Most dogs shed as a normal part of their hair growth cycle, but when the temperature goes up, the fur really starts to come out. In the spring and summer, they shed their coats and grow a lighter coat for warmer weather. Surprisingly, many dogs go through a shedding phase in the autumn, too, which prepares the skin for their heavier winter coats.
How Much is Too Much?
While most shedding is natural and healthy, excessive shedding can indicate a health problem. Skin allergies, skin parasites and even poor nutrition can cause coat problems, including too much shedding.
Start recognizing your dog’s shedding cycles and how much they shed at each time of year. Contact your veterinarian if you see the coat getting dull or notice excessive shedding.
How to Manage Your Pet’s Shedding
The best way to control shedding is regular brushing – at least once a week. This ritual should start when your pet is young, so you both get used to the routine. This is especially important for those pets with double layers of fur. Dogs with this double coat include Collies, Samoyeds and Malamutes, and Keeshond terriers. They have both a coarse outer layer and a soft underlayer of fur, and both shed heavily. This type of fur mats easily and can be impossible to comb out if left too long. Other breeds that are heavy shedders are Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds. Even though Pugs are small and have coarse hair, they shed an amazing amount of fur. Poodles shed less than some other breeds.
You may have to experiment with different kinds of brushes and combs to find out what works best. Brushes with long bristles and combs with wide teeth can get through a thick coat, while a fine comb is all you need for short hair. For coarse coats, some dog groomers even use a horse’s shedding blade, which looks like a bent saw blade with dull teeth. This blade doesn’t hurt the dog, but grabs loose hair by the handful. You can get the blades at tack stores and even some pet stores. All the dog brushes I tried went right through my Labrador’s slick coat without catching any of it, so I found a cat brush made for finer hair works much better.
Cleaning up After a Shedding Pet
I love my dog, but the hair everywhere makes me crazy. The only thing I’ve found that cleans up large surfaces like a car seat, couch or bed is a giant piece of tape with a peel-off backing called StickySheets. It was voted the 2006 Pet Product of the Year for good reason – it cleans up my car seats or the couch in a couple of minutes instead of a couple of hours.
Visit StickySheets for all the ways they can help save your sanity with a shedding pet.
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