Golden Retriever Brush: 2024 Picks for Best Golden Retriever Dog Brush
Contents of Article
- What is the Best Brush for a Golden Retrievers?
- Different Popular Brush Types for Golden Retrievers
- Understanding Your Golden Retriever’s Coat
- Overall Best Brush for a Golden Retriever – JW Pet Gripsoft Double Sided Brush
- Best Golden Retriever Matted Hair Brush – Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush
- 3 More Top-Rated Brushes for Golden Retrievers
- 5 Tips on Brushing Your Golden Retriever’s Coat
- FAQ:
- Conclusion
Nothing beats the face of a happy Golden Retriever.
Owners when they begin to realize just how much their Golden is going to shed? Not so happy!
For Golden Retrievers, grooming sessions significantly affect their body build, overall temperament, and fur. These dogs have unique grooming requirements that they share with other long-haired dog breeds with two coats. Their long and silky topcoat presents separate issues from their thick and fine undercoat.
It’s essential to keep a variety of tools on hand to combat these very different grooming problems. We know that with so many brushes on the market that choosing one can be overwhelming. So, we’ve put together some useful information to help you narrow those choices down.
What is the Best Brush for a Golden Retrievers?
Different Popular Brush Types for Golden Retrievers
Here are a few of the best types of dog brushes for Golden Retrievers.
- Porcupine brush
- Slicker brush
- Greyhound comb
- Undercoat rake
Porcupine Brushes
Porcupine brushes make our list because they are a combination of a bristle brush and pin comb in one tool. The rounded tips on the long metal pins penetrate through your dog’s overcoat to reach their soft under layers. They are safe for your pet and won’t scratch their skin.
The softer bristles smooth the topcoat thus insulating the undercoat through the action of combing. There are many affordable and comfortable porcupine brushes available for you to choose from.
Slicker Brushes
Experienced groomers love using slicker brushes on their Golden Retrievers. Slicker brushes sometimes called pin brushes, have a wide surface covered in pins. They are an excellent choice for working on stubborn mats in your dog’s hair, especially in medium and long-haired dogs.
While some people refer to slicker brushes as pin brushes, there are other brushes for dogs called pin brushes on the market so don’t confuse the two. The slicker brushes main purpose is to eliminate debris, knots, mats, and lose hair. Mostly, pet owners use these brushes on dogs with thick or curly hair such as Golden Retrievers.
Pin brushes can also be used on Golden Retrievers and are often wooden brushes with wire pins. The wire pins have a ball at the end that protects the skin from scratches. They are for long-haired dogs because the brush has wider gaps between the bristles. This wider spacing prevents static charge or damage to your pet’s coat.
Greyhound Combs
While Greyhound is actually a brand of comb, many people call finishing combs for dogs, Greyhound combs because they are great to have on hand for finishing touches.
Combs are also excellent for leftover matting found after you’ve used an undercoat brush. These combs are long enough to reach the undercoat which makes them great for Golden Retrievers. They leave your dog’s coat healthy and shiny, and they are pretty inexpensive.
Undercoat Rakes
Golden Retrievers have double-coats, so an undercoat rake is fabulous for removing loose fur in their undercoat. Choose one with rotating teeth for the best results because they pull out loose clumps of fur without pulling out rooted hair. They won’t irritate your dog when brushing with them.
Understanding Your Golden Retriever’s Coat
While your Golden Retriever’s silky coat is beautiful, it’s a mess to groom. Their coat is considered medium length and its water repellant and dense. The undercoat of your Retriever is considerable. Like other dogs with undercoats, Retrievers shed or blow their coat usually in the Spring and Fall when the temperature changes.
Their longer fur feathers in certain areas on their body such as the tail, neck, underbody, and back of the legs. All of this hair may seem overwhelming, but you can groom them yourselves regularly. A professional groomer is excellent; however, you still need to brush them frequently.
For the topcoat, you can utilize a slicker brush to remove the debris and any tangles or knots. An undercoat rake removes loose fur from their lower layer of fur to reduce shedding. Then you can use a pin brush to smooth the overcoat and insulate the undercoat.
