How to Groom Your Shedding Dog

No matter whether your dog is a purebred or a mix, it sheds. The only breed that does not shed is the American hairless terrier. Even poodles and terriers who are considered light shedders lose their coats. They require stripping or clipping to remove the dead hair. Most dogs shed twice yearly, with the heaviest shedding season in the spring, when they shed their winter coats. This process generally takes about six weeks, but you can speed it up and avoid some of the tumbleweeds around your house with minimal daily grooming.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog shampoo
  • Hairdryer
  • Spray bottle
  • Pin brush
  • Shedding rake
  • Slicker brush
  • Comb
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Instructions

    • 1

      Bathe your dog in warm water when it begins shedding. A warm water bath will loosen the hair and help it to shed faster. Use a mild shampoo meant for dogs or a specialty shampoo for your dog's type of coat or breed.

    • 2
      Let the dog dry before you begin grooming.

      Towel dry the dog and let it air dry, or dry it with a hairdryer set on low heat. It isn't necessary to dry the dog completely as long as it's warm or the dog is indoors.

    • 3

      Spray the dog's coat lightly with a mist of water from a spray bottle to avoid breaking the hair when you groom. Brush the coat first with a pin brush, stroking in the direction the fur grows. Begin at the back of the dog's neck and brush down the back, then down the legs, its chest and under the stomach. Use a brush with longer pins for long-haired, double-coated dogs, and shorter, softer pins for short-haired dogs or dogs with sensitive skin such as Yorkshire terriers.

    • 4

      Starting at the top of the leg where the hair is longest, part the hair with one hand and brush down the way the hair grows with the other. Move gradually up the dog's leg, parting and brushing as you go. This is called line-brushing and ensures that you brush to the dog's skin to avoid tangles or mats.

    • 5
      Begin brushing your dog at the back of the neck and work down.

      Use a shedding rake and brush the dog again starting at the back of the neck in the same direction as the hair grows. The rake will remove hair that is loose and ready to come out. This will take longer if the dog is double-coated with an undercoat, but you can remove a great deal of hair this way. Don't be fooled if your dog is a short-haired type such as a Labrador who doesn't seem to lose much hair when you groom. Short-haired dogs shed year-round if they don't receive regular grooming.

    • 6

      Go over the dog's body last with a slicker brush. This will help to distribute the natural oils through the dog's coat and improve the coat's health and shine.

    • 7

      Use the pin brush and shedding rake several times a week while your dog is shedding. Most dogs need to be line-brushed once or twice a month, depending on their coat type. Short-haired dogs can be brushed and then combed weekly to keep the coat in shape.