How to Cut Back on Flying Fur or Reduce Your Dog's Shedding Hair Problem

A dog can be one of life's greatest treasures--who can resist their playfulness, and just plain cuteness? Not to mention the love they have for you, and you for them. BUT--If you have a dog that is a shedder, you also have your hands full, keeping up with that dreaded dog fur. Dog hair on your clothes, on your furniture, clumps like miniature tumbleweeds drifting up as you walk across your floor...any of this sound familiar?

But there are steps you can take to control the shedding, and keep your sanity at the same time! Here are a few ideas that may help in your war on fur!

Grooming or brushing your dog 2 to 3 times a day(especially for heavy shedders) in the beginning is recommended, but you may be able to gradually reduce the times each day as you go along. You want to get rid of all the "dead" fur, or the dense undercoat that many dogs have, and repeated brushing is the best way to do that.

There are a myriad of de-shedding tools you can buy to make it easier to remove dog fur, better than a regular brush, because they push through the topcoat, and get the undercoat so much more efficiently. One of those is the FURMINATOR, which comes in a wide assortment of sizes and models, and has rubber handles for an easier grip while brushing. It's said to reduce shedding by 90%. It does cost more than a regular brush, but it saves so much time, that I think it's worth the extra expense!

Buying premium dog food will provide more complete nutrition for your dog, by giving them the sufficient vitamins and minerals that they need for a healthy coat, which would mean less shedding. Premium dog food has meat listed as the first ingredient, which is what your pet needs the most. This food is more expensive, but it's said that a dog will need to eat less of it, as it provides a more complete, nutritional meal.

LINATONE SHED RELIEF--Food supplement that helps to lubricate a pet's skin and hair, which helps control shedding. It contains essential fatty acids, such as Omega 3, 6 and 9, and Vitamins A, D, and E.

VEGETABLE OR OLIVE OIL--Mix in 1 - 3 tablespoons(depending on size of dog) of this in your dog's food.

VITAMINS FOR DOGS--If a dog has insufficient vitamins and minerals in his diet, because of poor nutrition, he is apt to shed more. The lack of these is usually due to poor quality dog food.

I didn't find any information that said that any of these could harm your dog, but as a precaution, I would discuss these with your vet before giving them to your dog!

 A regular bathing routine will help cut down on shedding also. Bathing a dog twice a month can help control it, but more often than that can reduce the natural oils on the coat and skin, which would dry them out too much. Try to make the bathtime as enjoyable as possible for your dog!

Stress can definitely increase a dog's shedding. Our dog, Beffy, was terrified of riding in the car, so whenever she had to go to the vet, she got extremely agitated. The backseat of our car would be covered in her dog hair by the time we got her to and from the vet's office.

While you can't always avoid stressful situations in your dog's life, sometimes they can be controlled through medications, or behavior therapy. Taking your dog for nice, relaxing walks, or teaching him/her tricks, then giving them lots of praise for doing them, can help relieve stress. Also, a quiet environment is very helpful for a nervous dog..

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A lot of the hubs I write will be based on experiences that we had with our dog, Beffy--hence the name on the title! I love animals, and I enjoy learning about anything to do with making their life a happier and healthier one!