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[UPDATED APRIL 2023]
Does it feel like you’re drowning in dog hair? I’m sure you’re dying to know if you can stop Golden Retriever shedding?
Truth be told, no you can’t stop Golden Retriever shedding! But, there are things you can do to help minimize it.
If you’re sick of dog hair everywhere aka “Golden Glitter”, stick around as we uncover 10 important tips to get control of all that shedding!
10 Tips To Stop Golden Retriever Shedding
Okay, so the title is a little misleading because you can’t actually stop your Golden Retriever from shedding!
But, the following 10 tips will help you to minimize the amount of shedding that your Golden does. Plus, these tips will help reduce the amount of hair in your home, clothes, and car!
Let’s take a look.
1. Feed A Proper Diet
You know the saying “You are what you eat?” Well, the same is true about your Golden!
If you are feeding low-quality dog food that is filled with inexpensive “filler” ingredients, you can expect your Golden Retriever’s coat to be dull and lackluster!
By feeding your Golden a healthy nutritious diet that includes essential vitamins, nutrients, fatty acids, and digestible protein, his skin and coat will dramatically improve!
A proper diet results in a healthier dog and a healthier coat. Thus, reducing shedding!
You will want to look for dog food that is high in protein, as well as Omega-3s.
Protein and Omega-3s are key ingredients that help improve the overall health of your dog and strengthen his hair, resulting in a beautiful coat.
2. Keep Your Golden Hydrated
Being hydrated results in supple skin, which reduces shedding!
When your dog is dehydrated, it can cause dry skin. Dry skin leads to itching and irritation, which results in the loosening of the hair. Causing your dog to shed more.
To prevent excessive shedding, make sure your dog always has access to fresh clean water.
3. Brush Regularly
Regular brushing is key to reducing your Golden Retriever’s shedding! I highly recommend daily brushing if you can!
Brushing reduces the amount of hair your Golden sheds, by removing the dead and loose fur. It also stimulates blood flow to the hair follicles, promoting a strong and healthy coat.
All you need is 10 to 15 minutes a day to give your Golden a good brushing.
My tip is to brush your Golden outside. This eliminates excess hair in your house, plus you and your Golden can enjoy the fresh air together. It’s a great bonding experience!
You may have a favourite brush that you like to use on your Golden, I love to use a good quality pin brush with steel tips.
RELATED ===> Best Dog Brush For Golden Retrievers.
4. Give Your Golden A Bath
Giving your Golden Retriever a bath will help to loosen and remove dead hair, and prevent excess shedding.
Don’t just grab any shampoo, be sure it is a properly formulated shampoo for dogs.
Humans and dogs have different pH balances on their skin. Human shampoo is too harsh and acidic to use on dogs and can disturb the pH balance on your dog’s skin.
How often should you give your Golden Retriever a bath?
There is no set answer that is right for all Goldens. It depends if your Golden smells, or is dirty.
During the summer months, more frequent baths are needed, especially if your Golden swims a lot and gets that wet dog smell! Once a month is ideal.
In the winter months, you can get away with bathing your dog every 2 to 3 months.
Bathing your Golden too often can cause dry skin, making matters worse.
RELATED ===> What Is The Best Shampoo For A Golden Retriever?
5. Visit A Professional Groomer
Good grooming done by a professional will go a long way in preventing excessive shedding.
No matter how hard you try, you simply can’t get the same results you would as a professional groomer, at least I can’t.
A professional groomer that specializes in double-coated breeds, will be able to use a special de-shedding shampoo, as well as brush out and trim your Golden Retriever.
After a professional groom, my Golden Retriever always looks and smells amazing! Plus, the amount of shedding is significantly reduced, at least for a few days.
Be sure to research groomers in your area, to make sure they are familiar with grooming a Golden Retriever. I have heard too many horror stories of grooming gone wrong on Goldens, where many of them have been shaved!
RELATED ===> Grooming A Golden Retriever In The Summer.
