How to Keep Your Labrador Retriever Groomed

Most people assume that because they have short coats that Labrador Retrievers don’t need to be groomed. They are mistaken. Just like their long-haired counterparts, Labrador Retrievers need to be regularly groomed. Regular grooming sessions will keep you apprised of any health conditions your pet might develop. The sessions will also minimize the amount of hair that is shed inside your house. You and your dog will both appreciate the time you spend together.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Toenail clippers
• Narrow and wide toothed combs
• A bristle brush
• Wire slicker brush

1. When your Lab is still young the grooming sessions are probably going to be a frustrating experience. Your puppy will be more interested in playing then sitting quietly to let you groom them. The first step when grooming your Labrador Retriever is to train it to sit quietly and enjoy the moment. You will need to be patient and consistent to teach your puppy to behave during its grooming sessions.
2. You need to create a grooming kit for your dog. A small rubber container with a lid is an excellent way to keep all of your grooming supplies in one place. Eventually your Labrador Retriever will recognize the grooming kit. The items that should be in your grooming kit are; a bristle brush, wire slicker brush, a narrow and wide toothed comb, toenail clippers, a short haired rake and a pair of toenail clippers. If you are grooming your Labrador Retriever daily you won’t need most of these items very often, but as long as they are in your grooming kit you’ll have them for the times you need them.
3. When you sit down to groom your Labrador Retriever you need to remove the dead hair from the dog’s coat. The more dead hair you remove from your dog’s coat the less hair you’ll have to vacuum off your furniture. The item that best works to remove the dead hair is your short haired rake.
4. Once you’ve removed all the dead hair from your dogs coat you are ready to use one of the bristle brushes to brush your dog. Using this brush will help pull your dog’s natural oils from the coat and use them to coat the dogs hair, leaving the coat with a healthy shine.
5. When you have finished brushing your dog’s coat take a warm washcloth and remove any eye residue that might have gathered in the corners of your Labrador Retriever’s eyes. Also take a few minutes to examine the ears, if there looks like there is a wax build up use a moist washcloth and gently remove the wax. If you notice a strong odor coming from the dog’s ears you will want to talk to your veterinarian.
6. Each time you groom your Labrador Retriever take a few minutes and examine the pads on the bottom of your dog’s paws. You want make sure there aren’t any cuts, swelling, or splinters marring the pads. Also use this time to check the length of you dog’s toenails. You will need to trim your dog’s nails whenever they get to long.