Anyone who has ever owned a Labrador Retriever knows that even though the dogs' hair is short, it stills sheds, all the time. It doesn’t take them very long to discover that they only have a few options if they don’t want to spend their entire day vacuuming their house. They can cover the all of the furniture in plastic wrap, they can make the dog an outdoor dog and not allow it in the house anymore or they can spend a few minutes a day grooming their Labrador. Most of the owners decide that grooming is the most reasonable option. The good news is that Labrador grooming doesn’t have to be a heinous chore, that it can actually be a relaxing way to spend time bonding with their pet. Daily grooming can also be an excellent way to detect and prevent any ear and skin infections their Labrador might be developing.
Unless you are planning on competing in a dog show, grooming your Labrador doesn’t have to be a long, drawn out process. The first step in a daily grooming regime is to take you short hair rake, and use it on your dog’s body. Do not, under any circumstances, use it on a part of your dog’s body, such as the face and legs, where there is very little muscle between the skin and bone. The purpose of using the short hair rake is to pull the dead hair from your dog’s coat. When the dead hair is ignored it gives the dog’s coat a dull appearance. If ignored for any length of time the dead hair will appear on your couch. If you are grooming during a time when the dog is shedding its old coat it is best to do your grooming close to a trashcan.

When you have removed all the dead hair from your dog, you should then use a brush with short firm bristles to brush your dog’s coat. While the brush is smoothing the dog’s hair it will also collect the dog’s natural oils from its skin and deposit the oil on the hair shaft, giving the hair a healthy glow. A gleaming dog is a sign of successful Labrador grooming.
When you first get your Labrador retriever you will find that your dog is more interested in playing then being groomed. Although the bouncing around and chewing on the brushes is perfectly natural for a young puppy it often ties the patience of the person who is actually grooming the dog. Unfortunately the only way to improve your dog’s manners while it is being groomed is to keep persevering. The trick to training your dog to stay obedient during the grooming sessions is to stay patient, the only thing losing your temper will accomplish is to scare your dog. Firmly but gently remove your puppy's mouth from the brushes, and constantly enforce the sit command. Keep your voice soft but firm. Reward your Labrador’s good behavior during Labrador grooming. One trick to teaching your young Labrador Retriever puppy to behave itself during the grooming sessions is to keep them short. Puppies, like human children, have short attention spans and can only concentrate for a limited amount of time.

A short haired rake will remove the dead hair while grooming Labradors while a firm bristled brush will give the coat a healthy shine. Labrador grooming sessions should conclude with a shiny dog. Staying patient is the key to grooming your Labrador puppy. The right Labrador grooming supplies is the key to successful grooming.

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