Posted in Announcements, Did you know?, Dog grooming

Nothing can quite prepare a pet owner in spring for the flying fur that occurs with a dog in the house that sheds. Unless you did the research and selected a dog with minimal to no shedding, you are probably fighting a daily battle with dog hair.

Why is my dog shedding so much, you wonder, is something wrong? No, it is really quite normal. Your pooch needs to shed his fur at different times of the year to adjust to changing conditions. Most likely he sheds most in the fall and spring. In the fall, he needs to make room for a thicker winter coat, while in the spring, he needs to remove that coat and grow in a lighter one for summer. Some dogs shed more than others and there are two general types of coats
depending on breed, double coat and single coat. Double-coated dogs have a top coat and an undercoat. The undercoat protects them from cold or water or both and tends to fall out with the season. A single coated dog lacks that undercoat and typically shed less.

Double-coated breeds and those that frequently shed include Newfoundland, Shetland Sheepdogs, Huskies, and Golden Retrievers. Dalmatians, Pugs, and Beagle are single coated. Those dog breeds that shed very little are Poodles, Maltese, and Shih Tzu.

You are probably wondering, how can I stop or control my double-coated dog from getting hair everywhere in my home? You cannot stop the dog from shedding but you can do a few things to minimize the mess. Brushing your dog daily is the best single action you can do to help this issue. There are numerous types of brushes, de-shedding tools, and furminators on the market. Princeton Grooming recommends a standard metal groomers comb. The size of the metal comb depends on the size of your dog. A good quality de-shedding shampoo can help as well to accelerate the action.

Look into the type of food you give your dog. Higher quality foods tend to produce a nicer coat that may shed a bit less. Talk to your veterinarian about what type of food he likes or even supplements that might help.

Princeton Grooming suggests saving yourself all the work and make an appointment to get your dog professionally groomed.