Jun 10 2009
Stop the shedding
Dear Brew
We want to get a dog for us and our kid’s but one of them has allergies, is there a dog breed that does not shed?
Thank You :The Baker family
Dear Baker Family
We have some good new and some bad news on find a non shedding dog for you and your family.
Shedding is a natural loss of hair in dogs that allows the new coat to come in. All dogs shed; some more then others. There is no such thing as a non-shedding dog, unless you have a completely hairless dog, such as the Mexican Hairless, however shedding varies greatly from breed to breed.
The majority of breeds that are considered very light shedders are usually the breeds that need to be clipped, stripped and/or scissored. in category is Poodles, Bichon’s, Carin Terriers, West HighlandTerrier’s ( Brew is a Westie), Scotties, Shih Tzu’s, Lhasa Apso’s and of course the President’s new dog the Portuguese Water dog, to name a few. Because their hair falls out at a much slower rate, if they are not properly groomed they are prone to matting.
Some breeds have a seasonal shedding season in the spring, as their winter coats are lost. But if your dog is an indoor dog it may not be outside enough for the dog’s body to register the change of season, so they may shed all year round. Today dogs are bred mostly as companions and some breeds are not meant to live outdoors, so do not start leaving your dog outside all day long in hopes to stop the shedding. Longhaired dogs may appear to shed more, but it is really just the length of their hair that gives that illusion.
There are some things you can do to reduce the shedding, for the breeds that shed a lot, ( German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Chihuahuas and Lab’s just to name a few) Grooming is the key. Keeping in mind that the hair is going to fall out either way and it is best to remove it yourself and throw it in the trash, then to let the hair fall out naturally all over your house. The more hair you remove the less you will see it all over your house. Brushing your dog once a day will greatly reduce the unwanted hair all over your clothes, carpet and furniture, especially during shedding season. We also recommend give a fatty acid supplement, which will help to keep the skin and hair coat healthy.
You can also help with allergy problem’s by bathing your dog once to every two weeks, this will help to get rid of some of the dander and hair.
You might consider becoming a foster parent for one of the local animal rescue’s to see what breed’s of dog’s, will work best for you and your family, before you make that life long commitment of adopting. The only problem with being a foster parent is that you may want to keep them all!
Little known fact: Old English Sheepdogs are very low shedders. If you keep them in a puppy cut or shear them a few times a year, your house will be almost spotless compared to having something like a lab or german shepherd. I’ve had 4, they are very clean. No brushing required at all unless they get over 3 inches and can mat. They just require a bath every 10 days or so unless you don’t mind normal doggy body odor.