It is a good thing we love our dogs so much, otherwise, their constant shedding could drive us crazy. Dog shedding means you and everything you own will be covered with hair. The more hair your dog has, the hairier you and your furniture are going to be. Is there a solution to a shedding dog problem if giving up your dog is not an option? Sure, but not completely. Consider it more of a maintenance solution.
Of course, if you start with a non-shedding dog, you will not have dog shedding problems. Two examples of the more popular non-shedding dogs are poodles and wheaten terriers. They are wonderful dogs in general, but their nice non-shedding fur makes them especially popular. Unfortunately, most other dogs in the world shed, there is just no way around it. Short-haired dogs shed short hairs, and long-haired dogs shed long hairs, otherwise, there is no difference.
Coping with dog shedding in your home means you will have two jobs: you have to take the excess hair off your dog by dog grooming, and you will have to take the excess hair off your furniture. Dog grooming means regular brushing so that you’ll hopefully catch the dog’s hair before it falls on the floor or winds up on your black coat. By regular, we mean daily, and in extreme cases twice daily. There are different brushes and combs for grooming your dog, depending on the length and texture of your dog’s fur. Try different ones until you find one that works best. Visiting a professional grooming salon a few times a year will go a long way to solving most shedding problems as well.
Keeping the furniture clean from dog shedding requires regular brushing as well. Vacuuming works best, but your carpets might require passing over them with a rubber glove or special rubber brushes from time to time. The same goes for car seats. Carpets keep dog shedding fur from flying around or creating fur balls, but that just means that you have to pick them up from the carpets. Try rubber squeegee, or again rubber gloves.
There are some reasons for excessive dog shedding. One possibility is feeding the wrong food, or there might not be enough protein in your dog’s food. Also, try adding some fatty fish or fish oil to the food. Eggs high in Omega 3 and Omega 6 mixed with dog kibble also works. If your house is over-heated, your dog might respond by shedding fur to keep cooler. Using too harsh shampoo dries your dog’s fur causing excessive shedding. Try using special deshedding shampoo that helps with excessive dog shedding.
If you have someone in your family who is allergic to dog fur there are very few things out there that will actually help. There will always be some fur and pollen in the air. Allergy medications can help, but if you find that your dog is causing your family too many allergy troubles, there eventually could be resentment toward the dog. In extreme cases, finding a new home for him could be the best solution for everyone. This can be avoided by getting allergy tested or exposing you to different dogs before getting one. This will help you in your decision making of which breed is best for your family.
