# Type of brush to use on a golden?



## goldenmnm (Sep 13, 2008)

We use, at work, slicker brushes for everything it seems including goldens. I've read where your supposed to use pin brushes for goldens, but that doesn't get any coat out when they're shedding. I use my slicker brush and it pulls it right out. I sometimes use a mars coat king to thin out the coat on the back and sides, it helps pull a bunch of that shedding coat out. I've also used the furminator and it's helped pull that undercoat out.

Does anyone have any tips on a good slicker brush or any brush to help getting the undercoat out? And is using a rake-type brush like the mars coat king okay on their coat? Any ideas on how to keep the shedding down, not a big deal but any help is nice!


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

A pin brush is the "correct" brush to use on a golden that is being shown. Pin brushes do less damage to the coat, (split ends, etc.) and don't remove much undercoat, so corrective grooming is easier. (for example, if there is a dip in the topline, you would leave more undercoat to "fill" that area to make it look like a level topline). Show grooming on goldens is done with a stripping knife, carding, to lay the body coat flat and smooth and accentuate shoulders, rear angulation, etc. Pet grooming is completely different, in that you want to lessen the shedding and not worry so much about correcting toplines, straight shoulders, etc. I do not like to use the Coat Kings on my pet goldens though, as they DO cut some hair, making the body coat flyaway and whispy, and not laying flat as they should. It does damage coat, and when those hairs grow back, they stick out, etc. Many pet groomers do use them, I just don't like them, and prefer to card with a stripper or stone, and sometimes will use a furminator. A slicker is going to be a good brush to use, followed by a fine tooth comb. (not as fine as a flea comb though). After a thorough combout, you can use a furminator, etc if you wish. A good warm bath, followed by a high velocity dryer will help loosen up the coat, and make it easier to remove the shedding hairs. Also, trimming up the feet, ears, cheeks, and feathering will keep the hair fresh and healthy as well. Goldens should not have all that hair on their ears or cheeks..everything under the ears should be smooth and flush, (giving the ear a place to lay). I will bulk thin really heavy rear feathering if needed too, rather than coat king it. Diet of course plays a heavy role in shedding too.


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## goldenmnm (Sep 13, 2008)

Okay, how do I use a stripper or stone and where can I use this? All over their body? Now, when brushing I do what you recommend, slicker brush then comb them out. I know what you mean by using the coat king and fly aways as Macy get them when I use it on her, Mydas doesn't get them. He has a really thick coat that lays nice and flat naturally, Macy has always had whispies! For grooming their feet, ears, tail, etc.. I use a breeders website to go by, morningsage. I like my two looking very neat and tidy all the time. I used the K-9 II that I just bought, thanks for recommending, it's so awesome and powerful. We have a metro at work and I hate that the hose is so stiff and it's loud. The K-9 isn't near as loud to me and the hose is nice and flexible, best $350 I ever spent!

I'm feeding, what I think, to be a good food- Merrick and they love it, so I think it's not dietary. They don't shed that much, but thought I'd see what other options I have for brushing them out were.


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## grouse dog (Dec 9, 2007)

goldenmnm said:


> We use, at work, slicker brushes for everything it seems including goldens. I've read where your supposed to use pin brushes for goldens, but that doesn't get any coat out when they're shedding. I use my slicker brush and it pulls it right out. I sometimes use a mars coat king to thin out the coat on the back and sides, it helps pull a bunch of that shedding coat out. I've also used the furminator and it's helped pull that undercoat out.
> 
> Does anyone have any tips on a good slicker brush or any brush to help getting the undercoat out? And is using a rake-type brush like the mars coat king okay on their coat? Any ideas on how to keep the shedding down, not a big deal but any help is nice!


Hello:
I think your best bet is the Furminator. I've used it extensively for both longhaired and shorthaired dogs and have found it to eliminate tons of unndercoat hair. A thorough combing afterwards also helps keep coats looking good.


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## Purplex15 (May 28, 2007)

GREAT advice Graco about the coat kings. I've noticed it does that on most double coated, feathery breeds (aussies, border collies, etc). 

goldenmnm, What Graco said about the pin brush is correct. It is the proper way to groom a golden, and most breeds actually. Pin brushes are very effective, but usually more so on dogs that are regularly kept up (which show dogs typically are). I, personally, find the furminater to be one of the most unhelpful tools for a professional groomer. You really can't get everything out without breaking guard hairs and irritation the skin. The BEST deshedding method i have found is to do all of the brushing in the tub and while drying. i comb and brush during each rinse, and especially when the conditioner is on. then i keep a comb and slicker handy while im drying and i brush and dry at the same time. if the dog is difficult, or i see areas that i can't get to with only one hand, then i pull out the stand dryer and use that just so i can see, and still brush (usually i need to do this for the hind end and chest areas). by the time the dog is dry, almost all the undercoat is gone, which cuts down the actual groom time as well. i very rarely have to spend more than hour and a half on one dog (i do them straight through). it is also nice for the dog, b/c the hv dryer blows the hair away fropm the skin, all im really doing is loosening it up with my comb. theres very little actual brushing involved.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

I agree that the Furminator is not always the best tool, and should never be the only tool used. It has its purpose, but unfortunately, it is marketed to pet owners, who know little about how it actually works, or how to properly use it, and its is immensly overused and incorrectly used. It can be a _step _in the grooming process for many breeds, but should not be the only tool used. It can and DOES damage coat and skin if used incorrectly/overused. 

