The 3 Best Brushes For Golden Retrievers – A 2023 Buyer’s Guide

Your Golden Retriever’s Coat is gorgeous, and it needs care, attention, and effort to keep it this way. Keeping your dog’s coat healthy requires a bit of effort, but having the right tools can help greatly cut down the effort needed.

Keeping their coats healthy and beautiful is also good for you in that it’s one of the best way to decrease shedding. This means less hair everywhere in your home and less cleaning needed.

Choosing the best brush for golden retrievers can be a bit tricky with so many options out there. Thankfully, I have tested countless brushes over the years and was able to narrow down the choice to just five brushes you can choose from.

I also discussed how to choose the best brush for your dog at the end, so feel free to check this section first if you want to know why I have narrowed down my options to these.

Okay, let’s get into it.

List of the 3 Best Brushes for Golden Retrievers in 2023

List / Comparison Table

1. Furminator Undercoat – Best Overall
2. Hertzko Self Cleaning Brush – Best Slicker Brush
3. PatYourPet 2-sided Rake – Best Undercoat Rake

At a glance

Brush	Pros	Cons
Furminator Undercoat Rake – Best Overall	– Safe – Ergonomic – Available in many sizes – Great Value for the price	– Can be stronger – Not suitable for smaller dogs
Hertzko Self Cleaning Brush – Best Slicker Brush	– Safe – Comfortable – Efficient – Durable	– More expensive than alternatives
PatYourPet 2-sided Rake – Best Undercoat Rake	– Very effective against the hardes mats and tangles – Safe – Easy to handle	– On the smaller size, makes it time-consuming to use on larger dogs

The 3 Best Brushes for Golden Retrievers in 2023

Furminator Undercoat Rake – Best Overall

Furminator brushes are known for their quality and excellent prices, and this one is a great example. This brush can significantly reduce shedding (some say by up to 90%, but I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration).

The stainless edge can reach through the topcoat smoothly and through the undercoat to remove the loose hair. There is also an easy-eject button that releases the hair collected exactly where you want it for easy cleaning.

The edge guard also protects the teeth when you store the tool so you can use it for long.

My favorite feature has to be the ergonomic handle that makes it easy to hold it for long and with either hand for longer periods of time; comfort is important in a tool you will use as regularly as this one.

The Furminator Undercoat rake can remove most of the loose hair and fur without irritating, annoying, or injuring the dog thanks to its long teeth. Their safety makes them a top choice, and they are available at smaller sizes for smaller dogs as well so you can get them for dogs other than your Golden Retriever.

Pros VS Cons

Pros:

• Safe
• Distributes Oils across the fur for a healthy coat
• Easily goes through the topcoat thanks to stainless steel deshedding edge
• Doesn’t irritate or hurt their skin
• Furejector button to release the hair when needed
• Ergonomic handle for comfort
• Reduces Shedding with regular grooming
• Available in many sizes

Cons:

• Only for De-shedding
• The large size recommended here should only be used on Golden Retrievers that are at least 18 months old or older
• can be sturdier (but that’ll probably cost more)

In 3 Seconds:

It’s easy to use for you, safe for the dog, and efficient in removing loose hair in large dogs with thick coats.

Hertzko Self Cleaning Brush – Best Slicker Brush

The Hertzko is a gentle slicker brush that works great on golden retrievers. It has good bent wires that are effective in removing loose hair while being gentle on the skin.

It’s also self cleaning and allows you to eject the hair using the button at the back of the brush. The anti-slip handle makes for a comfortable and steady grip that gives you great control while using it on your dog’s coat.

This slicker brush is great for regular grooming and it proves it’s definitely worth it for large dogs with heavy coats such as golden retrievers.

I found it to be particularly useful for cleaning my golden’s coat of dirt and dander, and with gentle use, it can remove loose mats, knots, and tangles before they become a problem.

The product is durable enough given the affordable price, and it’s quite easy to use.