Golden Retrievers’ long hair gets dirty and tangles just from every day play outside and they shed insane amounts of fur. For these reasons, brushing your Golden Retriever regularly is critical.
| Our 2024 Picks: Best Dog Brush for Golden Retriever | |||
| Rank | Dog Brush | Price | Rating |
| Top Choice |
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$ |
A+
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#2 |
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$ |
A
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#3 |
 |
$$ |
A
|
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#4 |
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$ |
A
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#5 |
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$ |
A-
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Overall Best Brush for a Golden Retriever – JW Pet Gripsoft Double Sided Brush
Many of the most highly recommended brushes come with a pin and bristle brush. It’s their versatility that makes them popular. The JW Pet Gripsoft Double Sided Brush has nylon bristles on one side and a cushioned pin surface on the other. The pins have rounded metal ends that make brushing comfortable for your Golden Retriever.
The bristles and pins are okay for use on a Retriever puppy as well, so its use extends from the puppy stage to adulthood making it an economical choice.
Pros:
- Versatility
- Rounded metal ends on the pins for the comfort of your pet
- Can be used on puppies or adults
Cons:
- This tool may not penetrate deep enough to remove loose fur from your Golden Retriever’s undercoat.
Best Golden Retriever Matted Hair Brush – Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker Brush
Slicker brushes are great overall brushes for your Golden Retriever because they eliminate debris and remove tangles, knots, and loose hair. This Hertzko brush is extremely popular for pet parents with dogs who get matted fur and trapped dirt and dander. It even cleans itself with the push of a button.
Best of all, it gently removes the mats and tangles without hurting your Retriever. This slicker brush’s bristles are fine, bent wires that penetrate deeply to reach the undercoat without scratching your dog’s skin. Brushes that scratch can cause more severe health problems such as infections.
After your done, simply push the button and its bristles retract into the brush allowing you to remove the hair left easily. The Hertko brush also massages your Golden Retriever increasing their blood circulation and leaving a shiny, healthy coat.
Pros:
- Simple to clean
- Penetrates deeply without scratching
- Eliminates dirt, debris, tangles, knots, and more
- Gentle to use on your pet
Cons:
- The pins on this brush are shorter than other slicker brushes because of the mechanism used for self-cleaning.
3 More Top-Rated Brushes for Golden Retrievers
Here are some other great top-rated brushes for Golden Retrievers.
FURminator deShedding Edge Dog Brush
The FURminator deShedding Edge Dog Brush is an undercoat rake that’s perfect to use on your Golden Retriever. It’s a multi-purpose tool that separates the fur to reach tangles and knots easier. The rounded pins rotate fully to reduce uncomfortable pulling and skin irritation. The pins’ tips are blunt.
The shaped lines contour to your Golden Retriever’s body, allowing it to remove undercoat mats easily and pain-free. The rubber handle makes grooming your pet a breeze because it will enable you to keep a firm grip no matter how you hold it. The rake’s design specifically focuses on the undercoat and doesn’t damage the guard coat fur.
Pros:
- Multi-purpose tool
- Secure grip
- Painlessly removes matting and knots
- Rounded pins fully rotate for less pulling and skin irritation
Cons:
- The Furminator isn’t good for puppies that haven’t grown an undercoat yet.
Safari Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush for Dogs
This dog brush is suitable for use on all dogs so it’s great if your Golden Retriever has a brother or sister that is a different breed. Its great for every day use and routine grooming.
The Safari Self-Cleaning brush keeps your dog’s fur neat and many Golden Retriever owners use it daily because its stainless-steel pins are excellent at removing loose hair.
The pins retract making clean-up simple. This brush is great to use in combination with a de-matting tool or comb for maximum results.
Pros:
- Great for everyday grooming
- Stainless-steel pins are durable
- Excellent at removing dead hair
- Self-cleaning
Cons:
- May have a design defect that causes them to break easily.
Pat Your Pet Two-Sided Undercoat Rake
This useful tool tackles different problems with your Golden Retriever’s coat. There are larger teeth on one side that function as an undercoat rake and fewer teeth on the other for use on tangles and mats. The teeth are sharp but have rounded ends to prevent scratching your Retriever’s skin and reduce hair pulling.
This ultra durable grooming tool is rust proof and offers a comfortable grip for grooming.
Pros:
- Double-sided for dual purpose
- Comfortable to hold
- The teeth have rounded ends to prevent injury to your Golden Retriever.
Cons:
- You can’t replace the rake head
5 Tips on Brushing Your Golden Retriever’s Coat
Brushing your Golden Retriever routinely is essential. While it helps cleanliness, it is vital for distributing the essential oils in your dog’s coat as well as their overall happiness and health. Brushing also helps prevent matting and tangling that can be painful. Here are some tips for brushing your Retriever.
Gently brush your dog’s coat.
Gently brush down your dog’s coat thoroughly. Start in the direction of your pet’s hair growth. Do not brush against it.
