# Unbearable Shedding



## Little-B (Oct 14, 2010)

so my dog has been shedding for a couple months, but it has been under 30 degrees for a week or two now and its just getting over whelming. i have 1 cheap brush i bought, its one with multiple metal prongs on it. and i can get a couple brush fulls in 5-10 min of brushing. i dont have money for a groomer right now but i do have a furminator and used it on her some, it doesnt really mangle her fur like ive seen some people post on here, but is that ok to use in the winter? will it take out her winter coat, and make her cooler, or do you think shell be fine? ive hesitated to use it because i thought it was ment to take out her winter coat and keep her cooler. sorry for my ignorance if im wrong. i have a wolf/malamute mix so she is pretty damn furry. if neither one of those options are good im open to suggestions, but tight on money till i start getting paid in about a month.


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## Sighthounds4me (Nov 7, 2010)

Most double-coated dogs shed twice a year: once in spring to be rid of their winter coat, and once in fall, to get rid of dead hair, and "make room" for the winter coat.

In reality, temperatures have little to do with blowing coat, rather it has more to do with the length of daylight hours.

The best way I have found to get rid of blown coat is a forced-air dryer. It's a high-velocity dryer (most do not add heat) that literally blows the water off the dog after a bath. Bathe the dog to loosen the hair, then blow dry. Yes, a dryer like this is expensive. BUT, if you have access to a pet supply store that offers self-serve bathing, ask about this. You might be in luck.

Short of a forced-air dryer, I like a good undercoat rake, paired with a Greyhound comb. It takes work, and it takes time, but these tools WILL help you, and will not damage coat.

By the way, ignorance is NOT a bad thing, especially when you seek out advice. No need to apologize for it, especially if you are seeking advice!


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## ACampbell (Oct 7, 2007)

I like the furminator for stripping the really bad (read that as fur tumbleweeds and clumps) off, then using a regular pin brush to finish it off. I haven't noticed the furminator stripping it down to the point that it would be an issue, but like all things, use with discretion. You can over-use it, but not in a 10 minute quick swipe the fur off window.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Sassy seemed to shed undercoat in the spring and guard hairs in the fall. What kind of hair is coming out?

If it is the stiffer heavier guard hairs give a wipe with your furminator and see what is coming out. If it seems to be mostly guard hairs then the furminator is the right tool for the job.
If stiff guard hair is shedding and the furminator is taking out undercoat try a different tool. An undercoat rake will only take out loose hair.
If undercoat is shedding then the furminator is fine. Dead hair is going to tangle with live hair and make snarls that won't keep a dog warm anyway. Just use a light hand and stop once the hair isn't coming out in the same quantity. Then brush and brush to get the loosened hair.

If you don't have a high velocity dryer then a warm bath and brushing the dog dry will also remove huge amounts of shedding hair. The HV is a little gentler but you don't get hair balls brushing the dog dry.


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## Darkmoon (Mar 12, 2007)

Another reason for heavy shedding is the quality of food your dog is on. Make sure you have your dog on a good quality diet and that will help shedding and coat quality. It won't help too much with whats going on currently, but in the future it will help shedding a lot


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## jillkehler (Nov 26, 2010)

I agree with what Darkmoon said; even try drizzling a little bit of olive oil over your dog's food once a day, it really helps their coat and it makes them silky soft too! Plus olive oil is not only good for humans, but for dogs as well!


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## TonyBaby (Aug 24, 2007)

Well an HV dryer blow-out is the best way possible to get rid of loose undercoat. But if you can't afford a groomer then you can't afford to go buy a dryer. I recommend line brushing with a slicker brush and then COMPLETELY combing it out with a medium coarse comb. Furminate what's left.