Pros VS Cons

Pros

• Comfortable grip with the anti-slip handle
• One-click release with a button makes it super easy to clean
• High-quality material and build makes the product durable and dependable
• Bent wires make it safe to use
• Ergonomic handle makes it easy to use for long periods of time

Cons:

• Just a tiny bit more expensive than regular slicker brushes

Why buy it in one line.

The ease of use, safety, and quality of this brush makes it a good investment on the long-run over cheaper but lower-quality competitors.

PatYourPet 2-sided Rake – Best Undercoat Rake

This 2-sided rake is one of the most efficient dematting and deshedding tools I’ve used, and it shows that it was specifically designed to be as effective as possible.

It has 9 dual-sided teeth that can beat any mats and tangles and 17 teeth that are perfect for removing all the loose hair and fur (deshedding). The no-scratch rounded teeth are safe for the dog’s skin adn don’t cause harm.

The blades are sharper on the inside to be more efficient in cutting through the toughest mats while keeping the outside parts harmless for the dog’s skin.

The Ergonomic no-slip grip is great for comfortable grooming for long and I’ve found it particularly useful for grooming the difficult-to-reach areas which can only be reached when using combs and brushes at weird angles. This brush makes it easy to hold it at strange angles and still have a good drip on it.

Pros VS Cons

Pros

• Comfortable no-slip grip makes it easy to use
• No-scratch rounded teeth makes it safe
• Can go through any mats thanks to the dual-sided teeth with slightly sharpened teeth

Cons

• Slightly smaller than needed, making using it on large dogs a bit time-consuming

Why buy it in one line.

No mats or tangles are too tough for this brush.

How to choose the best brush for Golden Retrievers?

Golden Retrievers have double coats that require regular grooming and brushing to keep them in good condition. Your Golden Retrievers coat act as a natural heating and cooling system.

The inner coat is short and cropped to the body and it basically works like a thermostat does. It keeps the dog’s body warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

As they get older, your dog’s coat will change color. You can learn here why golden retrievers change colors and how to know what color they’ll change into.

There are basically 5 types of dog brushes you should know about to choose the best one for your dog.

1. Undercoat Rake or De-matting tool
2. De-Shedding Tools
3. Slicker Brushes
4. Wire Brushes ( aka Combination Brushes)

Okay, so, why don’t we take a minute to discuss each of them.

Undercoat Rake or De-matting tools

The undercoat is the tool you need to get rid of your dog’s undercoat mats and tangles. This is basically essential for any dog with a double coat such as the golden retriever.

The undercoat rake will have small teeth that designed to go through your dog’s topcoat smoothly and reach the undercoat where they can remove loose hair and break up any mats or tangles there.

Uses:

• Gets rid of tangles in the undercoat
• Remove stubborn mats in the undercoat
• Remove loose hair and fur

[su_box title=”Pro Tip” box_color=”#ec7050″]Be gentle when using the undercoat rake, especially the first few times. Going too hard can not only bother your dog, but also injure them. Be gentle, slow, and watchful of their reactions. If it seems to be causing them pain, stop, and check if any damage was done. [/su_box]

De-Shedding Tools

A De-shedding tool is basically a brush or a tool that will catch as much loose hair and fur as possible. It’s designed with this purpose on mind, so it will be able to catch much more hair than a regular brush does.

A de-shedding tool will also be gentler on your dog than the hard undercoat rake and will not irritate or damage their skin.

I have found that a 4-inch comb works perfectly with golden retrievers if you use it once a week during the shedding season and once every two weeks during normal months.

Some people refer to the de-shedding tool as a thinning comb as it makes the dog’s coat thinner by removing the loose hairs that are making it fuzzier than needed.

Uses:

• Removing loose hair and fur
• Reduces shedding (by removing the loose & extra hairs in advance)
• Thins the dog’s coat

Slicker Brushes

Slicker brushes are essential for keeping your dog’s coat healthy. They basically keep the dog’s hair neat and clean and spread their natural oils throughout the coat.

