In the snow? Even worse.
I really don’t like seeing golden retrievers clipped for any reason.
This breed’s coat is quite functional, and dog with a thick undercoat is also insulated from UV rays during the heat of the summer. Goldens tend to have sensitive skin, and without all that lovely protection, it is very likely to set off some skin conditions. This coat is something that should be moderately long with a dense undercoat.
It looks cool to clip the golden to look like a lion, but if you want one to clip, get a goldendoodle.
I’m also a little worried that if we tolerate clipping in goldens, it will do nothing to encourage breeders to select for more moderate feathering. The AKC golden retriever standard very explicitly states that excessive coat length is undesirable. This is a smart move, for these dogs could become giant American cocker spaniels if attention is not paid to the length of the feathering.
Clipping is more or less coddling the continued selection pressures to even more excessive coat length in this breed.
Goldens should not be very large cocker spaniels.
Draw a line in the sand.
If you think it is impossible for a dog to get sunburned, ask any own of any hairless dog what they do when their dogs go out in the summer time.
It depends if they have any pigment. Pink-spotted dogs will burn, and require sunscreen. My own, dogs, which have uniform dark pigment, tan just fine and have never burned. Of course, I don’t leave them exposed in direct sunlight for hours either, but that’s just common sense.
Most pet people resort to clipping because breed coats have gotten ridiculously high maintenance as a result of show ring desires for more and more flashy coats. Even the terrier breeds were not immune.
When we first moved to the desert, my IGs got a tan. It was quite obvious on their ears and the very thin spots in front of the ear on top of the head.
Spay/neuter can turn a ‘big’ coat into a nightmare coat.
It’s probably the reason why black nose and eye pigment is a common requirement in breed standards. Pink-skinned dogs will burn sooner and easier than a dark-pigmented dog.
Also, there is apparently a link between melanin and immune function.
This is just stupid, clipping any dog serves no purpose.
especially when people say it’s to keep them cooler in summer.
Actually, with my Afghans it is quite obvious that they prefer to be clipped in the summer. Their entire demeanor changes.
The main purpose that clipping serves is to reduce coat maintenance. That is why so many breeds that require a lot of coat for the ring are clipped after their show career is over.
A Golden Retriever with a *correct* coat is very easily maintained. Yes, there is a heavy shedding in spring; but a few sessions of diligent brushing/combing will take care of that. Otherwise, a few minutes once a week (plus the usual attention to nails, ears, teeth) is sufficient. If even that is too much, well, perhaps any dog would be “too much”.
Unfortunately, there are far too many Goldens with the wrong kind of coat; people ignore the breed standard, or interpret it to suit their own preferences.