Shedding Dogs

Shedding is a natural loss of hair in dogs that allows the new coat to come in. All dogs shed; some more than others. There is no such thing as a non-shedding dog, unless you have a completely hairless dog, such as the American Hairless Terrier; 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. 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 its body to register the change of season, so he 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 leavingyour dog outside all day long in hopes of stopping the shedding. Longhaired dogs may appear to shed more, but it is really just the length of their hair that gives that illusion.

 What can you do to reduce shedding?

Some dogs shed a lot. What can you do to help get the hair loss under control? Grooming is the key. A good place to start is to bring your pet to Shaggy To Chic for a professional de-shedding.  Advanced training in hair removal techniques and in the use of specialized tools allow us to remove more of the unwanted hair than ordinary brushing and combing can do.

There is really a lot involved in a complete de-shedding. It is a very messy and quitetime-consuming procedure, but it surely gets rid of a lot of the loose hair. In the salon, your pet will be thoroughly brushed to loosen dirt and mats from the hair. Special de-shedding tools will then be used to remove some of the undercoat. Your pet will then be placed in the bathtub. Special de-shedding shampoo and then conditioner is massaged deeply into the coat to stimulate the hair follicles and help loosen the undercoat.

Following a very thorough rinsing and towel drying, our high-velocity force air dryer is used to separate and remove the remaining loose hair from the coat as it dries. After your pet is dry, specialized tools are again used to complete the de-shedding process.

During this process, your pet’s hair follicles are disturbed, and you may notice some stress shedding for the first several days. After that, you will see a dramatic reduction in the amount of unwanted hair on your pet and in your home.

Because each individual hair has its own time table to grow and then fall out, de-sheddingis not a one-time procedure. We recommend to repeat the de-shedding process in 6 weeks and then again in 3 months. After that, we recommend you continue the de-shedding process with us every 6 months to keep the unwanted hair to a minimum.

Is there anything that can be done at home to reduce shedding?

Yes, there is a lot that you can do at home to keep the shedding hair under control between your visits with us. There are many tools on the market that aid in the removal of hair, and each one is designed to do a specific job.

Our salon carries these grooming tools, de-shedding products, and supplements to help with all of your pet’s de-shedding needs. At Shaggy To Chic, we can help you select the ones that will work the best for your pet and then show you how to use them.

If you find that at-home removal of the shedding hair is just way too messy for you, call our salon and we will be glad to put your pet on a grooming schedule that will keep the unwanted hair under control.

When there is less hair all throughout your home, it makes life so much easier for you. Instead of constantly running the vacuum cleaner and removing hair from your furniture and clothing, you and your pet will have more time to relax and to enjoy all the fun things that South Walton and the beach have to offer.