How To Stop Dogs From Shedding Too Much

Have you ever wondered why your dog sheds so much? People that love dogs often put up with the hair because they feel like they don’t have any other recourse. What are you going to do, shave your best friend? The truth is, there are a lot of reasons why your dog might be shedding more than normal. If you want to minimize the hair in your house and make sure that your dog is as healthy as possible, it’s important to explore each of these reasons and find out if one of them might be affecting your dog. Better still, getting a more complete understanding of excessive dog shedding gives you the opportunity to find an effective way to minimize it so that you don’t have to deal with so much cleaning up all the time.

Reasons Why Your Dog Sheds

Let’s get the obvious reason out of the way first. Dogs shed more at certain times of the year than they do at others. It’s just the way it goes. It’s part of nature and to a certain extent, there’s nothing you can do about it. That said, you don’t need to just let the pet hair take over your life and your home. While you can’t always stop your dog from shedding, there are certain things that you can do to minimize the issue. In fact, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your dog’s loose hair to a minimum.

Brush Your Dog Often and Use the Right Brush

This is one of the most effective ways to control dog shedding, even during those certain times of the year when your dog is shedding faster than most people can even imagine. The more you brush your dog’s hair, the less likely you are to have that your pet’s dead hair ending up everywhere else, including your carpet, your furniture, and your clothing. Typically, you want to brush your dog’s hair every few days. One thing that will determine how frequently you are actually brushing your dog is if you know how to brush different coats—the type of dog that you have and the type of coat that your dog has. For example, you don’t need to brush a Whippet as frequently as you need to brush a Border Collie or a miniature Australian Shepherd. Why do you ask? It’s really quite simple. Border Collies, Australian Shepherds in German Shepherds shed a lot. They have a lot of hair and when they start to shed because the climate is getting warmer, they shed more than most people could ever imagine. It’s a lot, even for experienced dog owners who know what to expect. Other dogs such as Whippets don’t have the thick undercoats that these types of dogs have. In fact, their coats are quite thin. As such, you don’t have to brush them as often in order to get to all of that hair that’s part of the undercoat, which is coming loose first.

Remember the part about using the right brush? This is imperative. If you just happen to have one of those dogs that has a thick undercoat, using a standard brush is never going to get the job done. That’s because it doesn’t go deep enough to reach that undercoat. All you’re getting is the hairs on the surface of the outer coat. The part that is really coming loose is the undercoat, so that’s where the majority of your hair is coming from. If you don’t address the loose hair on the undercoat, you’re essentially spinning your wheels. A standard brush will work just fine for a dog like a Whippet. In fact, it would almost be cruel to use an undercoat brush on a dog like this because you could do a lot of damage to their skin. On Collies and Shepherds, that undercoat brush is a must. It is designed to go deep past the surface coat and get all of the loose dog hair that’s right next to the skin. The first time that you brush your dog with one of these, you’re probably going to believe that you have a different dog by the time you’re finished. It’s amazing how much smaller they look after you get rid of all that loose hair. One word of caution has to be given here, however. Undercoat brushes can be very sharp, as they typically incorporate metal bristles. They work great, but be careful not to put too much pressure on them when you’re brushing your dog. They can still reach past all of that hair and get to your dog’s skin. If it does and you’re putting a lot of pressure on it when that happens, those bristles are sharp enough to actually cut your dog’s skin. As such, you have to use caution when you’re using them. This is especially true if you have a dog that has sensitive skin who doesn’t particularly enjoy being brushed in the first place.

Bathe Your Dog

This is the thing that most dogs hate, but it is still necessary if you really want to keep your dog’s coat under control. It’s a good idea to bathe your dog every few months. This cuts down on excess hair and also helps with skin conditions like hot spots or dandruff. If you have one of those especially hairy dogs that shed all over everything, a bath might be in order a bit more often than once every few months, especially during the times of the year when shedding is at its worst. Since most dogs aren’t particularly fond of bath time, it’s really important to work with your dog as soon as you get her in order to help her understand that bath time does not equal having something horrible happen to her. Ideally, you’ll be doing this while she’s still a puppy but if you adopt an adult dog that really doesn’t like bath time, you’ll have to gradually work with her in order to get her to understand that it’s not the monster she’s made it out to be. If all else fails and you’re completely at the end of your rope, you might even consider hiring a professional dog trainer that deals with behavioral issues to help you with the matter. If your dog sheds enough, it might be worth it.

