[RWebb]

Grooming
Mr. Bubble
Goldens love to be groomed. Brushing is a real pleasure for them. Start
grooming, or, I mean, continue grooming your puppy right away. With puppies, I
use a pin brush with round points or rubber protective ends. I brush puppies on
a table and have them stand for their grooming. This will make grooming when
your puppy is full grown, easier, and should you take your dog to a groomer,
trust me, your groomer will appreciate a well mannered dog on the table. It
also makes the experience much better for your dog. Brushing while standing is
much easier said than done with a puppy. But, don't give up. He will learn.
Try having some one feed your puppy some peanut butter off their fingers at
first to get him to hold still.
Brush the entire dog: head, back, legs, chest and paws. You want to handle paws
often, as you will need to trim their nails approximately every 2 weeks. For
nail trimming, you will want to buy a trimmer for large dogs. Resco brand is
the best brand, and I recommend it. You will also need some “Stop Bleed” or
“Kwick Stop” just in case you cut too close. Never trim nails unless you have
some stop bleed by your side. Nails bleed a lot. If you do trim too close, do
not make a big deal out of it. Calmly apply the stop bleed and go onto the next
nail. I am sure it hurts some when we do this, but sometimes it just happens,
and they recover very quickly. Like, as soon as you are finished and let them
down off the table. I see dogs regularly that strongly object to having their
nails trimmed and I have to either muzzle them, or refer them to a vet. This is
pure silliness! Work on this care of your Goldens feet is very important.
Nails that are not trimmed can be injured, requiring a trip to the vet that
could be costly, not to mention painful for the dog.
When bathing, use only pH balanced shampoo for dogs. Puppies get dirty fast and
bathing them when they are young is easy and part of the learning experience.
Puppies can be bathed in the kitchen sink for the first month. Puppy coats dry
fast. However, you want to make sure your puppy is dried well and does not
catch a chill. This is a great time for some crate time with a towel to play
with, followed by a trip outside when he is dry and a playful brushing. Never
put shampoo directly on the coat. Use a bucket and a couple ounces of shampoo
diluted in water and a sponge to apply to your already wet puppy. It is very
important you get all the shampoo rinsed out, or you will have a puppy with
flaky skin. We call bathing a dog, giving the dog a “bath”. Actually, it's
giving the dog a shower. Goldens have double coats and it's almost impossible
to get all the shampoo out of the coat unless you use the shower method. I
never fill a bath tub with water and “bathe” a dog in standing water.
Adult coats have natural oils that make Goldens water repellent to protect them
when they are working in the field. Unless you are showing or field working
your grown Golden should not require bathing more than every other month, and
should not be over bathed, as over bathing can lead to poor skin and damaged
“lifeless” coat. If you must bathe more frequently, as a groomer, I suggest you
use skin conditioning shampoo, or shampoo that does not contain soap.
Ears. What did you say? Your Goldens ears must be kept clean and dry. Goldens
are prone to ear infections, mostly due to moist conditions related to the drop
ear flaps. If your puppy's ears smell foul, consult your vet. I clean ears
ever other week, but check them weekly. I only use real cotton balls, not
cosmetic puffs. The puffs have fibers that irritate the ear. You can use ear
cleaners that you purchase at a pet store for megga bucks, or you can do what my
vet has me do: Mix a 50% vinegar and 50% rubbing alcohol mixture. The alcohol
dries the ear canal and the vinegar changes the pH balance in the ear preventing
yeast growth. 99.9% of ear infections in Goldens are yeast infections because
the ears are a warm and moist place for yeast to grow. Please understand this
is a preventative only, not a cure for yeast infections. If you have problems
with the ears, do not assume anything. Take you dog to the vet. Never use
Q-Tips to clean ears, even though it's extremely hard to damage the ear drum due
to the construction of the canal. It is best left to the vet to stick things in
the ears. Q-tips can push wax or objects down into the ear, hence requiring a
vet visit. I flood the ear with cleaner and rub the ear canal, then clean out
with a cotton ball. This helps expel rather than force things down further.
Adult coat care during the “shedding season” requires brushing out dead
undercoat. For this, a handy tool to have is an undercoat rake. You can
purchase them at a good pet supply store. They really cut your grooming time
and when used properly are easier on the skin than a slicker brush. When using
an undercoat rake, be gentle. Pull away from the skin, do not rake the skin. I
am more than willing to train you in proper grooming of your Golden when the
time comes.
Learning to Learn
No!
No! Is the most important command you will ever teach your puppy. No means No.
No, “maybe” or “oh, well” or “just this once”. No gray areas! I do not hit my
puppies, I teach them “no”. Your Golden wants to please you. He lives to
please you. He will learn with the proper use of the command “no”. “No” is not
just a word. It is a command and the foundation of a loving pet. Hitting a
puppy can make him hand shy. I don't like to see a Golden who winces at a hand.

Toys
That's a Woobie, Mom! I'm sure!
Goldens are very oral and relish in a good chew. Puppies don't know the
difference between a discarded tennis shoe and a two hundred dollar pair of
boots and will chew on anything they are allowed to. This includes, furniture,
electrical cords, house plants, etc. Puppies don't know electrical cords can
bite back with a deadly result, or that house plants can be toxic, or that piece
of furniture is a 200 year old antique. They are just into oral gratification.
Supervision and the “No” command are a must. Make an investment in a few, safe
toys. I never purchase cheap toys for my dogs. I only buy nylabone, gummybone,
or natural hard rubber toys. The less expensive toys can be destroyed easily
and cause life threatening situations. Squeaky toys or toys with bells are best
for supervised play only. Goldens will make a project of getting the squeaky
out and eat the remains: not good. I do not give rawhide, cow hoofs, pigs ears,
etc. As they can cause intestinal blockages. In short, all toys should be
industrial strength.