How to Stop Your Dog From Shedding Hair

Posted on 31st July 2019 by Green Lane Farm Team

Owning a dog is not all wagging tails and slobbery kisses. Expect to surrender pristine furniture and carpets to wisps of moulting dog hair.

Unfortunately, moulting is just a natural part of a dog’s life cycle; while you can’t prevent it altogether, you can take steps to reduce it. This article will teach you how.

Why do dogs shed hair?

FURRY JACK RUSSELL DOG, SHEDDING HAIR DURING MOLT SEASON PLAYING ON A SOFA.

Before becoming domesticated, dogs lived outside. When winter approached, they would grow their coats long to keep themselves warm through the colder climate. Once winter ended and the temperature began to rise, dogs would shed their coats to keep cool enough to forage and hunt.

Since dogs have become domesticated and no longer live primarily outside, their natural shedding process has become confused. Domesticated dogs now live in modern homes, where the temperature is warm and the lights are bright throughout the year. Your dog, still with many of its pre-domesticated instincts, mistakes the bright and warm environment as a cue to begin its moulting process. When your dog is taken for a brisk winter walk, it adjusts to the climate by halting the process, but as soon as it returns inside, the contrasting temperature prompts your dog to start moulting all over again.

How do I minimise shedding?

Girl combing her dog

While you can’t prevent your pet from shedding hair altogether, you can minimise it. Use the following methods to minimise moulting:

Brush your dog with a pet hair remover brush

To tackle the issue and reduce moulting before the hair reaches your furniture, try a specialist fur remover brush. Brush this through your dog’s coat and it will remove loose hair before it falls onto your floor.

Improve your dog’s nutrition

Dogs shed less fur with a healthy diet. A diet rich in meat, fruit and vegetables will provide all the vitamins necessary to help your dog’s hair follicles grow strong and resilient. This will keep hair in place and reduce the amount that falls onto your floor.

Tips and tricks for cleaning up dog hair

cropped shot of businessman cleaning trousers with sticky brush

Use sticky rollers

Sticky rollers can be rolled across surfaces to collect any hairs it comes into contact with. Sticky rollers are very effective at collecting moulted dog hairs, but they are only suitable for smaller jobs.

Dyson DC40 Animal Upright Vacuum Cleaner

This vacuum cleaner was expertly engineered to clean homes with pets. Utilising a powerful suction and a tangle-free turbine tool, this vacuum can remove hair from all types of household surfaces.

Green Lane Farm have been looking after animals and pets for over 50 years. Our team have developed a thorough understanding of dogs and their needs. We offer our expertise every day to ensure we provide the best care to all pets that use our accommodation and facilities. We can cater to your pet’s needs, whatever it may be. We aim to ensure every pet leaves our farm happy and healthy. To enquire about our services, get in touch with our team today.