I have a secret to tell you. All dogs shed. Your husky? It sheds. Your pittie? Sheds. Your fancyschmansydor? Your hypoallergenicdoodle? They shed. That is the nature of hair of any kind; it sheds. Now it is certainly true that not all shedding is created equal. A Golden Retriever is going to shed a lot more than a Xoloitzcuintli. Many dogs that are "hypoallergenic" simply have hair/fur (it's the same thing; secret number two is that your dog does not have "hair" versus "fur") that has a longer cycle from beginning of growth to the time it falls out (or is shed).
Neither Golden Retrievers nor Huskies have a reputation for being low-shed breeds, but a good deal of the shedding they do can be managed in such a way that very little of the hair ends up on your couch, in your car, in your coffee--all the places that dog hair likes to be--and this, surprisingly, can be achieved with relatively little work on your part.
Both Golden Retrievers and Siberian Huskies tend to "blow their coat" twice a year, meaning that they will shed a significant amount of their coat twice a year. Take advantage of this! If they get a good grooming during this time, they will shed only a relatively small amount of hair the rest of the year. You can tell that this coat-blowing time has begun when you see wispy lighter tufts sticking out of your dog's coat. Some dogs will let you pluck these out with your fingers, while others don't care for it. (Huskies in particular have quite a dramatic set of vocalizations that accompany grooming!) The easiest and best way to get all of that hair out (before it gets all over your home) is to bathe your dog and then blow her coat dry with a high-velocity dog hair dryer. You can do this at home with the right equipment, but many pet stores will have self-service bathing stations which will cost you about $8-$10 per use. One benefit of taking her to one of these places is that all the hair you blow out is coming out somewhere other than your home. Another option is to purchase a dryer yourself, and I highly recommend this. They can be a bit pricey, but are totally worth the cost to be able to dry your own dog quickly and thoroughly at home. It is the act of drying with a high velocity dryer that is what really gets your dog's hair out.
This was my first dryer, and it was worth every penny of the $189 I spent on it as a child. It still serves me well to this day. It is the step to preventing 95% of your dog's shedding that can't be skipped or replaced. It may take your dog a little while to get used to the sound it makes (it sounds like a vacuum), but taking some time to acclimate her to it with lots of treats and positive reinforcement will make it well worth your time later on, when you can easily "de-shed" your dog without her being stressed. Four trips to a groomer will cost as much as owning one of these. Most dogs I have groomed get used to it fairly quickly, and don't mind, but some actually end up loving it; the pressure massages their feel-good-itchy-spots in such a way that they will lean into it or start reflexively scratching with their back leg in the way they do when you've found that favorite scratching spot. I use it by making small circles over my dogs, avoiding their eyes, nose, ears, and genitals. Often, the pressure is enough to blow out all the loose hair. If they need some help, I take a poodle comb (below) or a slicker and brush over the area I'm working on to help loosen the hair. Those clumps of hair should come right out.
This comb will loosen any hair that your dryer doesn't blow right out, and is a great choice to go through your dog's coat in between baths.
It's important to mention that shaving your Goberian will not cut down on shedding; she will simply shed shorter hairs that have a greater tendency of getting caught in fabric and are harder to vacuum up. Shaving your double-coated dog can actually damage your dog's coat (it can keep it from ever growing back properly) and also robs her of protection from the sun, heat, and cold. We'll talk more about this in a future post.
Another good option for brushing between baths is an undercoat rake. This is particularly helpful in dogs with thicker coats.
Finally, if you are bathing your dog, you'll need a good shampoo. For dogs with lots of white or light colors and "normal," healthy skin, my favorites are White on White and Quic Silver. Both of these help keep your dog's white patches as bright white as possible. For dark dogs, there is Quic Black. Be sure you read the instructions on these; if you leave Quic Silver on too long, you'll turn your dog purple! If your dog has skin issues, two of my favorite shampoos are Espree's Tar & Sulfur shampoo and MicroTek. Both tend to be very gentle on dogs with skin issues, but still get your dog incredibly clean, something I feel a lot of oatmeal and other itch-relief shampoos fail to do.
Quic Black Shampoo Using a conditioner after your shampoo will help loosen more hair so that when you blow dry your dog, the most hair possible will come out. Trimming your dog's nails, brushing her teeth, and cleaning her ears should also be a part of your grooming regimen. We'll talk about them in an upcoming post. Until then, happy grooming! Please leave us a comment us know what works for your Goberian and what your favorite grooming products are.
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