6. Be Aware Of Allergies In Your Golden Retriever
Golden Retrievers seem to be prone to skin allergies. Many of them suffer from food allergies or environmental allergies, or sometimes both!
Having an allergic reaction causes irritation and itching, causing your dog to scratch, lick and chew in order to find relief.
All that scratching, licking, and chewing results in the loosening of fur, resulting in excess shedding.
To prevent allergies and minimize shedding, be aware of any allergies in your dog.
You may need to switch the food you feed. Chicken and beef are the two common proteins that cause allergies.
Environmental allergies can be caused by grass, pollen, or any chemicals found in your home.
Only use natural cleaning products and unscented laundry detergents in your home, not only are these products better for your dog, they’re better for you and the environment too!
7. Maintain A Stress-Free Environment
We all know the damage stress can cause us. It makes us age faster, increases our anxiety levels, and makes our hair fall out!
The same is true for your Golden Retriever!
Stress is a major factor in excessive shedding.
Recent life changes like moving or changes to family dynamics can cause stress to your dog.
By keeping a calm environment for your dog, you will reduce any shedding that is related to stress.
Here’s how you can help minimize your Golden’s stress:
- Keep your dog on a regular routine. This includes feeding, walking, playing, and sleeping at the same time each day.
- Spend quality time with your dog. Playtime and walks are a great way to reduce stress for both you and your dog.
- Provide physical exercise and mental stimulation daily. Puzzle toys and interactive games are a great way to stimulate your dog’s mind.
- Avoid leaving your dog alone for too long. Hire a dog walker, or take your dog to a doggie daycare if you work all day.
- Keep calm. Your dog feeds off your energy and attitude. If you’re stressed and anxious, it will cause your dog to feel the same.
8. Control Fleas, Ticks, And Other Parasites
Fleas, ticks, mites, and other parasites can cause your Golden to itch and scratch.
As mentioned before, itching leads to chewing and scratching at the skin and fur to find relief. This results in excess shedding.
You will want to consult with your vet for the best flea and tick medication for your Golden Retriever.
9. Exercise Your Dog Daily
Exercise is good for your dog’s overall health, and helps reduce shedding.
Daily exercise helps improve your dog’s circulation and blood flow to the skin. Oxygen and nutrients that are circulated help to promote strong and healthy hair, thus reducing shedding.
10. Invest In A Good Vacuum And Household Products
A good vacuum is essential when owning a Golden Retriever! Many owners find themselves having to vacuum their homes twice a week, some vacuum daily!
Vacuuming is the only way to minimize the amount of golden glitter that ends up on your floors and furniture!
Lint rollers are essential too! They come in handy when you quickly need to remove dog hair from your clothes. Stash one in your purse and in your car!
RELATED ===> Best Vacuum For Dog Owners.
Bonus Tip #11: Try A High-Velocity Dog Dryer
High-velocity dog dryers not only thoroughly dry your dog’s coat after a bath or a swim, but they’re also great at blowing out the loose undercoat.
If you haven’t tried one of these powerful dryers yet, you’ll be amazed at all the hair that blows out!
Just be sure to choose one with a powerful motor and a high airflow.
Be sure to check out my article on the best high-velocity blow dryers for Golden Retrievers, to discover the benefits as well as important factors to consider.
Bonus Tip #12: Learn To Live With It
I know there are days when the dog hair everywhere really gets to you! I have those days too.
But, your Golden’s sweet loving nature makes it all worth it!
Next time you feel frustrated about dog hair, give your Golden a big hug and consider yourself blessed to have such a wonderful companion!
Will My Golden Retriever Ever Stop Shedding?
Sadly the answer is a hard no, your Golden Retriever will never stop shedding.
To understand the answer, let’s look at why Golden Retrievers shed in the first place.
Your Golden Retriever has a double coat, as all Goldens do. It consists of a protective top coat and a soft and fluffy undercoat.
