How to Prevent a Dog from Shedding

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Medium
10 - 20 Minutes
2 Days

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Introduction

Nobody enjoys a dog who sheds all over everything. Continually explaining to your guests why they are covered with fur before they leave your house is not very fun. Having to clean your couches and vacuum your hard floors every day isn't very fun either, but all dog owners know that shedding comes with having a dog. Even if your dog is a short-haired pup, he probably sheds a bit less than your furry, fluffy long haired dogs, but all dogs leave a little bit of fur behind no matter where they go. There are steps you can take to prevent your dog from shedding. Aside from grooming procedures, you can also look at your dog's diet and supplements. As far as grooming is concerned, maintaining a consistent grooming schedule that consists of proper de-shedding tools and blowouts as well as regular bathing can help your dog from shedding more than necessary.

Dog's Perspective

If your dog is not used to being brushed every day or brushed on a regular basis, he may need to get used to the grooming process you will start to prevent him from shedding as much as he may be currently. This will take some time and some patience. Reward your dog with lots of yummy and tasty treats when you are spending extra time grooming him. Once your dog is used to the change of daily or weekly grooming habits, he’ll be much more comfortable and will have less anxiety about being regularly brushed.

The Daily Habits Method

Effective
0 Votes
Spray
Slicker Brush
Pin Brush
Deshedder
Step
1
Brush
Using a brush specifically for your dog’s coat, brush your pup every day. This will remove excess fur each day before it drops off all over your clothing, floors, or furniture. De-shedding brushes are available at your local pet store.
Step
2
Bathe
Give your dog regular baths to keep loose hair off. Bathing on a regular basis with a good dog shampoo will also keep the skin healthy. Skin that is healthy will retain a healthy coat as well. Be careful not to bathe your dog too often as that may also create dry skin which could cause itching and his fur to shed.
Step
3
Diet
Feed your dog a healthy diet filled with essential fatty acids, omega-3 oils as well as natural foods to keep your dog’s coat and skin healthy. A healthy diet should consist of top quality foods high in fats and proteins. Healthy fats are essential for your dog's skin as well as his coat.
Step
4
Supplements
Give your dog omega-3 fatty acid supplements or fish oil on a regular basis to improve his coat and his skin. You can also add flax seed to your dog's diet, which will improve dry and flaky skin, stopping fur from falling out unnecessarily.
Step
5
Wet wipes
Use a wet paper towel or a wet wipe safe for your dog’s skin to wipe any excess fur off your dog each day during a simple petting moment. Dogs don't need baths every day or even every week. A wet wipe can help remove excess fur sitting on top of the coat before it gets all over your house or your clothing.
Step
6
Waterless shampoo
Between grooming and baths, use waterless shampoo to keep the fur clean. This will also help to remove any loose fur.

The Grooming Method

Effective
0 Votes
Spray
Slicker Brush
Shampoo
Pin Brush
Deshedder
Step
1
Brush daily
Be sure to brush your dog on a daily basis. You can turn brushing into a training exercise for future grooming, or you can have brushing be part of your connection and bonding moments together. Brushing a dog is also an excellent chore for children if you happen to have those in your household.
Step
2
De-shedding combs
Invest in a de-shedding comb or a rake brush that can pull loose undercoat from your dog's coat before it falls in your house. A de-shedding comb can help get loose fur out of your dog's coat that you cannot see. Mixing a de-shedding comb with your daily brushing routine can keep fur from dropping.
Step
3
Bathing
Be sure to give your dog regular baths keeping his fur, undercoat, and skin healthy and clean. A dog with healthy skin will shed less often than a dog with skin not as healthy or a dog who has dry, itchy, and flaky skin. When you bathe your dog, be sure you are using a top quality dog shampoo and not human shampoo. Know your dog's breed, coat, and skin well enough to provide shampoo that is beneficial for his skin and coat.
Step
4
Blowout
Dogs who have a thick undercoat will typically blow their coat at least twice a year. This often happens before the warmer months and change of seasons. Give your dog a good blowout when you see their undercoat starting to blow. Blowing out your dog's undercoat will prevent huge clumps of undercoat falling and shedding as well as the undercoat and hair shedding together. This is the time of year your dog will shed more the normal. A good blowout can help prevent this.
Step
5
Maintenance
Stay on top of your dog’s grooming, whether you do it at home or you hire a professional groomer. If you're not grooming your dog on a regular schedule, he is more likely to have a shedding problem. If, in between professional groomings, you are bathing and brushing and your dog is on a healthy diet with added supplements, you should see the amount of fur he sheds lessen.

Caution & Considerations

  • All dogs shed, whether their fur as long or short.
  • Long haired or fluffy dogs with double coats may need to be brushed out more often than short haired dogs.
  • A dog with a double coat will blow coats at least twice a year if not more, depending on how the seasons change in the area where you live.
  • Once your dog blows his coat, you may consider a blowout to get the excess fur off of your dog quickly.
  • Look into using certain tools based on your dog's coat, breed, and length of fur. A rake tool is great for de-shedding as well as pulling that undercoat whereas a rubber brush tool might be good for getting excess fur off of the top coat.
  • Even after grooming on a consistent basis, if your dog still has problems with excess shedding, don't hesitate to look into diet and supplements for a healthy coat.
  • Be consistent when brushing your dog. Especially if they are a long haired double coated dog.
  • Brushing your dog every day can become part of your bonding together time.  Daily dog brushing also makes a great chore for any children in your house.
  • Know how your dog's coat changes with the seasons so you can be on top of these changes as they are happening instead of waiting until you realize your home is covered in dog fur from incessant seasonal shedding.

Conclusion

Dealing with shedding is doggone hard, but it can be managed with proper and consistent grooming. Don't let your home become a pawful place to be because of all the dog hair on every surface! Get a handle on this ruff task and brush your dog every day to rid his coat of fur before it falls on you.

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