MASTERCLASS
Golden Retriever
NICKY WALLACE
MAX
Max is a big, cheerful Golden Retriever with two very Golden Retriever attributes: enormous hairy feet and a tail that apparently never stops wagging.
Nicky concentrates on the finishing work that can make a Golden look beautifully neat without interfering with the natural double coat. This one is particularly useful for speed and technique: getting those feet clean and tight without overdoing them, balancing the hocks, and turning a mass of wagging tail hair into a proper Golden Retriever flag.
Part 1 | Feet and hocks
Nicky starts right at the nails and pads, showing how she holds the feet, works around the toes and cleans the pad edges while deliberately leaving some protective coat behind.
Then comes a very handy lesson in efficient Golden Retriever feet. Careful clipper preparation does much of the hard work before the scissors even come out, making it much quicker to create a neat cat foot. Nicky demonstrates the same finish with straights and thinners, so you can see the difference in technique and time, before shaping the hocks to balance the finished feet.
Part 2 | The tail
The final job is Max’s magnificent tail. After gently removing loose undercoat, Nicky brushes and combs everything into place, tidies the hygiene area and sets the length before shaping the underline into the classic flag. And yes, Max continues wagging it throughout