The top coat is typically darker in colour and consists of long guard hairs. These guard hairs protect your Golden from harmful UV rays, dirt, and debris, while also being water repellent.
The undercoat is soft and fluffy, and much lighter in colour. It keeps your dog warm in the winter, and cool in the summer.
Your Golden’s shedding can be blamed on his undercoat, as that is what sheds heavily during the spring and fall, often referred to as “blowing the coat”.
In the spring your Golden will shed his undercoat to make room for a much lighter summer coat. During the fall, shedding occurs to make room for a thicker winter coat.
While shedding is heavy twice a year, you can expect moderate shedding throughout the rest of the year. This means you’ll find dog hair daily!
This short video gives you an idea of how much hair you can expect:
Why Is My Golden Retriever Shedding So Much?
It’s normal and natural for your Golden Retriever to lose old or damaged hair through shedding, and it happens daily. It’s the same for us humans too, we lose hair daily as well.
However, if your Golden is shedding more than normal (minus the heavy shedding that occurs twice a year), it might be a result of the following:
Poor Diet
According to petMD, the number one reason for excessive shedding is a poor diet.
A poor diet that lacks vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and protein, will result in poor health. It will show in your dog’s skin and coat.
Your dog will have dry, itchy skin, damaged hair, and increased stress. All of this results in an increase in shedding.
Allergies
Dogs with allergies are usually irritated and itchy.
When dogs get itchy they tend to scratch, lick or chew. All that itching loosens the hair follicles, making the hair fall out easier, resulting in increased shedding.
Stress
Stress and anxiety cause your Golden to shed more, the same way humans lose more hair when they are stressed.
Parasites
If your dog has fleas, ticks, or other parasites on him, your dog will be irritated and scratch more.
Scratching damages your dog’s skin, and loosens the hair, resulting in more shedding.
Certain Medications
Medications such as corticosteroids can cause your dog to shed more than normal.
Shedding that occurs due to taking medication is often reversible once the medication is stopped.
Hormones
Thyroid hormones help to stimulate hair follicles promoting hair growth.
If your dog suffers from hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels) then the hair will become thin and brittle and fall out.
Imbalances of hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone can also cause excessive shedding.
Spaying Or Neutering
Shedding tends to increase after your Golden has been spayed or neutered and can occur for several months after.
This excessive shedding happens more in neutered males, due to the changes in testosterone levels and other hormones responsible for keeping the hair follicles strong and shiny.
Pregnancy And Lactation
Pregnancy and lactation can deplete your dog of calcium and minerals that are needed for a healthy coat, leading to excessive shedding.
It is completely normal for a female dog to shed more hair during this time.
Final Thoughts
There is nothing you can do to completely stop Golden Retriever shedding.
Your Golden Retriever will shed daily, and quite heavily twice a year! It’s just something that you will need to learn to live with.
However, shedding can be minimized by feeding your Golden a proper diet, brushing and bathing him regularly, controlling allergies, and reducing his stress and anxiety.
Owning a Golden Retriever is one of life’s greatest joys! Shedding should not discourage you from getting this breed unless, of course, you have allergies!
By following the tips mentioned above, your Golden will be happier, and your home will have fewer clumps of hair.
How do you deal with your Golden Retriever’s shedding? Do you have any other tips to help stop Golden Retriever shedding?
Share your thoughts and comments below. I would love to hear from you!
I am the proud owner of a Golden Retriever named Ellie. She keeps me busy, and when she is resting, you can find me working on my blog. She is always close by though. I live in Stirling, ON Canada with my husband, and we both enjoy the never a dull moment life with our Ellie.
I’m really happy I saw your post here. I was looking around at getting a new dog and was considering a Golden. I was wondering what type of “tools” I should get though. My vacuum recently died, so I’m happy you linked your other page about that. Other than that though, it was good to see that everything here pretty much lined up with other research I’ve done. Thanks for the post!
Hi Caden,
You’ll definitely need a good vacuum if you decide to add a Golden to your family. I find myself vacuuming twice a week! But, it’s worth it!!
