Grooming Bathing & Nails

Two of the biggest misnomers regarding grooming Labradors are:

Labradors don't need much grooming because their coats are so short
The more you bath them the cleaner they and your home will stay

Grooming

While Labradors don't need much grooming, they do need routine grooming to maintain the oils and moisture in their coats. Routine grooming with a medium to soft brush with rounded or blunt bristles will handle 99% of your grooming needs accept during shed. When our dogs shed, we rely one on one tool more than any other, "The Furminator", it's the best! But don't over use the Furminator, it's like a rake on the skin so be gentle and watch your dogs tolerance during grooming. Also, grooming is a huge bonding opportunity with your dog where if used properly can easily implement simple commands.

Bathing

1 bath per month is all a Labrador coat can handle. The oils and moisture in a dogs coat repel dirt and water so over bathing strips the oils and moisture from the coat and can cause hair loss, thinning, flaking and sub-dermal skin infections. Additionally, some dogs smell worse after bathing because their body is replenishing the lost oils. The key is: if a Labrador must be cleaned more than once a month, rinse don't bath. (This is especially important to dogs that swim in chlorinated pools. Rinse them after every swim, chlorine will ruin their coats and skin like it does human swimmers). When you do bath, don't be fooled by smelly, medicated or fancy dog shampoos. A dog balanced cleaning shampoo is fine. The conditioner is more crucial. A good balanced conditioner, human or animal grade, works great. We've always have success with oatmeal based conditioners but all the fancy or medicated conditioners don't work.

Nails

If your puppy does not spend enough time outside or on rough surface that maintain it's nails naturally, they must be trimmed. How short to trim nails depends on their daily needs, dogs spending more time outdoors need grip, indoor dogs needs less so they don't slip on smooth surfaces. We are happy to show you how as will your veterinarian.

1) make it a fun experience for your dog with treats and toys. If you stress or try to control them, they will fight back and accidents can occur, especially if they're on their backs, a naturally submissive position most dogs hate.

2) Cut only the tips and/or file them to a smooth edge. Inside the nail is a vein called the "quik" that over time it will retract with routine grooming virtually eliminating bleeding. If you over trim and see blood, DON'T PANIC! keep the dog calm or interested in treats while you find a towel and clotting agent. If you don't have NikStop or another store bought clotting agent, use flour and mild pressure where the cut occurred. Before they're permitted back outside or on surfaces that might cause more damage or bleeding, try a little super glue to maintain the seal.