How Often Should You Brush a Golden Retriever? (And How to Do It Right)

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The short answer: Brush your golden at least once a week, ideally two to three times. When they’re blowing coat, which happens once or twice a year, brush every day. Daily brushing won’t hurt them, but heavy pressure can. Work down to the skin with a slicker brush, an undercoat rake and a steel comb, and never shave a golden.

In this guide

1. How often should I brush my golden retriever?
2. Can I brush my golden retriever every day?
3. Can you brush a golden retriever too much?
4. What grooming tools does a golden retriever need?
5. How do you line brush a golden retriever, step by step?
6. How do you know you’re done brushing?
7. Where do mats hide on a golden?
8. What if your golden hates being brushed?
9. Should you shave a golden retriever in summer?
10. What does a simple brushing routine look like?
11. FAQs
12. Bottom line

How often should I brush my golden retriever?

A golden has a double coat: a soft, fuzzy undercoat under a longer outer coat. The AKC says that outer coat should wrap around the body “like a jacket”, and the undercoat needs regular removal or it ends up all over your house.

Goldens shed a moderate amount all year and heavily once or twice a year. Owners call the heavy stretch “blowing coat.” If you’ve found golden fuzz bunnies drifting under the couch, you’ve met it.

Here’s how often to brush, based on the AKC’s grooming guides:

When	How often
Normal weeks	At least once a week. Combing two to three times a week helps prevent mats
Blowing coat	Every day
Around the ears and tail	A quick daily brush or comb, if you can

Can I brush my golden retriever every day?

Yes. A trainer writing for Preventive Vet says daily brushing is best for double-coated breeds, and the AKC has you brushing daily through heavy shedding anyway. A slicker brush and a comb, used gently, are fine every day.

Can you brush a golden retriever too much?

Not by brushing often. The trouble comes from brushing hard. Preventive Vet warns that brushing too hard or too long with a deshedding tool can irritate the skin and damage the coat. Even FURminator, which makes the best-known deshedding tool, says to use it once or twice a week for 10 to 20 minutes a session (more in heavy shedding seasons), not every day.

So:

• Use light strokes. You’re lifting loose hair out, not scrubbing the skin.

• Save any deshedding blade for once or twice a week. The slicker and comb can go daily.

• Watch the skin as you go. The AKC points out that regular grooming helps you catch problems early. If you see red, sore or flaky patches, stop brushing there and check with your vet.

What grooming tools does a golden retriever need?

Three tools do almost all the brushing: a slicker brush, an undercoat rake and a steel comb.

The Golden Retriever Club of America’s grooming article starts its kit with a medium/fine steel comb and a slicker brush, then adds shears, nail clippers or a grinder, and a dryer with a cool setting. It also says an electric clipper has “no place” in a golden’s grooming kit.

Tool	Its job	Where to use it
Slicker brush	Lifts out loose undercoat and small tangles	The whole body, in sections
Undercoat rake	Reaches deep for dead undercoat and helps prevent mats	The body, mostly in shedding season
Steel comb	Catches what the brush missed and tells you when you’re done	Feathering behind the ears, chest, legs and tail

One note: the AKC’s golden guide uses a pin brush on the body instead of a slicker. Either one works. What doesn’t is a soft bristle brush, which the AKC says won’t get through a golden’s thick coat.

These are picks that fit a golden, based on the breed club’s kit and each maker’s specs. We haven’t tested them ourselves, and nobody sent them to us.

Slicker brush: Chris Christensen Big G Slicker, Large. The maker builds the Big G with long 27mm pins for long, dense coats, says it removes thick undercoat, and lists the Large size for bodies. Its at-home version of the same brush names golden retrievers among the coats it’s made for. On Reddit, golden owners grumble about the price and then admit it’s worth the money.

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Undercoat rake: Safari Double Row Undercoat Rake with Rotating Pins. The maker, Coastal, says the double row is for thick, dense undercoats, and the rounded, rotating pins are there for comfort. It comes in one Medium/Large size. Golden owners on Reddit lean toward a plain, inexpensive rake over pricier deshedding tools. As one owner put it, “They work better than the Furminator for deshedding.”

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Steel comb: Chris Christensen 005 Fine/Coarse Long Tooth Greyhound-Style Buttercomb. The breed club and the AKC both call for a metal comb. This one has steel teeth about 1 5/8 inches long, a coarse side (5 teeth per inch) and a fine side (8 per inch), and the maker lists it for double coats.

