a show cut. A show cut is similar to simple trim because it involves minimal cutting but requires more attention to detail.

Mistakes To Avoid When Shaving a Golden Retriever

If you want to try DIY golden retriever grooming, know the most common mistakes to avoid.

Never start clipping your dog’s fur with a short blade – begin with the longest one and change it for shorter if you find the coat too long. Don’t cut wet fur.

Don’t neglect proper brushing because shaving tangled or knotted fur is dangerous. Never attempt to detangle or cut off mats that lie close to the skin. Instead, opt for professional help to avoid hurting your dog.

Lastly, don’t shave your dog in extreme heat or cold because you may hinder its thermoregulation.

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