To bathe a Golden Retriever, here are the ten steps you’ll need to follow:
1. Get The Gear
2. Brush Them Clean
3. Prep The Water
4. Soak Them
5. Wash WIth Shampoo
6. Brush Again
7. Rinse
8. Brush and Dry
Learning how to bathe a Golden Retriever is important because they can get pretty dirty frolicking through the yard and even throughout the day when it seems like they’re not doing anything at all. (funny how that happens)
Knowing the proper bathing techniques not only helps improve the experience for you and your Goldie but it’s good for their overall health.
In this guide, we’ll outline the eight steps you’ll want to follow every time your Golden Retriever gets near the bath.
What You Need
Let’s start with supplies. Here’s a quick list of everything you’ll want:
- Special dog shampoo
- A good deshedding brush
- Positive reinforcement treats
Maybe a hair dryer? This isn’t a necessity but it helps dry their coat more easily because it’s so thick. It can be hard to get them entirely dry with a towel.
How to Bathe Your Golden Retriever
Here are the steps you’ll want to follow.
1. Get The Gear
- Gather all of your supplies and have everything within an arm’s reach so you don’t have to walk away and risk your pup jumping out of the bath.
2. Brush Them Clean
- Brush your Goldie to get started to remove any loose fur and get their coat nice and soft so you can penetrate deep with the soap.
3. Prep The Water
- Never put your Golden Retriever directly in the bath and turn the water on because we’ve probably all faced a situation like that once or twice. Make sure to test it and get it right first.
4. Soak Them
- Soak their coat really well so you can get a nice lather going once you start to work in the soap. Be careful around their face, nose, eyes, and ears.
5. Wash WIth Shampoo
- Now you want to start massaging the shampoo all the way down to the skin to get all the deep dirt out and away from their body. Scrub everywhere and leave no stone unturned.
6. Brush Again
- Do not wash the shampoo out yet, instead, give them another brush with the shampoo in their coat. This helps get it deeper down while also removing more excess hair.
7. Rinse
- Make sure to do a thorough rinse and do not leave any shampoo in their hair because it can lead to skin problems.
8. Brush
- Once you’re certain you’ve rinsed them off enough, it’s time to pat them dry, use a hair dryer if necessary, and brush them while you’re doing it to pull all the water out.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to properly bathe your Golden Retriever is an important part of pet ownership. It’s a great bonding opportunity and a chance for the two of you to get even closer. Be patient if it’s their first and don’t expect every Golden Retriever to enjoy the bath!