I’m glad this article offered some helpful information for you.
Thanks for taking the time to comment,
Jenny.
Hi First Time Dog Mom,
Great article, I agree on most of your points. Just to add: I think a great inclusion to your tips would be to invest in a great brush for your dogs. A great brush is the make-it or break-it for dog coats, some would tend to damage more than maintain. What brush would you recommend?
All the best to Ellie
Hi Cory,
I am glad you enjoyed my article. To answer your question, I highly recommend using a pin brush to brush your Golden Retriever. Pin brushes are great because they effectively remove loose dead fur, they are gentle on your dog and massage your dog’s skin. I only use a pin brush on my golden because it works and my dog loves it! You can read my article on the best dog brush for Golden Retrievers to find out more.
Thanks for stopping by.
Jenny.
What a beautiful dog you have!
Your tips are all really helpful, particularly the ones on how to deal with shedding, which is obviously a problem to all owners of furry dogs. And your explanation of why dogs shed their fur is really interesting. I had thought that it was mainly a seasonal thing, ie. that they shed their coats in warmer weather and grow them more thickly in cold weather. Is that the case too?
I like your emphasis on giving your dog a good natural diet – of course that is important to all creatures!
You obviously really love your dog, and I know that your tips will be invaluable to all dog owners and not just for those who own Goldens.
Many thanks for a great post.
Chrissie 🙂
Thank you for your comment Chrissie. Seasonal shedding is of course the number one reason for an increase in shedding. I am glad you enjoyed my post.
Hi Jenny!
Great post, thank you.
We’ve owned a Basenji dog, and we didn’t have to worry so much about her fur. It sure takes a lot of work to take care of a Golden Retriever.
Since our dog Beauty was killed by an angry neighbor who didn’t like dogs, we’ve been very hesitant to get another one. We no longer live in the same neighborhood, though. We’re still unsure of the dog breed to get for our kids, and after reading your post, I think it’s going to be hard to take care of a Golden Retriever.
If I may ask, has it been easy to take care of Ellie? Will it be a lot of trouble for a full-time working mom to take care of a Golden Retriever?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Princila, that is awful to hear about your dog being killed by your neighbour, I am sorry to hear that.
If you are considering a Golden Retriever for your family, you need to read my article on Living With A Golden Retriever.
Golden Retrievers are wonderful with children, they are very easygoing, and gentle and loving. They do require constant human attention and affection, so leaving them at home for long periods of time is not good for this breed. They require a good amount of exercise and play time daily, and of course brushing and regular grooming.
As an owner to this breed you need a lot of patience, and persistence.
I loved your article on the shedding-machine that is the Golden Retriever. it’s so true…that as a water dog they have two coats that seemingly never stop shedding. You give some great advice on how important it is for them (and all dogs) to have a well-balanced diet to maintain a healthy coat.
People always seem to forget about caring for their undercoat. Have you found a particular brush that helps with the thick undercoat? When I had a “golden” I had a long tooth dog rake that seemed to work well. they really do need to be brushed every day if you can.
Hi Tim, thank you for your comment. A well-balanced diet is so important to maintain a healthy coat. The only brush that I use and love is a good quality Pin Brush, I brush Ellie every day with it. I do not use anything else, as I find this type of brush works the best.
Hi Jenny, nice to meet you and your beautiful dog Ellie 🙂 I too have owned Golden Retrievers, and they do appear to shed a lot as house dogs. We used to joke that it was a great thing that our rugs and floors were in tones of brown and gold, they hid all the hair from our Golden girl (house dog). I presently own 2 Golden Retriever Xs, and their shedding is minimal because they spend 1/2 of their time outside. The artificial temperatures indoors, encourage out of season shedding. Our boys get a thorough professional grooming at the end of August or mid September to brush out and blow out their coats. After that they are non shedding until the following summer. If they were house dogs 24/7, I am sure I would have to get them groomed professionally every 3 months with home brushing too. A tip- add some Flax and or Fish oils to the diet, that are high in Omega 3s and you can minimize a lot of the out of season shedding.
