Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your advice. We got her from Belquest Kennel.

My lab’s sire was from Belquest!

insufferable

We try to bathe our lab once every month or two - just when he gets extra stinky which depends on the season/how much time he spends in the mud. He sheds alot still. But a groomer is too expensive so we do it ourselves at the Muddy Mutt in Shirlington, and sometimes get his claws trimmed there too.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your advice. We got her from Belquest Kennel.

My lab’s sire was from Belquest. Gorgeous dogs!

We take ours to a groomer or the vet to get nails trimmed because she won’t cooperate with us. The key is to brush daily. We always used a ZoomGroom by Kong but bought this last fall and it’s amazing at getting the undercoat.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P2N8HQH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yes, daily sweeping or vacuum at least on your hardwoods and invest in lint brushes. They are wonderful dogs but the hair is real.

I did bathing, brush out, nail trim for our former lab at home. Labs do shed a bit, but it isn't terrible if you brush them with a slicker brush every few days. Bathing frequency really just depends on how dirty your dog gets. They are energetic outdoorsy dogs, but their coats do not pick up filth like my current poodle mix does. Labs have probably one of the lowest maintenance coats you can get.

OP here. Thank you all for your advice. We got her from Belquest Kennel.

No, and we actually don't bathe ours at all: we were advised not to. But do brush daily, wipe paws and tummy with a towel, trim nails, and brush teeth. If you're unwilling to do nails and teeth then go to a groomer for that.

They shed a lot, and will blow coat a couple times a year. I don't like doodles but I get it from a shedding perspective.

Ours gets a bath once a season. She just went and they bathed her, cut her nails, cleaned her ears and deshed her. She doesn't do the deshedding every time though. Frequent brushing helps but invest in a great vacuum.

No. They just shed a lot, all the time really, sometimes more sometimes leass seasonally, and grooming won't help. Get a really good brush and commit to brushing often. I like the Furminator:

https://www.furminator.com/products/deshed/dog/undercoat-deshedding-tool-large-dog-short-hair.aspx

It's also worth getting a good robot vacuum.

I don't think it makes my dog shed any less, but she does get fish oil (VRS Canine Omega Benefits) on the advice of my vet as well as raw or cooked pastured eggs every day or every other day, and she is always getting compliments on how shiny her coat is.

Congrats on your lab! Where did you get him/her?

First time lab owner. Do you take them to a groomer? How often? Is there a de-shedding service that really works?