How to Trim a Golden Retriever's Ears

A golden retriever has a thick, creamy coat and sheds quite often; trimming and grooming the breed regularly can help keep the coat neat. One particularly stubborn area of a golden retriever's coat is around and inside the ears. This hair tends to bunch up and grow rather thickly, giving the dog an unkempt appearance if not tended to regularly. Be cautious when trimming the dog's ears to ensure you don't snip the flesh. The objective is too thin the fur without cutting it too short.

Things You'll Need

  • Thinning shears
  • Dog brush
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Bathe your dog and blow-dry its coat.

    • 2

      Command your golden retriever to sit and kneel down beside it, facing its ear. Pull the ear forward and out, gently, and hold it taut, but not so much as to cause the dog pain.

    • 3

      Look behind the ear. You will notice "fuzzies" or thick scraggly hairs protruding from behind it. Maneuver your thinning shears close to the skin and snip the scraggly fur away. Take about three snips; then brush out the fur and assess your progress. Snip until the fur behind the ear lies nice and neat when brushed. Keep in mind that you want to thin the fur, not snip it completely off.

    • 4

      Turn the dog's ear over by gently pulling in the opposite direction and holding it forward to expose the inside of the ear. You will notice thick fur all around the edges of the ear. Snip the fur around the edges of the ear. Snip away from the inside of the dog's ear so hair does not drop into the ear canal. Only a few snips should be necessary.

    • 5

      Drop the dog's ear and let it hang naturally. Trim any protruding fur on the front of the ear. Pick up this fur with two fingers and snip the fur with an upward motion. Brush out the fur and repeat as needed to get the fur to lie nice and neat.

    • 6

      Move to the other side of your dog and repeat Steps 2 through 5 on the other ear to complete the task.