Grooming a Lab puppy before shedding starts

You're in exactly the right headspace — starting grooming habits at 12 weeks, before the adult double coat comes in, is one of the best things you can do for a Labrador. Managing shedding effectively comes down to three things: the right deshedding tool for the coat type, a consistent brushing routine, and in some cases a diet that supports coat health. The wrong tool for the coat type does nothing. Labs are double-coated and short-haired, but at 12 weeks your pup still has that soft puppy coat — so I want to ask: how often are you brushing right now, and has the adult coat started coming through at all yet?

That makes complete sense. The goal at this stage isn't really about deshedding — it's about making touch and grooming feel completely normal to her. A slicker brush is actually fine for the puppy coat, and once-a-week is reasonable right now. What I'd recommend is adding a second tool to your kit now so she's already comfortable with it when the adult coat arrives and you actually need it: the FURminator Short Hair Deshedding Tool for Dogs in the small size. It's the go-to for short double-coated breeds like Labs — it reaches the undercoat without cutting the topcoat. You won't use it hard until she's around 6 months and the adult coat starts coming in, but running it gently over her now two or three times a week gets her totally unbothered by it later.

Used gently, yes — it's safe. The key is light pressure and short sessions at this age. You're not trying to pull out undercoat right now because there's barely any to pull; you're just running it over her so she feels it, hears it, and doesn't react when it becomes part of her routine. Keep sessions to two or three minutes, give her a treat at the end, and you're building exactly the association you want. When she's older and you do need to use it properly, she'll sit still for it — which honestly makes the whole shedding management thing ten times easier.

At 12 weeks, if she's on a good quality puppy food — something with real meat as the first ingredient and appropriate fat levels for a large-breed puppy — her coat nutrition is covered. I wouldn't add supplements at this age; her body is developing fast and a complete puppy food handles it. Where diet starts to matter more for coat health is once she's on adult food, usually around 12 months for Labs. That's when you might look at adding omega-3s if the shedding is heavy. For now, focus on the brushing routine and getting her comfortable with the FURminator — that'll do far more for manageable shedding long-term than anything you add to her bowl right now.

Exactly right. Keep the slicker brush for her current coat — it's good for detangling and she's used to it. Add the FURminator Short Hair Small into the rotation two or three times a week with light pressure, just to normalise it. Once she's around 6 months and you start seeing that denser adult coat come through, you'll switch to using the FURminator as your main tool and scale the slicker back. You're setting this up really well.