My Golden Retriever is #1 HYPER and #2 Shedding like crazy! HELP!?

Question

He is one years old and HUGE. About 75 lbs. I have a bagless vacuum and I pick up about 6 canisters of hair every other day out of one large room and a hallway. I have tried a shedding blade and a slicker brush....should I have his hair cut really short? Is there another kind of brush to use? And what about his hyper activity? Is it the nature of the breed? I have almost 3 acres so he has plenty of room to roam (and he does...very often.) I am short...5'1 so I dont get into very physical activities with him because he will jump and knock me down. His paws can rest on my shoulders....Any advice?

He is one years old and HUGE. About 75 lbs. I have a bagless vacuum and I pick up about 6 canisters of hair every other day out of one large room and a hallway. I have tried a shedding blade and a slicker brush....should I have his hair cut really short? Is there another kind of brush to use? And what about his hyper activity? Is it the nature of the breed? I have almost 3 acres so he has plenty of room to roam (and he does...very often.) I am short...5'1 so I dont get into very physical activities with him because he will jump and knock me down. His paws can rest on my shoulders....Any advice?

Oh and here's a pic of the cutie ;) His name is Gunner.

Black and white is a recent one and the other is his at 6 months (yes, he is large!)

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m234/beckster5000/bwgunner.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m234/beckster5000/gunner1.jpg

Feedback: I didn't mean SHAVE the dog! I just thought maybe a good haircut would be good. He pants A LOT. And he gets a large amount of exercise. My husband plays with him and I also have another very active dog and the dogs play together. I knew that Golden's shed and have long hair but I thought that my situation is worse then I expected and it seemed that the brushing wasn't working. He listens and is trained well. But he can't control his excitement sometimes. I have talked to my neighbor who has owned Goldens for 36 years and she says after 2 years of age it is like owning another dog. They settle down a lot. I just wanted other opinions...maybe ppl with experience. Thanks ;)

Answer 1

Hi! Well you have 2 things going on here. First he's a golden puppy. Even at a year old they are still pups. Golden's matures slower than smaller dogs so he is still acting like a pup he will calm down at about 18 months old. Second your seeing him Blow his puppy coat and get his adult coat in, it is also the right time of years for them to shed. Your seeing a double whammy with the fur. A really good tool to have with double coated dogs is a rake. It is specially designed to not only get the top coat but the under coat as well. I have 2 Golden's with me here and sometimes I worry I'm going to burn out my Dyson vac with all the fur I suck up into it. You really need to get him into some obedience classes. Golden's are really smart so they tend to catch on quickly. It will help you control him and he will become a better canine citizen too.
Good Luck!
P.S. He is a very handsome boy!

Answer 2

NO don't shave your dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You got a golden, you should have known he was going to shed. If you didn't know, you should do some research before getting a dog.
If you shave your golden, you will ruin his coat forever. He has his coat for a reason. It is his insulation. It is meant to keep him cool during the summer and warm during the winter. If you shave it, it will never grow back again the same.
Start feeding your dog a high quality food, and brushing daily. It is getting warmer, so your dog will start blowing his coat. Thats what happens when winter ends. You can also bring him to a groomer to get a really good bath to get rid of a lot of that undercoat thats shedding out.
As for the hyper part. Its a golden. Hes a working dog. You need to exercise him daily! Or give him a job since you have so much land. And it doesnt matter if your dog has land it roam, he needs exercise from you. Take him for walks. We walk our dogs 3 miles a day. And they are good walks on a short leash, where they don't get what to do what they want. And they are calm at home all day. And I have 2 of the most hyper dogs out there: A 3 year old Jack Russell and a one year old lab. Teach your dog its not ok to jump on you. I am just an inch taller than you and I wouldn't let my lab jump on you, its not ok to get knocked down.

Answer 3

If your dog is seriously hyper, you can contact your vet and there are prescriptions that they can give your dog to help calm him down. I heard on Good-morning America of a few dogs being put on Prozac because they were hyper (no joke). Also, you might need to get your dog trained. Some times hyper activeness and behavioral problems can occur because your dog has anxiety and just doesn't know what he's supposed to do. Now, about the hair, I have a black lab who use to shed all over the place. I take her once a month to a groomer and have her hair trimmed and blown out. It's very cheap, and it really works. After winter you should just have it done anyway, because it takes a while for a dog to loose their winter coat.

Answer 4

#2 the hair: That's the breed, if you didn't want hair everywhere you shouldn't have gotten a long-haired breed. It could also be because of the seasons chainging, it might be less in winter.

#1 the hyper activity: Retrievers are especially active - they are bred for it. Just having room to roam is not enough, you have to walk him and exercise him everyday. If he's tired he will listen to you more and you can start training him not to jump on you. Being short is not an excuse. I'm 5'3" with a giant rottweiler x german shepherd I rescued from the pound. He used to jump, but not after we train him.

Answer 5

If your dog is being fed a corn based food it will make him shed alot and also itch....they tend to scratch around their back end and neck area the most....you will also see alot of dander, white specks in the coat, his coat will be dull....try a food switch but do it gradually over a week or two start out with a 3/4 old food and 1/4 new food and work in alittle more new about every 2 days over a few weeks until you have only the new food....this eases dogs with sensitive stomachs thru the transition and eliminates vomiting and diahrrea. I use a food called Canidae for my allergy dogs and they look beautiful warning it is pricey but worth it and with a good quality food your dogs eat less and keep more nutrients in their system as it has more than just fillers in it so they also leave less piles to pick up. follow feeding instructions None of those combs, brushes or hair cuts is going to eliminate your problem...check his diet first. Go for a food that has a meat meal first in the ingredients and no corn meal or corn gluten.

Answer 6

Not sure about the hyper problem but the shedding I can help with.

I have a Black Lab myself, 70lbs... and she is shedding like there was no tomorrow. Its horrible. I cant even pet her without her hair falling out... and she still has a ton left! I went to walmart and bought some anti shed liquid to put over her food twice a day, it has helped with the shedding SO MUCH! You could also take him to the vet and have him checked out. He could have a vitamin deficiency.

Answer 7

One thing you can take youre dog to a trainning class at the pet smart where they have some body teach ther owner and their pets how to train their behavor and tricks . doesnt cost alot to do that . also i think you should take youre dog to a grooming pets shop and have them shave all youre dog hairs make it alot of shorty and they will put some cutie hairs bows on the dog after finished . you wouldnt worrying about brushing youre dog anymore.

Answer 8

he could be very hyper if he hasnt been neutered. if hes not this is something you should concider. Not sure about the shedding, but to help it a little you could use a rubber brush. i cant remember what they're called, but theyre made to grab hold of the shedding hairs when you brush the fur.
Good luck!

Answer 9

dogs shed in spring anyway. but feed NUTRO'S lamb and rice natural choice kibble THIS FOOD KEEPS SKIN GREAT AND STOPS OFF SEASON SHEDDING ... ALSO HYPER COULD BE DIET TOO. TRY A KIBBLE CHANGE YOU WILL LOVE THIS FOOD. SORRY for the caps ooops. also enzymes and probiotics keep the digestion working great ... what causes shedding (toomuch) is diet.

Answer 10

talk to your vet, could have a skin problem that may cause him to lose his hair more frequently. also, right now the seasons are changing so the winter coat may be comming off and the shedding could slow once the season progresses into summer.