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What about the FURminator? Owners are split: some swear by it and some won’t let it near a golden. We lay out both sides in how to stop golden retriever shedding (what you can and can’t change).

How do you line brush a golden retriever, step by step?

Line brushing means brushing in thin layers, starting at the skin, so you reach the undercoat instead of just smoothing the top. It’s slower than brushing over the top, and it’s the part most people skip.

1. Brush before any bath. The AKC says always brush before bathing. If you hit a tangle, mist it with water or a little conditioner first.

2. Start low. Begin at the lowest part of the area you’re working on, like the bottom of a back leg.

3. Lift a layer. With your free hand, hold up a thin layer of hair so you can see the skin underneath.

4. Brush from the skin out. Use the slicker on the hair below your hand, from the skin down, with light strokes.

5. Drop the next layer and repeat. Work up the leg, then across the body, section by section.

6. Add the rake in shedding season. When your golden’s blowing coat, go over each section with the undercoat rake as well.

7. Finish with the comb. Run the steel comb through every section (see the comb test below).

How do you know you’re done brushing?

Use the comb test. Run your steel comb from the skin out to the tips, all over your golden. If it glides through everywhere, you’re done.

If it catches anywhere, go back over that spot with the slicker and test it again. Preventive Vet’s advice works the same way: anywhere the comb can’t easily get through needs the slicker. Comb the feathering behind the ears, on the chest, legs and tail every time, since those are the spots the AKC tells you to comb.

Where do mats hide on a golden?

Mats can form anywhere there’s hair, but these are the spots grooming guides point to:

• Behind the ears

• The neck

• The chest feathering

• The armpits and elbows

• The feathering on the legs, and the inside of the back legs

• The tail

Mats aren’t just untidy. They’re painful, and they can pull and pinch the skin. Here’s what to do:

• A small, new tangle: work it apart with your fingers, mist with water or conditioner if it’s stubborn, then comb it out.

• A tight mat close to the skin: take your golden to a groomer. Preventive Vet warns that cutting mats out with scissors at home is dangerous because it’s very easy to cut the skin underneath.

• Tell the groomer what you want. Ask them to work out or trim the mat, not clip the whole coat (more on that below).

What if your golden hates being brushed?

Go slowly and pair the brush with something your golden loves. This plan is adapted from Best Friends Animal Society’s steps for grooming:

1. Pick a special treat. Something your golden gets at no other time, cut into pea-sized pieces. A frozen lick mat with peanut butter or pumpkin works too.

2. Touch, then treat. Touch the brush to your golden’s shoulder and give a treat. Repeat until they’re relaxed about it.

3. Move toward the tricky spot. Gradually bring the brush closer to where you actually need to brush.

4. One stroke, one treat. Do one short stroke and treat. Then one long stroke, then two.

5. Watch their face. Lip licking, pursed lips and yawning are stress signs. If you see them, go back a step.

A trainer writing for the AKC adds two things. Keep sessions short and work on a few body parts at a time, not the whole dog. And if your golden walks away, let them. Don’t chase them or coax them back. When they choose to come back, the treats start again.

Best Friends says moving too fast can overwhelm a dog, and that some dogs need months to get comfortable. That’s normal. If your golden suddenly minds being touched in one spot they used to be fine with, check with your vet.

Got a puppy? Start now. The AKC suggests handling a puppy all over, from toes to ears and tail, and the breed club suggests getting puppies used to a bath and a cool dryer from about 7 weeks old. The puppy grooming basics are in golden retriever puppy checklist: what to buy before day one.

Should you shave a golden retriever in summer?

No. The AKC says not to shave or clip a golden’s coat, and the ASPCA says never to shave your dog. Here’s what the AKC and the ASPCA say shaving does:

• It doesn’t cool them down. A dog’s cooling system is different from ours.

• It takes away protection. The layers of the coat protect against overheating and sunburn.

• It can grow back wrong. The two layers regrow at different rates, so the undercoat can outpace the outer coat, leaving an uneven coat that doesn’t work properly.

• It doesn’t stop shedding. Golden Retriever Rescue of Mid-Florida points out that a shaved golden still sheds.

Owners have a name for the result: the “Golden Baldriever.” One owner on Reddit wrote, “I was stupid enough to let the groomer give our 2 year old golden a summer cut.”

Trimming is different. The ASPCA says it’s fine to trim longer hair, and the AKC suggests thinning scissors on the feathering and trimming the hair between the paw pads. If you use a groomer, say “no clippers on the coat” when you drop your golden off.

