In What Months Do Dogs Shed the Most?

All dogs shed, although certain breeds shed more than others. Though a dog sheds its old hair year-round, especially if kept primarily indoors, it tends to shed the most in the spring and the fall in preparation for the change to warmer or cooler weather. To prevent your dog from depositing hair all over your home and developing mats in its coat, keep it well-groomed with daily brushing.

  1. Natural Shedding Patterns

    • To insulate themselves naturally against cold weather, dogs primarily kept outdoors develop a thick undercoat in the early fall months, typically around September to October. During this time your dog will shed its lighter, summer coat to make room for its new, warmer one. In the spring, as the weather becomes warmer, your dog begins to lose this extra fur, shedding more excessively during the warmer late spring months of the year from about April to May. Dogs kept primarily indoors experience more of a constant temperature year-round, so they do not shed as excessively during the spring months as outdoor dogs. These dogs shed at a more constant rate during all months of the year.

    Dog Hair Growth

    • Dogs have two types of hair: primary and secondary. Primary hair makes up the stiffer, longer outer coat of the dog, and the soft, fluffy undercoat is made up of secondary hair. All of a dog's hair grows in four stages, anagen, catagen, telogen and exogen, according to the Vet Info website. The hair initially grows in during the anagen phase, stops growing during catagen phase, is dormant in the telogen phase, and finally falls out in the exogen phase. Most of a dog's hair stays in the growth phase for 90 percent of the time, with the remaining 10 percent in the dormant or shedding phase, according to the Pet Place website.

    Causes of Increased Shedding

    • When the weather transitions to warm or cool temperatures, the amount of sunlight during the day changes too. In the fall, there is typically less daylight as the seasons transition to winter, and in the spring the amount of daylight increases as the weather transitions to summer. These changes trigger the exogen phase of your dog's coat during the late spring and early fall months. Other causes of your dog's shedding include stress, hormonal changes such as coming out of heat, nutritional deficiencies and damage to the coat from improper grooming or washing the dog too often.

    Grooming

    • To prevent your dog from excessive shedding and a matted, dirty coat, brush it daily to catch the excess hair it is shedding during all months of the year, but especially in the spring and fall. Breeds such as the poodle, Yorkshire terriers and Maltese shed less than those with a thicker undercoat such as the Akita, Great Pyrenees, golden retriever, or Labrador, but all need regular grooming. Use a firmer bristle brush on breeds with short to medium coats and a soft bristle brush on long-haired breeds. Always mist the coat with a spray bottle of water or with a leave-in spray conditioner to prevent breakage when brushing.