Choose the Right Food

What on Earth does choosing the right dog food to have to do with how much a dog sheds? You’d be surprised how closely the two are linked. In order to minimize shedding, you have to make sure that your dog’s coat is healthy and that means keeping her skin healthy. The right dog food can help boost her level of skin health just like it can boost your own [1]. When you eat the right foods and drink plenty of water, your skin probably looks remarkably different than it does when you eat tons of junk food and drink nothing but caffeinated beverages, right? It’s not really that different where your dog is concerned. She needs high-quality food that is designed to help keep her body and skin healthy. It’s not just a marketing gimmick. It really can make all the difference in the world. If you’re not sure which type of food to choose for her, speak with your veterinarian. They can recommend some different brands that you can try in order to find the one that works best for you and your dog.

By the same token, it’s a good idea to consider adding some type of fatty acid supplement to your dog’s diet. This helps to ensure that her skin is as healthy as it can be. Healthy skin means a healthy coat and that means less shedding. If you’re still not convinced, think about things this way. You have probably seen a dog with a skin condition in the past. It doesn’t matter if it involves hot spots, dandruff, or something else entirely, the shedding is always worse whenever that condition flares up. By keeping it under control, you’re doing your part to help keep the shedding under control as well. The best part is that it also helps your dog be more comfortable. Imagine how you would feel if you had an undiagnosed or untreated skin condition that was never addressed. That would be almost incomprehensible, yet people who are otherwise well-meaning dog owners do this to their dogs every single day. Perhaps they don’t fully realize that there is a problem or perhaps they just think that their dog sheds an excessive amount of hair. Whatever the reason might be, very few dog owners actually get their dogs seen by a veterinarian for problems like excessive shedding or how to treat dog hot spots. They just assume that their dog loses a lot of hair and fail to see that their pet could potentially be suffering from something that they have the power to prevent.

Consider Allergy Treatment

If your dog has severe allergies, she might be shedding a lot more than she would if she didn’t have those issues. Allergies have a tendency to make dogs shed a lot more than they otherwise would and this means that you could end up cleaning up more hair. Of course, there are typically other signs to look for as well. For example, the dog that suffers from allergies typically scratches a lot. You might notice that she licks her paws a lot, as dogs that have allergies have a tendency to get itchy paws. If you notice that she’s licking or biting at her paws constantly, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with your veterinarian and get to the bottom of things. Medication might help a lot of the issues that you are experiencing with excessive dog hair. By the same token, it can make your dog feel a lot better because it has the power to make all of that itching and discomfort go away. If you’d rather not put Fido on medication for allergies right away, consider getting a comprehensive allergy test so you can figure out what your dog is allergic to, and then do your best to keep her away from those things. You’d be surprised how many dogs are allergic to chicken, one of the main ingredients in well over 80% of the dog foods that is produced.

Is Your Dog Stressed?

Another thing that causes excessive shedding is stress. When people get stressed, they have a tendency to lose their hair. Dogs are much the same way. As a result, your dog might be shedding because she is stressed about something in her routine that has changed. Perhaps you’ve adopted another dog or brought in a new addition to the family. Maybe you’ve moved to a new house or even changed jobs. A very small change in a dog’s routine can make them feel an excessive amount of stress. If she is shedding because of stress, try to minimize stress and make sure that you commit to a routine with her on a daily basis that includes plenty of exercises. If you give her some time and a little reassurance, she’ll probably learn that things aren’t so bad and as her stress levels subside, so too will the excessive shedding.

These are all things that you can do to minimize your dog’s shedding so that you can both enjoy having the companionship that a pet offers and keep your house clean at the same time. Granted, it requires some effort on your part and more than your fair share of time. However, that is the price that every dog owner pays for having the opportunity to experience the love and companionship that goes with having a great dog. Of course, if you’re still on the fence, there are a couple of frequently asked questions listed below that might help you out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I give my dog to stop shedding?

While there are some supplements available, your best bet is to simply provide a solid diet with a good fatty acid supplement. By the same token, make sure that your dog is free from allergies or is treated for them. If you really want to minimize shedding, get your dog on a flea and tick preventative as well, as this will minimize the scratching and biting which can lead to shedding.

What causes a dog to shed excessively?

To a certain extent, dogs shed as a part of nature, but excessive shedding can be caused by everything from a skin condition to stress. Dogs may shed excessively when they are experiencing allergies or when something that seems fairly benign in their routine changes. They might also experience shedding if they’re not getting everything they need in their diet, so it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re feeding them high quality food.