Excessive Shedding in Rottweilers

A Rottweiler is a big responsibility. It is a huge dog that has a bad -- and often unwarranted -- reputation for aggression. It will take time and effort to train and socialize your dog so that it will become a loyal and gentle companion. While this dog has short hair, it sheds a lot, so you need to be prepared to clean it up and prevent it as much as possible.

  1. Its Coats

    • Rottweilers have more hair than you might expect just from looking at them. They actually have two coats. One coat is an outer coat of medium length and fairly coarse hair. The coat is referred to as a guard coat because it is intended to protect the animal's skin from soil and other natural detritus. The other coat is a soft, fleecy undercoat. This coat acts as insulation, which it once needed as its traditional duties of guarding and cart hauling were often performed in rainy and cold weather.

    Causes of Shedding

    • Rottweilers naturally shed their undercoats twice a year, with a major blowout in the spring and a lesser one in the fall. Female Rottweilers also shed their undercoats with their fertility cycle. There are more unnatural causes of shedding such as allergies. Rottweilers are often allergic to the grains that low-quality dog foods are filled with, and Rottweilers, with their sensitive skin, are often allergic to flea bites. Both of these allergies can cause them to pull their own hair out in droves.

    Grooming

    • Grooming can drastically reduce the amount of hair a Rottweiler sheds. Brush your dog several times a week. Not only will this remove the hair that otherwise would have ended up on your floor, it will also help spread around the oils that are naturally on your Rottweiler's skin. You should bathe your Rottweiler no more than once a month, as bathing strips its coat of those same natural oils. And when you do bathe it, rinse it well because any remaining soap residue will dry out and irritate the dog's skin, which ultimately will increase shedding.

    Tackling Shedding from Unnatural Causes

    • Keep your dog, especially in the warm months, on a flea and tick preventative medication. If you find that one brand is not working, try a different brand, because some brands are ineffective in certain areas. You may need to treat your yard with pesticides if the problem persist. If your dog is still shedding, it may be allergic to its food. Try buying a higher quality dog food that is not grain based. You may also need to try food with different meat bases. Also, lacing your dog's food with an oil like fish oil can help keep its coat healthy.