Don’t force tangles.
You must be gentle when eliminating tangles. If you force them, this can hurt your Golden Retriever. Try a slicker brush or detangling spray to remove problematic mats or tangles. Eliminating mats is a process, so get used to it because your Retriever will get plenty of them from debris, dirt, loose hair, and more.
Never brush in the same area more than three times.
Try not to brush the same place over three times because it may damage or irritate the hair follicles and skin. Using a professional slicker brush prevents irritation because it has soft, flexible bristles. These professional-grade brushes cost more, but they are worth it.
Try to brush at least three times a week.
For dogs such as Golden Retrievers with long hair and undercoats, regular grooming is vital to their health. Try to brush your dog at least 3 times a week, 5 minutes a day. The more you brush, the better. Many de-shedding brushes claim that they reduce shedding from 90 to 95 percent.
This reduction is excellent news for the weary Retriever parent who is tired of vacuuming.
Removing tedious mats and tangles.
Hold the mat at the base or spot closest to your Golden Retriever’s body. Rub a small amount of cornstarch into it as this is an effective home remedy aid for de-matting. Split the mat using a de-matting tool. Break it into smaller pieces but stop at 2 or 3 so you don’t create a hole in your dog’s coat.
Next, use a slicker brush to break the mat apart. Don’t let the bristles touch your Retriever’s skin because it may scratch it. After that, brush the area that was matted with a pin brush and then let it go. At this time the mat should be almost completely removed.
Comb the area that was matted with a steel comb beginning with the side with wide teeth and finish brushing with the side that has smaller teeth. Unfortunately, if this doesn’t work, you may need to take your Golden Retriever to a professional groomer.
FAQ:
How often should you brush a Golden Retriever?
As mentioned previously, brush your Retriever at least 3 times a week. It’s okay to brush them every day, in fact, the more you brush them, the less your dog will shed.
How to prevent Golden Retrievers’ hair from matting?
The most effective way to avoid matting and tangling on your Golden Retriever is to groom them regularly. Routine grooming has many health benefits for your pet and provides a fun time for bonding. Brush them regularly and remove knots.
Bathe your Golden Retriever regularly too. You can ask your groomer how often you should give your Retriever a bath. If they have mats, avoid bathing them until you’ve eliminated them because getting them wet will make the matting worse.
Feed your Golden Retriever a healthy diet. Any diet based on AAFCO’s (the Association of American Feed Control Officials) guidelines is adequate for your dog. AAFCO recommendations contain the proper balance of minerals and vitamins as well as the essential food groups. Also, give your dog fish oil supplements because the lack of fatty acids in dogs contributes to skin problems such as eczema.
Make sure you choose grooming tools specific to your Golden Retriever and always keep the ones that they need on hand. Because of their unique fur and dual coats, you will need more than one brush or tool.
Do Golden Retrievers have an undercoat?
Golden Retrievers do have an undercoat and are a hairy mess during shedding season if you don’t maintain a routine grooming process. Since they have an undercoat and long hair, this unique combination comes with unique problems. Brush, brush, brush for the best results.
How to prevent your Golden Retriever from shedding so much?
As long as you maintain your dog’s coat through regular grooming, you can prevent excessive shedding in the Spring and Fall. Much of the same preventative health maintenance to prevent matting also reduces shedding such as feeding your dog a healthy diet, brushing them several times a week, and bathing them regularly.
Cover your furniture and couches to keep them hair free. Vacuum your home daily to keep up with the shedding. If you don’t follow these tips, your Golden Retriever’s shedding will overwhelm you.
Conclusion
The best brushes for your Golden Retriever help reduce matting, tangling, and shedding. Your Retriever has many fur and coat problems, so they need a variety of tools to tackle the issues. The right tools for a Golden Retriever are porcupine, slicker, and pin brushes as well as combs and undercoat rakes. Each tool addresses a separate problem allowing you to maintain your dog’s healthy fur coat completely.
Their beautiful, long and silky hair mats easily with dirt, dander, and debris and no poor Retriever looks good with mats and tangles. Not only do fur problems affect your dog’s appearance, they also affect their health.
Keep your Retriever happy and healthy by grooming them regularly. Brush your dog often and feed him a healthy diet. Fish oil supplements help prevent skin issues such as lesions, flaky and dull skin, and seborrhea (eczema).
We hope these tips make finding the right brush for your Golden Retriever easy and hassle-free. The brushes that made our list are popular with many Retriever owners, so we know you’ll like them too.
