Summary
- Nubbed deshedding tools pull loose undercoat without cutting the guard hairs that protect a Golden Retriever's skin.
- Blade-style tools shear the topcoat and leave the coat patchy, especially during the twice-yearly heavy shed.
- Brush twice weekly during normal months, daily during spring and fall coat blow.
- The modular dog brush includes a nubbed deshedding head, a slicker, a pin brush, and a bristle finisher in one handle.
- A single session pulls most of the loose fur if the dog is brushed before bathing and the coat is completely dry.
On this page
Why Nubs Work Better Than Blades
Golden Retrievers have a double coat: a soft, dense undercoat that insulates, and a longer topcoat of guard hairs that repel water and protect the skin. The undercoat sheds heavily twice a year, in spring and fall, and moderately the rest of the time. A deshedding tool needs to pull the loose undercoat without damaging the guard hairs. Nubbed tools do this. Raised rubber or silicone nubs catch the loose undercoat as the brush moves through the coat, pulling free fur to the surface without cutting anything. The guard hairs slide past the nubs and stay intact. Blade-style deshedding tools have a metal edge with fine teeth. The edge cuts through the topcoat to reach the undercoat, and in the process shears guard hairs that were not ready to shed. Over repeated sessions, the coat thins unevenly and loses the water-repellent layer that keeps a Golden Retriever comfortable outdoors. The dog looks patchy. The coat mats more easily because the damaged guard hairs tangle with the undercoat. Blades were designed for short-coated breeds where the topcoat and undercoat are nearly the same length. On a double-coated breed with a long topcoat, the blade does more harm than good.What to Look for in a Deshedding Brush
A good deshedding brush for a Golden Retriever has flexible nubs, a handle that does not tire your hand during a twenty-minute session, and a head wide enough to cover ground quickly but narrow enough to reach the chest and the backs of the legs. **Nub material.** Rubber and silicone both work. Rubber nubs are firmer and pull more fur per stroke, which speeds up the job but can irritate sensitive skin if you press too hard. Silicone nubs are softer and more forgiving. Either material works as long as the nubs are raised at least a quarter inch above the base. **Head width.** A four-inch head covers the back and sides efficiently. Wider heads are faster on large flat areas but cannot fit between the front legs or around the tail. Narrower heads take longer but reach everywhere without repositioning the dog. **Handle grip.** Deshedding a Golden Retriever takes fifteen to thirty minutes during a normal week, longer during coat blow. A handle that fits your hand without forcing your wrist into an awkward angle matters more than you think until your hand cramps halfway through. **Ease of cleaning.** Loose fur collects in the nubs. A brush that lets you peel the fur off in one motion instead of picking it out strand by strand saves time every session. Some nubbed brushes have a release button that lifts the fur away from the surface. The modular dog brush includes a nubbed deshedding head, a slicker for mats, a pin brush for the topcoat, and a bristle brush for finishing. The heads snap onto a single handle, which means one tool does the work of four and the handle is the same every time.How to Deshed a Golden Retriever
Deshedding works best on a completely dry coat. Wet or damp fur clumps and the nubs cannot reach the undercoat. Brush the dog before bathing, not after, unless the coat has dried for at least two hours. Start at the neck and work toward the tail, brushing in the direction the coat grows. Press lightly. The nubs should glide through the topcoat and catch the loose undercoat without dragging or pulling the skin. If the dog flinches, you are pressing too hard. Make two or three passes over each section. The first pass pulls the undercoat that is already loose and sitting near the surface. The second pass reaches fur that was tangled with the topcoat. A third pass usually brings up very little, which means that section is done. Pay attention to the areas where the coat is thickest: the ruff around the neck, the chest, the backs of the thighs, and the tail. These spots hold the most undercoat and take the longest. The belly and the insides of the legs have less undercoat and shed less, so a single pass is usually enough. During spring and fall coat blow, when the undercoat sheds heavily, brush daily if possible and at least every other day. A session that would normally take twenty minutes may take forty during peak shedding. The coat will still shed between sessions, but daily brushing keeps the loose fur from matting into the topcoat and makes each session shorter than it would be if you waited a week. Outside of coat blow, brush twice a week. More frequent brushing does not hurt, but less than twice a week allows loose undercoat to mat.Common Mistakes That Make Shedding Worse
**Brushing a wet coat.** Water makes the undercoat clump. The nubs cannot separate the fur, and brushing a wet dog pulls the topcoat instead of the undercoat. Always brush before bathing or wait until the coat is completely dry. **Pressing too hard.** Nubs work by catching loose fur, not by scraping the skin. Pressing harder does not pull more undercoat. The brush drags, the dog resists, and the session takes longer because you have to stop and reposition. **Using a slicker brush for deshedding.** A slicker brush has fine wire bristles designed to detangle the topcoat and remove small mats. The bristles do not reach the undercoat effectively and pull less loose fur per stroke than a nubbed tool. Slickers are useful after deshedding to smooth the topcoat, but they are not deshedding tools. **Skipping the chest and legs.** The back and sides are easy to reach, so most people spend more time there. The chest, the backs of the legs, and the area under the tail shed just as much but get brushed less. Mats form in these spots first. **Bathing to reduce shedding.** Bathing loosens some undercoat, but the water also makes the remaining loose fur stick to the topcoat. A bath without brushing first spreads the problem. Deshed before bathing, then bathe, then brush lightly once the coat is dry to catch anything the water loosened.Questions
How often should you deshed a Golden Retriever?
Twice a week during normal months, daily during spring and fall coat blow. More frequent brushing does not harm the coat, but less than twice weekly allows loose undercoat to mat.
Can you deshed a Golden Retriever too much?
No, as long as the tool does not cut the guard hairs. Nubbed brushes pull only loose undercoat, so daily brushing during heavy shedding is fine. Blade tools can damage the topcoat if used too often.
Do Golden Retrievers shed more in certain seasons?
Yes. Golden Retrievers blow their coat twice a year, in spring and fall, shedding the undercoat heavily for three to five weeks. Shedding continues year-round at a lower level. Read more about why Golden Retrievers shed heavily twice a year.
Should you brush a Golden Retriever before or after a bath?
Before. Brushing a dry coat removes loose undercoat that would otherwise mat when wet. Bathe after deshedding, then brush lightly once the coat is dry to catch fur the water loosened.
What is the difference between a deshedding brush and a slicker brush?
A deshedding brush has raised nubs that pull loose undercoat. A slicker brush has fine wire bristles that detangle the topcoat and remove small mats. Both tools are useful, but only the deshedding brush removes undercoat effectively.