How can I get my dog to stop shedding so much?

Question

I have a yellow lab, he's almost a year old and he sheds like crazy! There's hair everywhere. I give him baths, which I figure would help but I cna't bathe him everyday. Is there any way to stop the shedding without spending tons of money?

Answer 1

I have a yellow lab as well, and I feel your pain! Brush him as often as you can! But if your dog is anything like mine he hates it and I nearly have to hold him down to do the job! You can also find fish oil at your local pet store, that you can put just a little on your dogs food. This is supposed to help you pet shed less!

I also take my dog to petsmart twice a year to be carded. Basically they have two really bad sheds a year where they lose their undercoat to grow the new one for each season. Carding is just a term for the groomers to go in and get as much of the excess hair off the dog as they can!!

Good luck!!

Answer 2

Unfortunatly some dogs are simply more prone to sheding than others - it can vary from breed to breed and from dog to dog - and there's no way to "change" their biological makeup. But if you have a dog who sheds to excess there are some preventive steps you can take. Bathing is fine, but it actually doesn't get rid of loose hair. For best results you are going to have to brush the dog every day. Lab's don't have an extremely heavy undercoat, so a stiff bristled brush should work. If it doesn't seem to be picking up enough hair, pet stores also sell "hand mittens" that act as a brush and special shedding blades that detach dead hair. And even though Lab's don't have a double coat, you could still try a comb specifically designed to remove loose hair in the undercoat of dogs.

To keep ahead of the hair, you are going to have to be committed to daily grooming. But I think you will find that your dog will enjoy the attention and it will bring you closer.

Answer 3

I agree with the brushing regularly, however, you need to buy a good "undercoat rake" or "shedding blade". You will be amazed at how much hair will come out. You can find them anywhere...from Walmart to any Pet Supply store. BTW, Too much bathing is not good for the dogs skin.

Answer 4

BRUSH HIM!
Believe it or not, the more you brush your dog, the less he'll shed around the house. I try to brush my golden everyday, which he loves. So if you spend even few mintues a day petting him while relaxin, brush him instead and it will help alot of the shedding problem

Answer 5

Reduce the number of baths and give him a good brushing each day.

I have a golden mix. After I give her a bath I get *tons* of hair off the next time I brush her. I don't get nearly as much when she hasn't been bathed.

Answer 6

Try these two products:

Kong ZoomGroom...www.kongcompany.com

And,
The almighty FURminator!!

www.furminator.com

Both of these retract dead dog hair while brushing away the excess dog hair that sits on your dog. If you spend a good half-hour brushing out your dog, the fur will end up in the brush and trash rather than your floors.

Trust me!!

Answer 7

Change his diet. A lot of times that will help. If he is healthier, he won't shed as much. Also, brush him everyday so that the hair he is shedding is collected and not all over your house!

Answer 8

I saw a commercial and they sell these shedding things and they did one on a dog and it worked VERY WELL .
It was 14.99
You have to call the place though.
At stores they sell it for about 40.00 ( thats what the TV said)
Or what I did is constantly brushed my dog over and over again. She liked it and she stopped shedding

Answer 9

Changing the diet will help a lot but also you can take him to a groomer and get him sheared. We get my dog sheared about 5 times a year and it really cuts down on the dog hair in the house.

Answer 10

brush him everyday with a good wire brush, some dogs need to be brushed a few times a day, but hey whats five minutes of brushing your dog, its much better than an hour of vacuuming!!