Many dog owners, to be specific Chocolate Labrador owners, do not know how to take care of their coats. Like most Labradors, they too shed their coats but this breed is slightly more problematic to take care of. So here are a few Labrador tips that will help you keep your Labrador’s coat nice and lustrous.
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First of all, a bit of information on the chocolate Labrador’s coat. The coat is short and thick and is quite water resistant. Also they have a double coat to help them resist water while swimming. If your dog loves to get dirty, here is some good news for you – mud does not stick on a Chocolate Labrador’s coat as much as other dogs. A simple routine of brushing her hair, at least three times a week should keep her coat clean. You can slightly dampen the brush so that her hair does not fly all over the place. Giving her a bath once a week will suffice. Invest in a good quality shampoo for your dog. Also check if your dog is allergic to it. Look out for rashes on its skin after a few hours of washing. Don’t use shampoos too often and alternate between shampooing and washing with plain water. Usually most chocolate Labradors do not have sensitive skin but there are a few cases where a dog is allergic to certain chemicals in the shampoo.
Also, don’t forget to towel your dog after washing her. Just because her coat is water resistant, it is no excuse for you to not towel your dog. The reason why I mention this is that most dog owners let out their dogs in the sun to dry. This is not good for your Labrador’s coat as sun bleaches it, thereby changing the color. Another common problem faced by dog owners, especially Labrador owners, is fleas, as Labradors and specially Labrador puppies are an adventurous lot and love to get into bushes and mud pools, which increase their chances of having fleas. If the coat looks slightly dry rub a bit of oil on it. Also, feed your lab a spoon of cod liver oil once a week as it will keep her coat glossy. During particularly hot days, use your garden hose to spray a bit of water on a Lab. Don’t do this too often, though. Last, but not the least, keep your Labrador happy, take her for nice long walks and both of you enjoy each other’s company.
That was a great article, Cubbieduke is my first Chocolate lab and I now know all that you wrote in your article. Thanks so much, I will definately follow your advice.
I’m amazed about how much hair she loses and never gets bald like me..! Actually I have a tile floor and need to sweep at least once a day, if I dont, little ‘tufts’ of loose collected hair begin appearing in low draft areas…so I sweep. Common sense tells me she’s not getting enough of something so I’ve changed her diet to minimal IAMs kibble and raw meats, cooked chicken and veggies. I give her a daily omega 3 fish oil tab and occasionally crush up one of my daily vitamin tabs. Her coat looks a bit shinier, and I still sweep.
Stores no longer give or sell ‘pet meat’ for dogs, for fear of liability claims, from people using the meat instead of the dog…so I have to buy meat on sale in the 1.80/lb range..there goes my bowling fund. point is, I no longer count on the pet food industry to produce a non-threatening food product for my animals…they’re into profit first and nutritional quality second or last…whatever, we all know that wheat, corn, barly, rice hulls etc etc…are nothing but fillers, and eventually create allergies in our pets.