What to Do for Dog Shedding?

All dogs lose hair constantly but twice a year a dog will actually shed its old fur, making way for a new coat. It is obvious when a long-haired dog sheds its coat from the incredible amount of hair that is left behind. Short-hair dogs can leave their fair share of hair across your home too. This causes a neverending battle with housework. This is a natural process for your dog, but there are things you can do to take some control over your dog's shedding.

  1. Brushing

    • It is important to brush your dog regularly, even when he is not shedding. This should be done at least three times a week. This will substantially cut down on the amount of hair that gets deposited in your home. If it is during the shedding season your dog should be brushed at least once every day. Twice a day is preferred to keep as much of the hair out of the house as possible--once in the morning and once in the evening. The brushing should be done outside using any basic dog-grooming brush.

    Shampooing

    • Shampooing your dog can help cut down on the shedding. Any dog shampoo that is made for moisturizing a dry coat will do. This will coat his fur and skin with a moisturizer that will help with the shedding a bit. The main reason shampooing cuts down on shedding is that the fur that was ready to shed will do so during this process. The dog actually sheds as much; it is just that it all goes down the drain. This is a good thing for your floors and furniture. Use luke-warm water when bathing your dog. Your dog should not have a bath more than once a month. During the shedding process you can shampoo him twice a month. Too much shampooing will dry out his skin, and this will cause even more shedding than he had in the first place.

      You can use a hair blower to dry your dog's fur on a cool-air setting. Do not use the hot or warm air setting on your blower. Hot air will dry out the skin, actually promoting more shedding, which will defeat the purpose.

    Food Supplements

    • Any oil-based supplement added to his food such as olive oil or fish oil capsules will help cut down on the shedding in the future. A tablespoon of olive oil mixed into your dog's food once a day will do the trick. In capsule form he can get one a day. This also helps your dog's re-growth, promoting shiny and soft fur.

    Vacuum

    • You can vacuum your dog also. This really catches the loose hair that was ready to shed on your carpet. Some dogs love this and others fear the vacuum. Any dog will get use to it if you introduce this method slowly. Use the hose with a stationary brush attachment. Do not use any attachment where the brush turns mechanically. This would cause injury to your dog by ripping out his fur when it catches in the turning brush. The vacuuming really does a good job at cutting down on the shedding hair deposits in your home.

    Talk With Your Vet

    • If your dog has an extraordinary shedding problem year round or is losing his hair so much that there are bald areas, you might want to change his food. Dogs can have a reaction to some of the ingredients in dog food that will cause their hair to fall out. You might want to confer with your vet about the different kinds of dog foods available for this problem. Losing excessive amounts of fur can be a sign of a medical problem in your dog and your vet should be consulted.