How to Prevent Your Dog From Shedding

If you have pets, your going to have hair here and there. However, you don't have to live in fear of breaking world record hair balls on a daily basis. You do have some control over how much your pet sheds.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Hairy Dog
• Dog Shampoo
• Quality Brush
• Dog Dryer

1. First, the obvious is that you need to brush your dog. The trick is to have the proper tools to do it. I prefer the Furminator comb. A mars rake does a nice job as well as does the Shed Ease. Don't just brush your dog when matts begin to appear but make it a daily or at least every other day activity. It won't take as long and the effect will be better.
2. Shampoo. Yes, shampooing your dog can help them ease up on the shedding. But not just any shampoo. Do NOT use human shampoo. Human shampoo is not PH balanced properly for a dog and you will dry up their hair and end up with dandruff and MORE shedding hair! Furthermore, there are many shedding specific dog shampoos on the market to choose from.
   
   When you wash your dog, do not use hot water. Don't wash your dog in icy cold water, either. That's just not nice. But do use a tepid temperature water
3. When you dry your dog, do not use heat. Dry your dog with a air temperature air flow. Heat causes shedding. And if you can, blow the coat in the opposite direction of hair growth from time to time to help blow out the loose coat.
4. Consider giving your dog supplements such as virgin olive oil or even better, wild salmon fish capsules with Omega 3 fatty acids. This will help condition the skin properly thereby creating a healthy, shiny coat which will shed less.
5. Many dogs commonly shed in the spring, during an adolescent coat drop (adult coat coming in, age depends on breed) and when either in season (for females) or during whelping/shortly after whelping. Be sure to pay extra attention to your furminator during those times.
6. If these steps are not making an immediate impact on your dog's shedding issue, you will need to look more closely at the quality of the dog food you are feeding. Even if it's a 'good food', it may not be agreeing with your dog.

Tips & Warnings

• Indoor temps that are too warm may also affect your dog's shedding. Heat in any form to an excess increases shedding.