Help! My dog is shedding!

Shedding season?! What can we do about it?

Having a dog is lovely, but I could happily do without those dreadful shedding periods where the hair comes off faster than I can catch it.

By now I could have built 100 new dogs out of all the tumbleweeds of loose hair drifting around the house, so I decided to dig into it. Why? How come? And now what? I will share everything I could find, and perhaps we will even stumble on the ultimate solution.

What is shedding?

Shedding means that dogs start losing their coat. I am not talking about going bald (if that happens, something is wrong), but about making room for the new coat.

In an ideal world, a dog "only" has 2 shedding periods: winter coat to summer coat, and summer coat to winter coat. That second one I did not really get myself: how can a thinner coat fall out to make way for a thicker one? Why not just add new hair instead of losing the old? Since I am surely not the only one wrestling with this existential question, I looked it up. The answer is not that thrilling: the coat simply changes. One coat out, the other takes its place.

When does shedding happen?

As I said, in an ideal world a dog sheds twice a year: in April/May and in October/November, and each period can last between 3 and 6 weeks. Sadly, some dogs seem to shed all year round, which can have several causes:

• The temperature (both indoors and outdoors) does not cooperate. For example, when winters are mild and we keep our buddies cosy indoors, the process gets thrown off. If it is not cold enough, the winter coat will drop out again. In summer the opposite applies: if it is not warm enough, the winter coat will want to make a comeback.
• I have also seen that brushing too much (and too hard) can cause extra hair loss. If you keep swinging that brush with enthusiasm, you do not just remove the loose hair, you pull the new hair out as well. Keep proper brushing to a maximum of once every 2 weeks and you are fine.

Dog shedding: what do we do about it?

The question of questions, and nobody has the golden answer. But I did find a few tips, so here they come:

• Tip 1: Good food. Our Hera sheds neatly within the guidelines when she eats good kibble. Also read which foods are toxic and dangerous for your dog.
• Tip 2: Brush or comb with the right tools. To be sure you are using the right gear, you can ask for advice at the pet shop or the vet.
• Tip 3: Give your dog a proper wash. While washing, you rinse away all the loose hair. Use dog shampoo for the bath and do not wash your buddy too often (that can irritate the skin).
• Tip 4: The internet even talks about gently blow-drying your dog (with cold air, obviously) to blow away all the loose hairs. We would love to see photos of this step.
• Tip 5: If only to tidy up the house without chasing after new tufts again: take your dog to the groomer once. Steps 2, 3 and 4 get done for you, nice and neatly.

Extreme hair loss

Is your four-legged friend really suffering from extreme hair loss (read: bald patches)? Then it may be time to consult the vet.

Dogs can suffer from stress, hormone problems or allergies and lose extreme amounts of hair because of them. It does not always have to be something serious, but if in doubt, ask an expert.

Also read whether you should have your dog vaccinated, and browse all products for your dog.