|
 Are you wondering how to reduce dog shedding? You’re not alone. As much as we love our dogs, we don’t necessarily want their hair everywhere they’ve ever been. Luckily, there’s a 3-step method to reduce dog shedding.
Let’s start with the root of the problem: shedding is your dog’s natural way of eliminating old hair to make room for new. This is most common during the spring and fall seasons, when dogs shed their seasonal undercoat (thicker for winter, thinner for summer) in preparation for the upcoming season. Some dogs shed mainly seasonally while others shed year round. With the right tools, you can help this process along in a way that doesn’t leave your home covered in hair.
Here's the 3-step method:
First, start with a high-quality dog food. Good dog food will provide your dog with the nutrients to keep her skin and coat healthy. Unhealthy skin and coat often leads to extra, preventable shedding. Look for foods that include ingredients rich in omega fatty acids, like fish, flax seed, and avocado. Another option is fish oil supplements for the same effect. Ask your vet about dosages.
Second, brush your dog daily. A slicker brush for dog grooming is good for removing loose hair and mats from just about any coat. Just “pat and pull” the slicker brush – pat it on your dog’s coat and lightly pull it through. It’s gentle enough to be used daily and gets rid of tangles, even on long-haired coats. (Pro tip: Ever notice fur flying at the vet? Dogs often shed when they are stressed, even from short-term situations like a vet visit. Take a brush with you so you can brush your dog, which is calming for many dogs.)
Third, use a dog shedding brush weekly. A shedding brush like the FURminator For Dogs is designed to reach through the topcoat to the undercoat. Remember, the undercoat is the part that sheds seasonally. A dog shedding brush will remove the undercoat once it comes loose but before it works its way through the topcoat onto your clothes and furniture. If your dog sheds seasonally, use the dog shedding brush weekly during shedding season. If your dog sheds year-round, use it weekly year-round.
That’s it. Three steps. As the owner of a dog that is mixed with Chow Chow (thick coats with a dense undercoat) and Labrador (notorious for shedding constantly), I can testify that this method works! Before I started it, Nala shed every time she so much as wagged her tail. As soon as I started this routine, I noticed a significant reduction in her shedding. The brushing is really what made the big difference: I got the loose hair out and onto a brush before it made it to my floor. A bonus: it gives me extra bonding time with my girl. It’s amazing how connected you and your dog can feel doing such a simple exercise.
If you wondered how to reduce dog shedding, now you know. It’s a tried-and-true method that works.
If you liked this, you may also like:
|
