golden retreiver, thick under coat

Question
QUESTION: hi, i have just got a golden retreiver. he spends alot of the time in the sea, loves his beach walks.
but his coat is very bad, his under coat is very thick and started to get matted.
i use a furminator, dog rake on him alot, but the under coat is not get any better and not much coming out now. do i clip him now, with a #15 blade and 1" attachment, or would that leave him to short.would i then go with the coat or against it?
dont want his coat to short, just the under coat less.
what do you think i can do ?
hope you can help, many thanks.

ANSWER: I gasped when I read this! A 15 bade is for scalping? Bald! Total skin exposure- so NO, do not shave your dog with a 15 blade. Not to mention the hazards of never having done this before- tearing the skin, the trauma the dog will be in from having his body naked and exposed.
What I think you should do is bite the bullet and have a professional work on your dog and get it in shape for you. Mean time you should do some research on the breed and not buy into the marketing of the furminator. In skilled hands it is but a simple tool and not a magic solution for the undercoat problem- Natures protection. Furminator is not going to get done what you need to do. The dog needs to be groomed on a monthly basis and brushed and combed in between. Comb being a metal one that gets down to the skin. Universal slicker for routine maintenance. High Velocity blow dryer to push out the dead undercoat while drying it. A Mars Coat King for shedding a blown coat in the spring and fall- some pro appointments when the seasons change.

If you absolutely must do this yourself- use a #7 skip tooth and be really careful not to burn your dog regardless of what blade you use they get very hot.

try looking for a video about grooming your dog on line.
good luck

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi, thanks for that. sorry to make you gasp. my friend said that and was not sure, that is why i asked. i am always clipping horses and doing them, so dont deal alot with different blade sizes. the #7 skip tooth would not bald him then?

Answer
this is my golden retriever weekend- I just answered another question about the same issue so you should definitely read that as well.

Since you can handle a clipper you are one up but using these blades are a last resort since they will cut off the protective coat. This is not like a horse where it gets it's winter coat shaved off- these dogs need their coats for several reason especially if they are out in the woods and briars getting scratched.
please read the last response and if you have more specific questions come back.
best!