What does a simple brushing routine look like?

Here’s a routine we put together from the guidance above. Fit it to your week and your golden’s coat.

• Once a week (two or three times if you can): a full line brush, then the comb test, with extra time on the mat spots.

• Most days: a quick comb behind the ears and through the tail.

• When they’re blowing coat: brush every day and add the rake.

• Before every bath: brush first.

• Once a month: nails, while the gear’s out. The AKC suggests trimming monthly with clippers or a grinder.

FAQs

How often should a golden retriever see a groomer?

It’s optional. The AKC says that if you’d rather have a groomer handle coat and foot care, book a visit every four to six weeks. Brushing at home between visits still keeps mats away.

Should I brush my golden before or after a bath?

Before. The AKC says always brush before bathing.

Is a FURminator safe for a golden?

Owners are split. Preventive Vet warns it can irritate skin and damage the coat if you brush too hard or too long, and the maker says to use it once or twice a week for 10 to 20 minutes. If you use one, keep it light. More in how to stop golden retriever shedding (what you can and can’t change).

When can I start brushing a golden puppy?

Right away, gently and briefly, with treats. Handle your puppy all over, and get them used to a bath and a cool dryer from about 7 weeks old.

Bottom line

Brush at least once a week, two or three times if you can, and every day when your golden’s blowing coat. Line brush down to the skin with a slicker, use a rake in shedding season, and finish with a steel comb that glides through everywhere. Go gently, check the mat spots, and leave the clippers out of it.

Keep reading: how to stop golden retriever shedding (what you can and can’t change) · golden retriever puppy checklist: what to buy before day one · red golden retriever vs golden retriever: what’s really different

Sources

• American Kennel Club, “How to Groom a Golden Retriever”: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/how-to-groom-golden-retriever/

• American Kennel Club, “What Is a Double-Coated Dog? Coat Types, Grooming, and Care”: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/double-coated-dog-breeds/

• American Kennel Club, “Dog Hates Being Groomed: How Husbandry Training Can Help”: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/teaching-dog-enjoy-grooming/

• American Kennel Club, “Grooming Your Dog” activity sheet (tool types): http://images.akc.org/pdf/public_education/grooming_tools.pdf

• Golden Retriever Club of America, “Grooming Your Golden” by Joanne Lastoka: https://grca.org/about-the-breed/articles/grooming-your-golden-joanne-lastoka/

• Golden Retriever Rescue of Mid-Florida, “Grooming Your Golden”: https://grrmf.org/education/well-being/grooming-your-golden/

• ASPCA, “Hot Weather Safety Tips”: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/hot-weather-safety-tips

• Preventive Vet, “Caring for Your Dog’s Coat: Brushing, Combing, and Mats” by Cathy Madson, CPDT-KA: https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/how-to-care-for-your-dogs-coat

• Whole Dog Journal, “How to Get Mats Out of Dog Hair”: https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/care/how-to-get-mats-out-of-dog-hair/

• Best Friends Animal Society, “How to Help Dogs Tolerate Grooming and Vet Handling”: https://bestfriends.org/pet-care-resources/how-help-dogs-tolerate-grooming-and-vet-handling

• FURminator, FAQs (deShedding tool use): https://www.furminator.com/tips-and-info/faqs

• Chris Christensen, Big G Slicker Brushes (maker specs): https://chrischristensen.com/products/chris-christensen-big-g-slicker-brushes

• Chris Christensen, Chris Home Care Big G Teal Slicker Brush (maker specs, names golden retrievers): https://chrischristensen.com/products/chris-home-care-big-g-teal-slicker-brush

• Chris Christensen, 7.5″ Fine/Coarse Long Tooth Greyhound-Style Buttercomb #005 (maker specs): https://chrischristensen.com/products/chris-christensen-7-5-fine-coarse-long-tooth-greyhound-style-buttercomb-005

• Coastal Pet, Safari Dog Double Row Undercoat Rake with Rotating Pins (maker specs): https://www.coastalpet.com/products/detail/?id=SRDRP

• r/goldenretrievers, owner comment on undercoat rakes vs the FURminator: https://www.reddit.com/r/goldenretrievers/comments/1oqbbjw/_/nnhmu6c/

• r/goldenretrievers, owner post about a “summer cut”: https://redd.it/1tbsfls

• r/goldenretrievers, owner post on the Chris Christensen slicker: https://redd.it/1r2c5n0