Short-Haired Golden Retriever- The Reasons Behind

Golden Retrievers are mostly known for having thick long hair. But it’s not known by many that all Golden Retrievers do not have long and thick hair but their length and texture depend on several other factors. You’ll also find Golden Retrievers will have short hair, which is nothing to be surprised by because there are several reasons behind Golden Retrievers having short hair.

It’s a common misconception that people consider the Golden Retrievers who have long hair, not pure breeds. You need to know that the Golden Retrievers who have long hair are mostly the show dogs in all field races. The short-haired Golden Retriever is the field dog.

Short-haired Golden Retrievers- Reasons

Food and Nutrition

Often when a golden retriever doesn’t have long or thick hair, it’s mainly because it’s malnourished. To ensure that your pup grows healthy and has thick long hair, you need to feed it with high-quality food. Your dog needs high-quality food as it’s nutrient-dense and has several vitamins to make it grow healthier.

A dog’s diet plays a massive role in determining a fur coat’s growth, texture, and thickness. You need to add some fish oil supplements besides giving it a nutrient-dense good that will further help nourish the golden retriever’s hair follicles.

Age Factor

Often the golden retriever pups with short hair grow up to have thick fur coats. You need to know that if your puppy has short hair, it doesn’t mean that it will have short hair throughout its entire life. They start to acquire the mature thick fur coat at one year or even more.

When the pup starts to have the natural thick coat of fur, you’ll notice that the growth begins from the tail area and will eventually cover the whole body. Each dog’s coat differs from one another; therefore, each has its rate of acquiring a thick coat.

But mostly, when the parents’ Retrievers have long hair, the pups get that.

Illnesses and Health Conditions

The Golden Retrievers who are healthier have long and thick hair. A dog’s health is closely associated with a dog’s hair texture and immune system. The pups or dogs with a weaker immune system will have a reduced quality coat and can even start to shed excessively more than the healthier dogs.

Golden Retrievers are prone to illness, and if your paw buddy has any disease that is characterized by severe hair loss for eg, alopecia, then your dog can partially or fully lose its hair. In that case, the dog may look like it has short or thin fur coats but it is the effect of alopecia.

Weather Conditions

Another condition that affects a golden retriever’s hair growth and texture is the weather. It is essential in determining hair growth as the Golden Retrievers born and raised in a hot area have dry skin and hair. As known by all, dry hairs are more prone to breakage and fall out, so the dogs in the more desirable areas have thinner hair because of dry skin and hair.

The Golden Retrievers, born or brought up in a colder region, have thick and long hair because of favorable weather there.

Hair Care and Grooming Routine

If your golden retriever earlier has short hair but a thicker texture, you need to know a proper grooming routine to help the fur coat to get longer and thicker. Even dogs with long hair, can experience hair loss or excessive shedding if they’re not taken care of properly.

You need to ensure that your golden retriever has a good grooming routine with all the necessary kits required for proper grooming. The primary need is to brush their coats frequently, as the dogs with thick and long fur get debris and dirt caught in their coats. Brushing will help in keeping the coats untangled and smooth. Hence, brush your dog’s hair more than thrice a week to ensure its healthy growth. Besides, it’s better that you use a metal bristle brush to comb the hair of your golden retriever.

You need to use a high-quality dog shampoo to wash its fur coat but make sure it’s moisturizing enough not to make the skin dry. Handle them with tenderness to make the bath routine relaxing as it would calm them mentally and physically.

Genetics

Genetics plays a huge role in determining if a pup has short or long hair. Mostly when the parents’ are short-haired Golden Retrievers, the baby would have short hair too. Some of the golden retrievers who have short hair can be mixed breeds but many purebreds have short hair too. As long hairs are more appealing, breeders try to breed long hair dogs, especially show dogs.

Conclusion

If you’re a golden retriever with short hair, there’s nothing to worry about because it’s normal. But if you notice a sudden change in the length or thickness of your dog’s hair, be sure to get advice from any animal health professionals.