Do Flat-Coated Retrievers Need Grooming?

Taking care of your Flat-Coated retriever is a big job. 

They need some of the basic care that other dogs do, like getting their hair brushed and teeth are taken care of, along with time to run around and be active each day.

But many pet owners wonder whether their Flat-Coated retrievers need grooming or not. 

Do Flat-Coated Retrievers Need Grooming?

Your Flat-Coated retriever will need regular grooming. They may not need as much grooming as other breeds, but you do need to brush their fur, clean their ears, and keep their eyes debris-free. Doing this on a routine basis will help keep your dog as healthy as possible. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the different steps that you can take to help give your Flat-Coated retriever the grooming that they need to stay healthy. 

The Flat-Coated retriever is a great dog to have around the home. 

They are known for their special coat, so it makes sense that you will need to provide them with the proper grooming to help maintain that coat and keep it looking nice.

This is going to require some great grooming in the process. 

Think about all that the fur and body of this dog breed are supposed to be able to do. 

The fur is strong and will be able to protect the dog from the icy water, punishing ground, and being outside playing all day. 

Even if you do not take them hunting all the time, this Flat-Coated retriever is going to be able to have a coat that keeps them very safe and sound.

And the pet owner will need to take the time to groom it properly. 

How Do I Groom the Flat-Coated Retriever?

The first thing that we need to take a look at is some of the basic steps of grooming that you will need to do to make your Flat-Coated retriever happy. 

This is going to include brushing and bathing your dog. 

You do not need to do this all the time, but there needs to be some type of schedule to help you get things done.

It is best to do the brushing two or three times a week to remove the hair and prevent some shedding.

Bathing is usually good two times a month unless the dog gets really dirty. 

Let’s start with the bathing. This dog breed is going to come with a thick double coat. 

This provides them with two distinct shedding cycles, one that will occur in the fall and one in the spring. 

You will need to help wash the hair to make sure that it is not going to get all over the place and cause a mess. 

Give the dog a bath about two times a month. 

This keeps the fur healthy and safe, without drying out the skin of the dog underneath.

If you find that the dog gets really smelly in the meantime, it is fine to give them an extra bath on occasion. 

But do not do it all the time.

While bathing the dog, use a good dog shampoo to help loosen the undercoat and make the hair feel good. When that is done, you can use an undercoat rake to help brush the coat out underneath. 

This can help you get the coat taken care of without clogging up the drain in the process. 

If you are doing your bathing, you may notice that the undercoat of the dog is kind of matted. 

You can use a few supplies from the pet store to help get rid of the mats and help with taking care of the matted parts of the coat. 

Be careful to rinse all of the shampoo and any other products out of the hair to make sure that they are not going to get itchy if you have some left behind. 

How Do I Take Care of the Coat of My Flat-Coated Retriever?

You can also take some proactive steps to make sure that the coat of the Flat-Coated Retriever is properly cared for as well.

When you get to the dry winter months, for example, you may want to consider some moisturizers to help with the skin and the coat. 

You can use something during one of the full baths or you can do it in between to keep the dog healthy. 

You also need to take the time to brush the coat on occasion. 

This needs to be done at least a few times a week.

This will make sure that the mats are not allowed to stay in the fur and will keep it nice and soft for a long time to come. 

It may even help prevent some of the shedding throughout the home too. 

How Do I Take Care of the Ears of My Flat-Coated Retriever?

Cleaning the ears of your Flat-Coated retriever is an important step as well. 

You want to make sure that they are cleaned out to help the dog hear better and to make sure that there is no infection that will form in the ears either. 

You can have the groomer and the vet help with this when you go in for their routine checkups, but checking the ears on occasion will be helpful to prevent infections along the way. 

You should consider cleaning the ears once a month to make sure they are safe and secure. 

You may need to do it more often if there is a chronic ear condition that the dog needs to work through. 

Most of the time, working on the outside of the ear will be enough and can help to clear out any of the dust and debris that you may see inside. 

You do need to use some caution when it comes to cleaning out the ears. 

If you clean too far in, it can hurt the dog and even cause some damage. 

It is best to never clean further into the ear than you are able to see. 

You can save the deeper cleaning for the vet. 

How Do I Take Care of the Eyes of My Flat-Coated Retriever?

It is important to take care of the eyes of your Flat-Coated retriever. 

Just like your own eyes, you will need to make sure that the eyes of your Flat-Coated retriever will be clear of any debris and other problems. 

They can struggle from some issues with allergies and more, which can clog up the area around the eyes as well. 

You need to be careful about how you handle the eyes of your dog. 

You do not want to put in harmful chemicals to the eyes or this can cause more damage than good.

If you are concerned about some of the items or products that you would use for the dog, you need to make sure that you talk with the groomer or with your vet to get some ideas.

Consider cleaning the eyes once a week or so to keep them nice and clean. 

Should I Take My Flat-Coated Retriever Into a Groomer?

Unless you are really dedicated to doing all of the grooming on your own, you should consider taking them to a groomer. 

They have the right tools and equipment, along with the knowledge, to take care of your dog and make sure that this breed is going to be as healthy as possible. 

At the groomers, you will be able to get the hair brushed really well to remove all of the mats and tangles that can get in there. 

You will also see that they are good at taking care of the ears and eyes, which can be hard for some pet owners to do on their own. 

This can also be a good resource to learn how to do these items when you get home. 

You can also take the time to have the coat of your Flat-Coated retriever trimmed a little bit. 

This will help the dog to look great and can prevent a lot of potential issues with the coat getting too long and bothering the dog.

You should take the dog every six to eight weeks depending on how their hair is looking to give them some of the care that they need. 

Grooming Your Flat-Coated Retriever

It is important to give your Flat-Coated retriever some of the love and attention that they deserve.

And the proper grooming is going to be a big part of getting this done. 

With the help of a good groomer and some time doing a bit of the work on your own, you will find that the Flat-Coated retriever is going to stay healthy and have the beautiful coat that you desire.