You just vacuumed your house yesterday (including the couch!), and today sit down and you’re already covered in dog hair, and so is your floor, after less than 24 hours! We know the feeling. Heavily shedding dogs make great companions, but terrible for your wardrobe and floors. Here’s our advice on how to maintain your pet’s coat and prevent them from shedding so much.
As groomers with decades of experience, we’ve gotten the question hundreds of times, “Can you make my dog stop shedding?” No matter how much they love their dogs, the shedding can be frustrating, the mess of dog hair all over the house and their clothes is enough to drive anyone nuts. All dog breeds have some levels shedding, although some more than others.
Shedding is a natural part of the hair life cycle of your four-legged family member. Just like humans, dogs are continuously growing hair all their life. The difference in the amount of shedding between breeds will depend on the length and texture of the hair and the life of growth.
The life of growth means how long it takes each hair to reach maximum length. This is of course varies greatly based on bread. For example, Afghan Hounds can grow their hair up to 9 inches long, which can take months for one hair to reach its maximum length. Boxers, on the other hand, only take a few weeks to get to their maximum length, which is only between a quarter and half an inch long. Which is why they’re constantly replacing their hair (and leaving their old hair all over the place).
“But what about the longhaired dogs that still shed like crazy, like Akitas and Labradors?,” you might ask. These dogs produce an undercoat which has a shorter life of growth that the outer layer, since it grows faster, provoking a lot of shedding.
The most concentrated times of shedding are during the changing of seasons, in the spring and fall. During these times we inevitably get this wave of new clients who are desperate to get the shedding under control. This seasonal purging of old hair happens because the coat is adapting to the new season, when the high temperatures force double-coat breeds to shed their winter undercoat so their fur is lighter, preventing them from overheating. In the winter months, secondary hairs grow next to the primary ones, making the fur thicker to warm the dog.
Although we’d love to tell you we can completely stop the shedding, unfortunately it’s impossible, since it’s a healthy and natural process that is necessary for your dog. Many clients ask us if we can shave their dogs to prevent the shedding, but that’s not the solution either, because it can interfere your dog’s natural self-cooling and self-warming mechanism. What you get when you shave is the same amount of shedding, but with really short hair. It can also make their hair grow back with a different texture and color, and in very abnormally rare cases it will not grow back at all.
The solution is to make your next dog grooming appointment with Pampered Tails and let us take care of the excessive undercoat. We use the best natural dog products to clean your dog, then we hand dry and comb their coat with special de-shedding brushes, removing all dead hairs before they end up on your floor at home.
At your grooming appointment with us, ask any of our professional groomers for advice on your particular breed and they’ll recommend the right tools to use at home, making it easier for you to keep up with the maintenance of your dog’s shedding between visits.
The majority of our clients book recurring appointments every 1-3 weeks, giving them the freedom to forget about their dog’s maintenance between visits, and at the same time have a healthy coat and fur-free floors and clothes.