Let’s talk about Labrador Grooming
Grooming your Labrador is very simple due to the texture and nature of their hair. Labradors are known to have short hair as opposed to other breeds that have long, shaggy hair. Most, if not all breeds, shed hair though a Lab’s short cover is less demanding as far as maintaining it is concerned. You may have realized that a Lab’s coat is short, thick, and coarse. In the case of dark Labradors, their hair is extremely shiny. Additionally, their coat is water-resistant. Here is all you need to know as far as grooming your labrador is concerned:
Lab dogs are very active dogs that love to explore their immediate environments. However, with the Golden Retrievers, this is a major problem since any mud or dirt easily shows up on their coat. In that case, you should always check your dog’s coat. Sometimes, some insects hide beneath the coats and remain there until you find out yourself. They might go undetected for quite a long time. Ultimately, grooming your Labrador time and again saves you the hassle and your dog the discomfort later on.
As you brush him, the old hair falls away. This circular motion activates his skin cells and with each stroke, his natural oils are secreted. These oils give the Labrador’s coat a unique sheen. The brushing also allows air to circulate through his coat thus making your dog feel cooler. Be sure to perform this task outside your house, if possible. Also wear something old bearing in mind the fact that the hair is simply going to fly everywhere, even on you.
As soon as you are done combing your dog, go ahead and bathe him. Soak him with water so that it seeps down well through his coat and bear in mind that human shampoos are not ideal for dogs. This is because it interferes with the Ph balance of their coat. These shampoos are great for human beings but harsh on dogs. Therefore, using it on your dog may make him lose his natural body oil which is very important for their coat.
If you have to use shampoo then apply a very small amount over his body and using your hand, gently work up and down to form a thick lather. Be careful not to enter any into his ears. Moreover, when grooming him, take special care of his paws and legs as these are the areas where the most dirt accumulates. Fleas are normally found on his tail so be sure to wash this area clean and thoroughly. Wash off the foam and dry your lab coat properly.
Remember to also clean his nails, ears, and eyes. Usually, nails on lab dogs tend to grow more rapidly than any other dog out there so you want to clip them at least once after two weeks. If you notice gooey dirt in the corner of his eyes, go ahead and clean it using a damp cotton cloth or ball. Do it gently. Avoid cleaning your dog’s ears using earbuds. Dog ears are completely different from ours. In fact, they have very sensitive ears, and inserting anything into their ears will make them to want to bite you! Cleaning ears require special attention from a veterinarian. Alternatively, let the vet give or prescribe the best solution that you should use to clean your dog’s ears as well as the entire grooming of your adorable pet.
Most importantly, to avoid the hassles of dog hair here and there in your house, learn to groom your dog as mentioned earlier in this post (at least once every two weeks). There is no better attention or proper care you can give your dog apart from grooming them. Once the shedding is complete, you can get back to play once again!