I have a Shepherd/Huskey mix. After we bathe her, she sheds profusely. Any ideas on why this is?

Question

We use regular shampoo... Is there any thing we can do to lessen her shedding?

Answer 1

Nothing will lessen her shedding. Your dog is blowing her coat, they do that once or twice a year, depending on the breed. The reason it seems more than usual after a bath, is the dead coat is stuck under the coat. When you bath her, you loosen all that coat and it comes out much easier.

When the time comes each year for the big blowout, bath her with PET shampoo, and blow dry her while brushing her. It will remove all the dead coat loosened up from the bath. Brush her at least once a week, year long.

Or, when all else fails, take her to a groomer who has a high velocity dryer that will blow that dead coat off her and brush her out really well.

Do not overbathe...this will dry out your dogs skin...

Answer 2

Stalkers are cowardly thieves is actually somewhat correct. All dogs do shed though yes, some breeds are known for shedding less than others (poodles being one of these). He's also right that golden retrievers are known for shedding, as are pugs and beagles. Since the 'breeders' of these "designer" mixes (they are just mutts, by the way) can never really guess which breed's features will more prominent, there's a very good chance you could have a 'goldendoodle' (yuck! i hate even typing that out) that sheds more than you expect. Again, pugs and beagles are both known shedders so I doubt you'd have much luck with that mix. And your assumption about no pure breed poodle puppies may not be correct. A LARGE number of purebreed dogs come through shelters/rescues. If you're wanting a puppy, it may be more true since there are more adults in rescue, but adopting an adult is often a great way to go.

Answer 3

Both of those breeds do an insane amount of shedding.

Stop bathing her so often! It actually causes a dog to blow their coat for months afterward. When the dog is really dirty, give her a bath in cool (not warm or hot) water.

Make sure you are feeding a good quality food that is "nutritionally complete." I like Nutro - it has no "by products" and is reasonably priced. Have your vet check for intestinal worms - they can cause excessive shedding. Also, get shedding blade from the pet store - it's a mini version of the kind they use on horses. That will take out a lot of the loose hair - you can even use it during the bath. Other than that, get a Dyson vacuum!

Answer 4

Kate and Snicksmlk had some good advice for you. But you can lessen the after-bath shedding somewhat by using cooler water. Most people tend to use water that is a bit warmer than necessary when they bathe their dog, and this does increase the rate at which the coat will blow. It will blow anyway, but it does tend to speed up right after a warmer bath. Most people also tend to bathe their dogs more often than they should. If odor becomes a problem between baths there are a number of waterless shampoos out there that you can use between baths to keep your dogs clean and smelling good. We use one called Winner's Circle Wash n' Dry available from petedge.com that works very well. Spray it on and groom it in. We buy it by the gallon and use a small spray bottle.

The type of brush you use can also have an impact on how well you're removing the loose coat. If you're using one of the brushes that have metal pins and look much like a human hair brush, you want one that *does not* have the tips of the pins blunted or beaded. Most pet stores only carry the blunted ones for some strange reason, but you can find the right kind at places like petedge.com. One of the combs that looks like a rake with two different length rows of tines on it also works very well for removing old coat, and finishing up with a slicker brush - the kind with the tiny wire tines in them - also works very well. We've never had much luck with any other types of combs or brushes than these three.

Believe it or not, we discovered that there's another thing you can do to keep your dogs looking and smelling good between baths - if you live near the ocean. Just take them for a romp in the surf then brush them out before you leave. I don't know why, but they'll come away looking good and smelling great.

Most important is to get used to brushing your dog out regularly. They will look better, smell better, there will be less hair all over your house, you'll spend some bonding time with your dog, and if you do it routinely, your dog will probably come to love it - or at the very least tolerate it well. We've even taught our dogs the command, "Turn," which we use while grooming. When we say "Turn", they'll turn themselves around so we can brush their other side. Visitors always get a kick out of this.

Credentials: 45+ years of owning and loving dogs. Currently we have 2 Shetland Sheepdogs who are both drop-dead gorgeous...and have *lots* and *lots* of hair!

Answer 5

I had a husky and I currently have an Akita and a Shepherd. All of these breeds shed A LOT. You have to brush them every day and before and after a bath. If your dog will tolerate it, get a shop vac with a blower on it. After the bath or inbetween baths, blow their fur out with the blower nozzle. It helps to loosen the hair so it comes out. One very important thing, NEVER shave your dog. It ruins their undercoat and they will overheat in the summer and be too cold in the winter. As far as a shampoo, you could check with your vet on a conditioning treatment or go to a highly qualified (not petsmart or petco) groomer and have a conditioning treatment done. That can help to get a lot of the loose fur out. My husky used to shed so much that I could use her hair and weave a sweater out of it if I wanted to! You can also check your dog's diet. Are you feeding a low quality food? Low quality foods and poor diets are also a reason for shedding a lot. Sometimes it is just the breed.

Answer 6

I used to have a SIberian Huskey. It is the time of year for shedding, but if you brush her everyday it will halp alot. I know we brushed my dog everyday and we could almost make a pillow with all the fur that came out. As a vet about a good shampoo for your dog. Maybe there is a kind to help with shedding.

Answer 7

Regular shampoo as human or dog?

Also, how often do you bathe her? You are supposed to bathe once a month at the *most*. And only if it is absolutely necessary.
Excess bathing can dry out the skin. Also, if she hates being bathed that could be a reason too. Dogs shed excessively when they are nervous. If you are going to bathe, use a really gentle dog shampoo. We recommend something oatmeal based.

Answer 8

No sorry. You should brush her every day, plus in the summer they shed their heavy fur for winter. You can also get a special non-shedding shampoo for your dog for when you bathe her. You can probably find them at the Vet, Grocery store or pet store. Good luck.

Answer 9

like the above answers have stated try not to bathe your dog too often and use cooler water ....also due to her breed mix she is going to shed A LOT & blow out her coat at least twice a year....along w regular(daily) brushing you could try a product called the Furminator, it helps by releasing the under coat & being as your dog is double coated (shepherds & huskies both are) she has plenty of under coat!!! GOOD LUCK & keep on brushing!!!

Answer 10

Groom her before and after bathing. With the long/thick furred dogs, you need to do a LOT of brushing and grooming.