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## Little-B (Oct 14, 2010)

the furminator pulls out different hair as me petting her i would assume its her undercoat, a very soft fur. the slicker brush also pulls this out, but the fur that just sheds and is all over my clothes is not her undercoat. also i feed her Blue Buffalo dog food. and i dont put any olive oil over it but i do give her 1200 mg of fish oil every morning. i weighed her last month and she was about 70 lbs. im sure shes more now as shes only 10 months.

also just curious, how much would a groomer cost to get her coat out? im about to get paid finally... 20 bucks? 50? 100?


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## TonyBaby (Aug 24, 2007)

It would depend on the amount of time it takes and the size of the dog. If she is half/part wolf, there may be groomers who won't take her. Or will charge more just for that fact. I do dogs by appointment. And I would tell you $65-90 depending on how much work is really involved. But 70lbs really isn't THAT big, so probably be closer to $65


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

It is probably too cold to wash her outside. You could look around for a wash your own dog shop so you could use the blower there. Here is one in your area.
http://utah.citysearch.com/review/34684219?reviewId=20503661
Or decide which room in the house needs a good winter cleaning and clear it out. I might use my hall that can be completely closed off and doesn't have any furniture in it. Then give her a bath, take her in that warm mostly empty room and ruffle her fur, rub her down, brush with and against the grain every few minutes to get out the stiff guard hairs until she is completely dry. The warm water releases loose hair and the slight friction of the wet/damp hair and all the tools you use, brush/towel/hands gets it out of there. Then get out the vacuum and clean the hairy room.


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

No offense meant, but you have a malamute mix...you'll just have to get used to having fur on your clothes. Malamutes are usually around $75 to groom, and that won't get rid of the fur problem all together. You could do a self wash (usually have that at petco) which is around $10-15, where you bathe and blow dry the dog yourself. But in the end, it's just a maintenance thing. Comb/brush a little bit every day and make sure to vacuum. Those of us with northern breeds tend to have stock in lint rollers. I have one in every vehicle, one at work, one in the garage, one in each bathroom, and a few that just float around because I lost them at one point and now they don't have a home. 

Depending on where you live, how much indoor/outdoor time the dog gets, the diet, and the dog itself (as all dogs vary); it just might be one of those dogs that sheds all year long. One of my is a year long shedder, the other one blows their coat twice a year. They are fed a raw diet and are indoor pets.


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## Little-B (Oct 14, 2010)

oh dont get me wrong, im not pissed shes shedding and making me clean tons. i was aware of this when i got her. i had never owned a northern breed so i never knew what it was like when a dog blew out her coat. i think after her walk today ill give her another bath and rake/brush her dry.


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

Just a heads up, northern breeds should generally only need one or two baths a year at the most (unless they get into something nasty). If you are just wanting to do the blow dry, it's better just to get them wet and leave out the soap. Shampoo strips their natural oils and can make them shed more if bathed too often. Their oily coats do a pretty good job of keeping the dirt off of them.


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## Little-B (Oct 14, 2010)

huh ill remember that. i would of thought maybe once a month seeing all the mud/salt she gets into here. i got a rake today so ill give her a good brushing tonight.


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## lucysdoghouse (Nov 24, 2007)

You could also try a shedding blade. I think they are a little bit easier to use on a long hair breed and you are getting lots of hair off.


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

Bathing a dog to often is a myth. It wont harm the coat. the problem with bathing to often for most is, they use a cheap shampoo, and dont rinse properly. I dilute all my shampoos and rinse my collie for close to 15mins, or until I can rinse him for a good 2mins or so and see no soap resude left in the water.

To get a dog like yours groomed, depends on the area. Around here would be about $60.00 bucks, maybe a bit more. 

Getting the dog on a regular grooming schedule with a shop that offers furminator shampoo would help alot too, wont stop the shedding by any means, but getting the dog done in this shampoo every 6-8 weeks will help cut down the shedding alot.


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## MoosMom (Sep 15, 2009)

I groom Yoshi every 6ish weeks. He gets fully blown dry and brushed. I do not brush between grooms and the hair in my home is pretty minimal. I know when it is time when I start seeing the hair pile up around his crate.


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