Golden Retriever Skin Problems

Driveway tragedy leads mom on crusade for safety

In better days, Karen Pauly and her girlfriends would pose a grim question, a young mother's hypothetical nightmare: What would you do if your child died?

"I could never get through that," she told them. "I would be crazy. Just locked-up crazy."

But two months ago in De Witt, it happened with the most cruel twist. Pauly backed her SUV out of the garage and ran over her 19-month-old son Jack. He died.

How could she survive it? Her choices were two: Go crazy. Or go on living.

So Pauly talks. She talks until the details of that dreadful April 17 day are an echo in her head.

"I would talk to someone walking down the street. Do you want to hear what happened to me?" said Pauly, 32. "It just makes me feel better."

She is standing on the rock driveway where it happened, where Jack lay motionless and in that moment she felt as if she was floating above her precious boy, and saw herself screaming.

"I force myself to look at that spot," she said, looking at it. "I told myself I wasn't going to hide from anything."

Her survival is in words, spilling out fast, asking everyone to listen: Don't let this happen again. She wants to tell you it can happen.

Jack is everywhere in Karen and Pat Pauly's home. His books are neatly stacked in a basket in his bedroom. His clothes are hung up neatly in his closet. And his round face is on photographs, here dressed up as a cheeseburger for Halloween, there with his beloved golden retriever Henry.

"His eyes were unbelievable. Big blue eyes and really long lashes," Karen said.

Here's his face above sorrowful words: Not a day goes by that I don't think of you. I pray to God to take care of you. I wonder how it would be if you stayed here with me...

Jack was born on Sept. 10, 2009. Karen and Pat wanted a sibling for Lily, now 3. After their 2005 marriage, they had moved into Pat's childhood home when his parents, Robert and Ann Pauly, built a home next door. Pat's sister lives down the lane on the acreage just off U.S. Highway 30 south of De Witt.

Karen, a special education teacher at the North Scott school district in nearby Eldridge, hauled Jack around everywhere while on maternity leave - to the park, Grandma's, or play dates with friends.

Jack had her even temperament, wasn't bossy like his sister, and through the following months began to mimic his dad, an electrician. He wanted to spend time outdoors with him on the tractor or would gather sticks and kneel in his father's exact posture while building a fire.

Natural Carpets » How to Reduce Golden Retriever Shedding

Golden Retrievers are bouncy dogs with warm, affectionate personalities that make them a joy to have in your family. Unfortunately, along with the wonderful Golden Retriever personality comes the dog shedding problem. The Golden Retriever dog sheds rather profusely which can be a source of frustration if you’re accustomed to a pristine, hairless house.

Why do Golden Retriever dogs shed so copiously and how can the dog shedding problem be controlled? Golden Retrievers are a double coated dog breed, meaning that during the cold, winter months they develop an undercoat which is designed to protect them from the harsh elements. When the weather turns warm again, these dogs shed their thick undercoat which, of course, ends up on your carpeting and on your clothing. Some people try to control the dog shedding problem by shaving their Golden Retriever’s beautiful coat. This is not a good idea, particularly if you live in a cooler climate, since their coat protects them during the time they spend outdoors in the winter.

The good news is some basic grooming and coat maintenance can help to control dog shedding and reduce the amount of Golden Retriever fur that ends up on your carpeting and floating around your house. Here are some tips on how to control dog shedding in your Golden Retriever dog:

Practice regular brushing.

Brushing or combing your Golden several times a week can help to reduce the amount of free floating hair in your home. The thick undercoat should be combed on a weekly basis to remove dead hair. For regular brushing a high quality bristle brush should be effective. For combing the undercoat, an undercoat rake is probably your best choice since it has strong teeth designed to remove tough, heavy hair. Frequent brushing is one of the most effective ways to control dog shedding in a Golden Retriever.

Practice regular bathing.

Regular baths followed by a thorough brushing can help to reduce the amount of loose hair that ends up on your carpeting. Be sure to use a mild shampoo that won’t irritate your Golden Retriever’s skin. Some sources recommend using a shampoo fortified with omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids which can help to maintain healthy skin and may reduce the degree of shedding. Be sure not to bathe your Golden Retriever more than once every 3-4 weeks since frequent bathing can dry out their skin.

Feed a high quality diet.

Poor nutritional status affects the quality of your Golden Retriever’s coat which can influence the amount of shedding your dog experiences. In addition to feeding your dog a high quality dog food, consider adding supplemental fish oils or omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids to keep skin healthy and further control dog shedding.

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