You may be wondering how often is enough when it comes to bathing your golden retriever. Look at it this way; your golden retriever has way more hair than you do, yet you’re constantly washing your hair.
It’s the same way you need to be regularly washing your retriever’s hair, even though it should not be every single day. Washing your retriever’s hair regularly prevents it from being a harbinger of bacteria that could pose significant health risks to your dog.
The Golden Retriever does require regular bathing and grooming. This energetic sporting dog can be bathed as frequently as every week up to no longer than every 6 weeks.
With this double-coated breed, regular baths and proper drying sets the foundation for maintaining healthy skin and coat.
Mind you, however, that too much washing could rid your dog’s hair of its natural oils and cause his skin to be dry. You do not want that for your dog!
How Often Is Enough?
There are lots of conflicting information out there on how often you should bathe your retriever and yet, this really depends on a lot of factors like how often your dog is out there playing and the nature of your environment.
We however recommend an average of once a month or as often as twice a week, depending on the factors aforementioned. Note that washing your dog too much can also be deleterious to his skin and overall health. If your dog loses his natural oils, he’ll have very unappealing, dull coats.
Natural oils tend to protect retrievers from dandruff and other infections, so you can understand how detrimental it can be if they lose them through too much bathing.
However, leaving your dog unbathed for far too long may also leave your dog with some smell, even though retrievers are not known to usually produce any funks.
What You Need To Know About Bathing Your Golden Retriever
- Every dog loves to be pampered, even during baths. You might want to be as gentle as possible, especially if it’s your retriever’s first bath. You also need them to be calm to ensure a smooth bath. This is why it is important to give your dog a treat before you start and even during the bath. Yes, reward them for just being good lads. You can also have their favourite toys around them during the bath.
- Once your dog has settled and is ready, you should decide on whether you want to bathe him in your bathtub or a doggy tub.
- The water you will use should be moderately warm and not too hot, as this can irritate your dog’s skin or even cause harm. Contact your vet if you’re not sure how warm the water should be.
- You use the appropriate shampoo for your retriever. There are specific shampoos for golden retrievers. Go to a shop and ask to be guided if you’re not sure, so you don’t use any shampoo that will be detrimental to your dog’s skin.
- In bathing them, you should first brush your retriever’s fur to rid it of tangles and then lather it with the shampoo gently. Rinse them with moderately warm water afterwards. You can now clean them with a towel, never a hairdryer, and allow the natural air to dry them.
- Now that you’re done bathing your dog, you should reward them with treats for good behaviour. They’ll love this. If you are not sure how to properly bath your dog, you can always hire a professional to assist you. There could be instances where you may have to bathe your retriever outside their scheduled bath period; like when they accidentally get mud on their fur. You should them as soon as possible to avoid the mud getting dried on their skin.
Conclusion
The question of how often you should bathe your dog is largely dependent on his lifestyle. However, an average of once a month or twice a week should suffice.
It is important to not bathe your retriever too much or too less, as both will be detrimental to your dog’s skin and overall health.
Always talk to your vet to know what exactly to do.
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