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English Labrador Retriever Article
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Caring For Your Labrador's Coat
from: The Complete DogCaring for the coat of a Labrador Retriever shouldn't be a problem because their short, dense hair is easily groomed with a daily application of a hound glove or bristle brush. Their coat is actually dirt and water repellent, and seldom becomes offensive. There is a bit little shedding, even though the Labrador loses its undercoat once or twice yearly. Coat trimming is unnecessary except, perhaps by show competitors who feel tidying is necessary.
Bathing shouldn't be a routine matter, but should only be undertaken when absolutely necessary (lik an unexpected meeting with a local skunk, a roll in the mud, or the presence of an accumulated "doggy odor" from the oils in the coat). Washing a Labrador too frequently isn't recommended as it eliminates too much of the natural oils that give the outer coat its desired harshness. Soap residue can also dry out the skin and cause irritation.
Yellows may need to be bathed more often than blacks or chocolates, because their coat may pick up some discoloration from grass and dirt. This can often be taken care of by spot washing only the main contact points -- the lower legs and thighs.
When it's time for bathing, make sure you use a very mild soap designed especially for the dog's coat -- not commercial products for humans, which are much too drying for a dog. When bathing the dog, work the water down through the dense outer coat to the skin. Afterward, be very careful to dry thoroughly. It may sound silly to worry about a Labrador retriever getting a chill from a bath, when a hunting Labrador often spends many hours diving in and out of icy waters without so much as a shiver. However, the bathing process temporarily removes some of the dog's natural water-repellent oils and gets the dog wet at the skin. At this point, even a water dog is vulnerable to temperature extremes, so be careful.
A word of caution: Should you notice a change in coat appearance, such as a dulling of the normal sheen, inspect the skin closely for signs of parasite infestation or other skin disorders. If the dog begins to scratch incessantly or chew its coat and skin, there's an irritation present that must be dealt with by a competent veterinarian. Current nutritional studies shown that many of these skin problems can be 'traced to allergic reactions to food additives or other substances.
A change in the natural oils of the coat' may point to metabolic problems involving the liver, kidneys, or the digestive tract. The loss of hair may be tied to hormonal imbalances, or could be due to infectious mange. Therefore, it's important to realize that the dog's coat can be an indicator of general health and shouldn't be overlooked just because the Labrador is lucky enough not to require much attention.
English Labrador Retriever News
Saint Therese Parish rallies to buy member new seeing-eye dog - Wausau Daily Herald
For eight years, Richard Bungert's "eyes" belonged to a faithful, black, English Labrador retriever named Gillie. The Schofield man lost his companion Wednesday when veterinarians put Gillie to sleep after determining they could do no more to help ...
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(PG-13 — some violence, scene of sensuality, brief strong language) — Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly forms a pact with a stock man (Hugh Jackman) to ...
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