Does your Golden Retriever have a lot of hair? Goldens are quite known for their gorgeous long-haired coats, but what do you do for your Golden Retriever during the summer? Here we will learn about the types of summer cuts for Golden Retrievers. You can get your Golden trimmed, but it needs to be a certain type of cut that will not damage the coat. Learn about it all here.
Should I Cut my Golden Retriever’s Hair in the Summer?
Yes, your Golden Retriever should get a haircut occasionally. However, never shave your dog with shavers because that can actually be harmful to your dog. When you shave your dog, it will lose that layer that protects them that will help regulate body temperature. Your dog needs this layer to help keep itself warm in the winter. In the summer, this layer will keep your dog from getting sunburnt.
Establishing a consistent grooming routine with your Golden Retriever is also very important. Golden Retrievers do shed a lot of hair, so regular brushing will help get some of that shedding hair loose and stick to the brush, not your carpet.
How Do you Cut a Golden Retriever for Summer?
If it is summer where you live or coming up on summer, you may want to get your Golden Retriever a haircut. Below you will find two cuts that will work great for your dog in the summertime. These cuts do not hurt the layers of coat your dog has to help regulate them in the summer and winter months.
Summer Cut
Just like the name suggests, the summer cut will work great for your Golden Retriever. The summer cut is basically a trim that follows your dog’s natural outline or the shape of its coat. This trim can be quite short without compromising your dog’s ability to keep cool by regulating its temperature.
Usually, your dog will also have their feet, ears, and chest trimmed with this cut. As a result, your dog will overall look very clean-cut and ready for the summer.
Teddy Bear Cut
This next cut that you can give your Golden Retriever is called the teddy bear cut. This is another highly recommended cut for breeds with a double coat for summertime. A professional groomer can help you achieve this look by trimming the hair of the body while still keeping the natural look that Golden Retrievers have. The tail and feet of your dog are also trimmed but more in a curved natural shape. Your Golden will still have quite a fluffy appearance, but it will be shorter and cleaner cut.
Are Summer Cuts Good for Dogs?
Summer cuts for Golden Retrievers are definitely beneficial for your dog. While they aren’t necessary, they can provide some relief during those hot summer months. Keeping your dog’s hair trimmed also keeps tangles away. Make sure you are still following a consistent grooming routine for your Golden Retriever.
How Often Should you cut a Golden Retrievers Hair?
Your dog would benefit from regular trims when it goes to see the professional groomer. This can be done about every 8 to 10 weeks. A trim doesn’t have to be a full cut, but it will just help trim the ends of the hair so it won’t get tangled. The groomer can also professionally trim by the pads of your dog’s feet, near the face, and by the ears. I definitely recommend letting a groomer take care of this instead of doing it yourself.
Why You Should Never Shave a Golden Retriever
You should never shave your Golden Retriever for a few reasons. We will discuss why it is a bad idea below.
The Coat Acts as Protection
Golden Retrievers have a double coat. This coat will act as a protective layer keeping your dog cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Basically, your dog can do its own form of self-regulating its body temperature. For example, when you shave your dog, you may think it is cooler now that the coat is shorter, but it is quite the opposite and can cause more damage.
Less Skin Irritation
Many dog breeds with double coats have sensitive skin. This coat will protect the dog from some of these elements. If you shave your dog’s coat, you may notice your dog developing skin irritation to things it might not have been sensitive to before. Your dog will likely itch and cause redness of the skin.
Damages the Coat
Shaving a Golden Retriever will actually damage your dog’s coat. Once you have shaved it, it will not grow back the way it once was before. It can damage the coat and even make it look different when it grows back.
Bug Bites
Your Golden Retrievers coat actually helps repel bugs and ticks. While your Golden can still get ticks and fleas, it is much harder when your Golden has a long non-shaved coat. This is because the bugs will have a hard time even getting to your dog’s skin trying to get through that thick double coat.
Won’t Stop Shedding
If you think shaving your dog will stop its shedding, you are completely wrong. While shedding may seem like it has reduced, it hasn’t. Your Golden Retriever will still shed during the summer; just now, you have a lot of little hairs all over your home instead of longer ones.
Looks
While you may think your dog looks cute with its short-shaved cut, nothing beats the long beautiful natural coat that the Golden Retriever has. Unfortunately, as I have said above, when you shave the coat, it won’t grow back as naturally as it looked.
How to Keep Your Golden Retriever Cool in the Summer
Here you will find some quick tips to help keep your Golden cool during those hot summer months.
- When it is hot outside, make sure you always have water accessible for your dog. Even if you are outside exercising with your dog, make sure you bring along water and a bowl. If you can bring a bowl, bring a water bottle that you can allow your dog to drink water from.
- Again, when you exercise, try to do it at cooler times of the day. For example, it is often better to take your dog outside early or later in the evening when the sun isn’t at its hottest.
- Remember those cheap plastic kiddie pools that you can buy for toddlers? Well, they work great for dogs too. First, fill up the pool in a shady spot with some cool water. Then, allow your dog to go into the pool to cool off.
- Don’t leave your dog alone in the car on a hot summer day. Temperatures can be much higher in a hot car than outside.
- Watch out for signs of heat exhaustion. If your dog exhibits any signs of excessive panting, drooling, dizziness, etc., you need to stop and make your dog take a break, water break, and shade laying break.
Conclusion
Summer cuts for Golden Retrievers do not have to be difficult to achieve. You can take your dog to a professional groomer to achieve these looks. However, make sure you stay away from shaving your dog because it is not beneficial for Goldens. Leave your summer grooming tips for Golden Retrievers in the comments below.