Slicker brushes are wider and larger than most brushes and will be softer on your dog’s skin than most other brushes.

Uses:

• Smoothes the outer coat
• Removes mats and tangles form their outer coat
• Spreads natural and essential oils throughout the coat

Combination (or Wire) Brushes

A Wire or a combination brush is the brush you will need on a daily basis. It’s great for general upkeeping of your dog’s coat thanks to its nature. It has two sides; one side that’s a normal brush and the other with a wiry brush.

You should use this one gently with your dog as well and don’t brush too often as this can cause them to lose their natural oils and their skin will become dry, which will damage their coats.

Uses:

• Regular grooming
• Stops excessive shedding during the shedding season
• Distributes healthy and natural oils throughout their coats
• Gets rid of the occasional mats and tangles

What to look for in a dog brush?

When getting a brush for your dog (or cat, actually) there are some things you should keep in mind. These are necessary to be in every tool you get for your dog’s grooming, actually.

• Safety

The tool must be safe to be used on your dog. Keep in mind that some dogs have unpredictable reflexes and others can be described as “twitchy”, and you must be sure the tool will not harm your dog in case of an expected movement.

• Comfort

The tool must be comfortable enough to be used daily without causing strain in your hands, arms, or fingers (the latter is often ignored when designing such products).

Things like an ergonomic, no-slip handle makes it much easier to use the tool on your dog. Keep in mind that you should be able to hold the tool at any angle comfortably because you will need to hold them at strange angles to reach spots like under their stomach or under their ears.

• Control

The tool must be light enough and ergonomic enough to give you full control over it while using it. You must keep a strong grip while holding tools with sharp edges on your dog.

• Quality

Quality of the item is important. There are two common mistakes to avoid:

• Buying too cheap: Gives you lower-quality product that won’t live long and will probably harm your dog. Buying more expensive but better quality product that will be more durable will actually save you more money on the long term.
• Buying too expensive: People often buy the most expensive item because they think it’s the best one. This is often not true, and there is a better and more affordable option in most scenarios. More expensive doesn’t always equal better quality, especially at the highest tiers of any product.

The key is always to find the thing that will give you exactly what you need and not more. Luxurious things like brands or certain colors are nice, but they are not necessarily meaningful or add value to the item.

Always search for what gives you the best bang for the buck, and if you don’t know it, do your research (or pick from my recommendations, I’m doing the research for you).

Look for materials such as Stainless Steel in your clippers and brushes, Titanium is also always a good sign.

Related Questions

When do Golden Retrievers grow their coats?

Golden Retrievers start growing their double coats at three months old. The hair will start to grow on its tail and work its way back to the rest of the body. The coat and undercoat will keep growing until your dog is 18 months of age.

As they grow older, the hair will start to grow under their stomachs and on their legs.

What is Feathering in Golden Retrievers?

Feathering in Golden Retrievers is when the dog’s coat starts growing at three months old. It’s called feathering because of how the longer hair strands resemble feathers at the beginning of the process. These will naturally fluff out by the time the coat finishes growing.

However, most adult golden retrievers will have some light “feathers” on their tails, legs and necks, even after their coat has fully grown.

This is quite normal and they can still fluff out with time as some golden retrievers do not finish growing their coats until they’re two years old.

How often to groom golden Retrievers?

Golden Retrievers should be groomed and bathed every 2-4 weeks depending on their level of activity or when needed. A brief brush of their coat every two or three days can stop hair from getting matted or tangled. A thorough brush every weekend can keep their coats healthy and glamorous.

The important thing is to neither overdo it or under do it. You should find the perfect balance for your own dog. You can learn how and when to bathe your golden retriever here.

Can I shave my Golden Retriever?

You should Never shave your golden retriever. Your dog’s coat can regulate their temperature in the summer and winter, so your dog is not “hot’ in the summer and does not need a haircut, and definitely not a shave.

Only vets can decide to shave a golden retriever in case of emergency and serious medical conditions that requires it, but other than that, you should never shave your golden retriever.