You can use the stripping knife and stone all over the body of the dog. The knife mostly on the back and side, carding out loose, dead coat, and encouraging the topcoat to lay flat. You make sure you have a nice, dull stripper, and holding it as close to parallel as you can to the dogs skin, gently rake the coat out. Always follow the direction of the hair growth with a stripper. Short, even strokes. I would recommend a coarse to medium knife for body work. The cheap "Classic" strippers are great for carding. The stone works best on fronts of legs, faces, between eyes, heads, ears, and wherever there is that fluffy, dead, flyaway fuzz that so many goldens get. You use the stone much the same, in short, even strokes. You can also use the stone (or knife) to grasp and pull that dead flyaway fuzz out as well. 

As you know, Goldens shed, and there is only so much you can do to lessen it. You are always going to see hair shedding..lol, but hopefully a bit less.


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## goldenmnm (Sep 13, 2008)

Thanks! I'll have to look into a knife then. When using it do you just "brush" in short strokes. I know I've seen people putting their thumbs on it and pulling, but I'm assuming thats when doing schnauzers and other terrier breeds. Can the knife be used to thin out the hair on the ears? I like the show look and try to groom mine to look that way. I love nicely trimmed ears, feet, and a flagged tail. 

I know they'll always shed, but anything to help out is always nice to know!


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

goldenmnm said:


> Thanks! I'll have to look into a knife then. When using it do you just "brush" in short strokes. I know I've seen people putting their thumbs on it and pulling, but I'm assuming thats when doing schnauzers and other terrier breeds. Can the knife be used to thin out the hair on the ears? I like the show look and try to groom mine to look that way. I love nicely trimmed ears, feet, and a flagged tail.


Yes, you will sort of "brush" with it..think of it as a mini rake of sorts..Slow, but steady, and even strokes. Enough pressure to grab the undercoat, but not so much that you are scraping skin..does that make sense? If I have time this week, I will try to take a video of carding with a stripping knife and post it on youtube for you and anyone else that wants to see. When you see people using their thumb on the knife, they are actually stripping the coat out (instead of carding..two completely different things) of a harsh coated terrier or such a breed. New wire coat won't grow in on those breeds unless the old, dead hairs are pulled out. Carding is simply removing undercoat while leaving the topcoat, so no thumb. If you come across some fuzzy coat and such, like the flyaway fuzz I was talking about in an earlier post, you can grasp it between the knife and thumb and pull it out. I hope this isn't just confusing you. 

The knife cannot really be used to thin the hair off the ears very well. You _can_use it that way to pull some fuzzy stuff from the ear area, but your dog probably isn't going to be happy with you..You are much better off carding the ears well, and behind and under the ears, then tidying up with thinning shears. At least a 44 tooth thinner is going to work best for you. I think I have a golden coming in tomorrow..If my camera is charged up, I will try to have my bather catch some things on tape for you. I know its much easier for me to see it than read it, and I do not have a knack for trying to explain things in type.


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## goldenmnm (Sep 13, 2008)

Thanks a million! I totally get what your saying. I have some thinning shears that I use now on their ears for getting the length and bulk off. I'd love it though if you could video, it does help seeing what a person says, but I do understand what you said through 'type'! "


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Well, I took video today, and have been working all afternoon to get it converted to the right kind of file and get it on youtube, and ARGH! I cannot get it to download...Keeps failing..I will work on it some tomorrow, and see if I can figure it out...Any pointers? For some reason my video camera saves the files as MOD files...and nothing recognizes it..and I can't figure out how to convert to an mpg..when I just change the file name, it doesn't work either...any computer savy people know what to do? I will get it up..promise...


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## goldenmnm (Sep 13, 2008)

You might want to google and find a video file converter. I had to do that along time ago, and I don't remember what it was called, but it did all that and you could convert it to any file you needed. It's no biggie if you can't get it to work, I don't want you pulling your hair out trying to figure it out. I know I hate having to figure out computer stuff!


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Ok, I have it up. Its just a short video on carding a pet golden, trimming ears, and debulking the rear end. I don't show the whole groom, and its just quick. I didn't brush the dog out first, but it is after a bath and high velocity dry. I took another short clip of trimming a pet golden's feet, and will work on getting that one up tonite if anyone wants to see that one too.

I don't know how to get the link right, but just search Youtube for "Graco2200" and my videos will come up. If someone else wants to post the link here, that would be great. Computer savy I am not.


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## goldenmnm (Sep 13, 2008)

Oooo.. thanks a million, I"m going now to see it. I've love to see the feet one as well!

Thanks so much for the video! I found the feet one as well! I groom their feet usually with thinning shears instead of straights, and that's how I groom their ears. So I'm glad on on the right track! 

I was wondering though, what kind of stripping knife is that one? And what would you recommend? I have a thinner coated golden and a thick coated one?


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

I'm glad you found the videos helpful Golden.  Those knives are actually Master Grooming Tools from Petedge. I bought the whole set, and that one I am using is a medium one..( I believe that one is what they list as "33 teeth, long") I don't care for them too much for actually stripping a terrier, but they work awesome for carding, and I didn't have to dull them much, which is a huge plus for me..lol That one should work great on either of your goldens, but if you wanted to, you could just get the whole set (its really cheap) and have a few of them to play with on different areas and each dog.


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## goldenmnm (Sep 13, 2008)

Great to know! I was going to order stuff from Petedge and that'll be on the list. I hope it helps out more so than a slicker brush! I'm having to swiffer all the time it seems, but I'm in the south and it's hot so they don't need the coat, but I wish they'd keep it to themselves!


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