When it comes to grooming your Labrador Retriever, it is the best and worst of dog grooming worlds. The best in that the coat is wash and wear, and the worse in that these dogs shed non-stop year-round. As such, your Lab will seem like low or high maintenance depending on if you have allergies and how easy it is to clean your house! This page will go into detail about the various aspects of Labrador Retriever grooming.
Labrador grooming is easy as well as essential. They will shed a great amount, they don't get tangles or mats and it's simple to learn how to groom a Labrador. They love water, mud and messy things, however, so expect them to be smelly at times — but that can be cleaned easily. Labrador coats don't need to be trimmed much, if at all. Making sure their essential oils are maintained is also easy: don't bathe them unless they need it, and don't use shampoos not meant for dogs. Labs typically have coat blowouts twice a year, but they will shed all the time. You will want to get a number of different dog grooming brushes for Labradors.
Brushing is the heart of keeping your Lab happy, and there are a lot of Lab brushes you will need. If you prefer just one dog brush for your Labrador, you might want to make it a rubber curry brush. It's a good shedding brush that won't scratch the skin. You don't want to use a brush that is too stiff or that has metal tips with edges that can scratch the skin. You will want to brush your Lab daily, and you may want to devote as much time as possible. The more you brush, the healthier and happier they'll be.
One thing that you most likely won't have to worry about when it comes to Labs is getting out tangles. They may roll in mud, get dirty every day and sometimes have something that smells disgusting in their coat, but they only have mats and tangles if it is badly neglected. Since you'll brush every day to show your love for your Lab, you should use a brush that will reach deep down and get out anything that may start a tangle. The Furminator is a great brush for Labradors and will get all the way down to the undercoat, remove anything that might cause a tangle and not hurt the dog's tender skin.
A lot of people will wonder how often they should bathe their Labrador. That depends on if you use a Labrador shampoo or any other dog soap. More than most dogs, Labs have essential oils in their hair. Bathing too often with any kind of shampoo can destroy these essential oils. Most times, just a good water rinse will be enough to get the mud and debris out. If they get into something sticky or smelly, then it may be time for a Labrador bath! When you do this, you should be careful when you clean Labrador ears, eyes and nose. A good shampoo is Burt's Bees Hypoallergenic Dog Shampoo, as it will clean your smelly Labrador without harming the dog's coat or oils.
The Lab has a coat style that exhibits the dog's basic body shape. For the most part, this can be done by regular brushing. You can add flair, yet it doesn't take much clipping for a Labrador to have a coat like a show dog.
Nearly all Lab cuts and coat stylings are based on how the head and tail are trimmed. The majority of the dog's coat can be kept short, and this will help accentuate features. If your Lab is yellow but has other shades in the coat, you can trim to bring out a pattern. Clipping to bring out highlights can give your lovable Lab his own look!
With the tail, you can keep it trimmed and leave a twizzle on the end of the tail, or you can allow the hair to grow long and be feathered.
The head may require a professional groomer. The Labrador lion mane is popular, and this has to do with letting the coat grow out around the neck. Don't shave the rest of your Lab in order to make the mane stand out! Unless they are undergoing surgery or have a "hot spot" patch of hair, you aren't likely to see a shaved black or yellow lab. Shaved Labs not only don't look good, this can quickly and negatively affect their well-being.
If you must have a stylish Labrador Retriever hair cut, it is usually best to first visit a groomer. Watch as your Lab is trimmed to the desired style so you can learn how to do it yourself.
Keeping your Labrador nails properly trimmed is crucial. It's best to handle your Lab puppy's paws when he is young so he gets used to it. If your Lab's nails get too long, the pads will get pushed apart when they walk or run, and this can cause severe health problems.
You can use either clippers or a grinder. If clippers, there is the scissor-clippers style and the guillotine style. Most people go with scissor-clippers. A good pair of scissor-clippers is the Wagglies Professional Dog Nail Clipper set. If your Lab is a trained gun dog, they may be able to deal with the noise of a grinder. A recommended one is the FURminator Nail Grinder For Dogs.
Here's how to trim Lab nails:
Labs have two specific health problems that can happen. One is obesity, and the other is their teeth. Labs tend to have better teeth than most dogs, but they can still get plaque, periodontal disease, and other problems.
Lab teeth have two basic stages: puppy teeth (which fall out between 4 and 8 months) and adult teeth. With the puppy teeth, there will be a lot of chewing. It's best to start brushing their teeth while your Lab is a puppy.
Once a Lab gets his adult teeth, the rear teeth are the ones that can easily have problems. Start with a bit of dog toothpaste on your finger, then graduate to brushing some of the front teeth, then eventually the whole mouth.
Then there's Labrador bad breath. You'll probably be able to see the reason for the odor if you closely inspect your Labrador Retriever teeth. Plague buildup, bleeding gums, and unusual sores are signs it's time for a vet visit.
See the complete guide on how to care for Labrador Retrievers.
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