Hi Madeleine, I agree that temperatures affect the amount of shedding as well, and thank you for your tip of adding Flax and or Fish oils to the diet, to minimize the shedding.
My first dog was a toy poodle as a child. I had this notion that dogs never shed. Later on when I got a Golden Retriever I was so shocked! I couldn’t believe the amount of hair that was like…..everywhere! I had an industrial strength vacuum cleaner that I used all the time. You are right though, it really comes down to what you feed your dog that causes your dog to shed or not to shed. Certain foods can cause reactions inside your dogs system and cause them to shed more. I know its more expensive, but having a higher quality diet and dog food not only prevents shedding but it also helps your dogs tummy and digestive system so they poop better and over all it elongates your dogs life! Consider that next time you are out shopping for pet food and are trying to “save money” getting generic brand stuff.
Also brushing is really important but sometimes even if your dog is not healthy inside, no amount of brushing can help, your dog needs to have water all the time and healthy food. Treat your dog like its your child, not a possession.
Hi Sophia, thank you for commenting. You are so right in saying that feeding your dog a high quality diet makes all the difference. A healthy inside equals a healthy outside, it is the same for humans.
Hey Jenny, great post. I’m not much of a dog person but I can tell you that is one good looking animal and it shows you take care of her well. Personally, your approach to keeping your dog healthy even during pregnancy is brilliant. I think that if I ever should get a dog or my wife gets one then I think your post will come in handy because your post is very helpful and informative. Good job!
Thank you so much R.J. I truly believe that a Golden Retriever will make a dog person out of anyone, they are the best. I am glad you found my post helpful and informative, thanks for commenting.
I still remember my mom going nuts when it was again that time of the year (2 times!) when she had to keep vacuuming all the time, because Jax (our golden retriever) was losing a lot of hair. Me and my dad were always laughing (out of sight of my mom of course…)
The tips you give are very helpful. We did indeed brush Jax almost every day and it really helped in keeping the shedding in control.
Unfortunately we had to let Jax go two years ago…
Hi Laura, sorry for the loss of your loving golden Jax. The heavy shedding that occurs during Spring and Fall, can make any dog owner go crazy and vacuum constantly. I am glad you found my tips useful, they really do help you get control of all the shedding.
When I was younger we had a golden retriever. She was a lot of fun and got into everything. There are times where we would go out only to return home to find the house had been turned upside down.
That’s when we made the decision that we needed to burn her out before we left her alone at home. And you’re right she shed so much that we were constantly picking up after her. Her hair would be everywhere.
My dad started her on a diet of mixing a little bit of dry food with some wet food, we found that that helped quite a bit with her shedding.
In order for her to get her exercise once we became smarter about how to not have our furniture torn apart was to let her out and run around our farm a few times.
Hi Jag, thanks for sharing your experience with your Golden Retriever. They really are high energy dogs when they are younger, and need to burn off that energy. A dog that is left alone at home can become anxious or stressed , and that can cause increased shedding.
This is a great article! One year ago I had a Golden Retriever and these dogs are very beautiful and smart. I was having a problem with my dog shedding but honestly, I did not know that it can be provoked by so many symptoms, I was thinking that is normal to happen some time.
Hi Daniel, yes there are many reasons that can cause an increase in Golden Retriever shedding. It is very normal during Spring and Fall, and can be brought on by medical reasons that I have listed above. Thank you for commenting.
Great post and it comes in the perfect moment!
We have Sammy, he is a Golden Retriever, and yeah, he sheds a lot, sometimes 10 times a day!
Never knew why it happens, and how to stop it.
So that is why I’m so happy to stumble across your post.
I will try the products you recommend, and hopefully they work!
Thank you so much!
Hi Emmanuel, I am so glad to help you “shed” some light as to why your golden sheds so much. Thank you for your comment.