Shedding

With the warm weather becoming a norm, Kingsley has started shedding more, and I'm sure you're fur baby is, too.  I wanted to include some basic tips that have helped us tremendously.

First of all, when I can afford it, Kingsley goes to the groomer to be raked... vacuum powered raking.  But when we can't afford that luxury, we try to work as hard as the groomer does to get all the excess hair off of him.  The benefits include not just less hair to vacuum off the floor or furniture, but a happier more spry dog.

Step 1: Brush Regularly

All year, it is good to brush your dog weekly.  This removes lose dead hairs and keeps the skin and coat healthy.

Step 2: Rake

Raking is a great way to get excess hair off of your dog.  Beware of the rakes with razors, because they are very irritating to your dog's skin.  They're safe to use, but you shouldn't rake over the same area twice.  I prefer the style of rake as pictured to the right.  It grabs any loose hair from the undercoat without being overly irritating to the their skin, so you can repeat multiple times.  When raking, it's best to take your doggy outside if it's a pretty day, or non carpeted area to avoid getting dog hair on your furniture or clothing.  There will be a lot of hair.

Step 3: Wash

Washing is a great way to get excess hair off of your dog.  Make sure to lather well and massage your dog's skin to promote a healthy coat.  If you wash your dog frequently, weekly, it's best to use a puppy formula or shampoo with oatmeal to prevent skin irritation.  If your dog's fur gets matted easily, you may want to use a conditioner after washing.  Rinse well.  Most lose hairs will rinse off in the bath tub keeping more hair off of your floors, furniture and clothing.

Step 4: Dry and Brush

Completely dry your dog's hair before brushing again.  If you have a young dog, you may be able to teach your dog to tolerate a hair dryer or vacuum brush attachment.

After your dog's coat has dried, use a regular brush to smooth and remove any final lose hairs.  Continue to brush once or twice weekly.  I am in love with our new brush that has a quick clean button on the back.  Just place your fur filled brush over a trash can, press the button and watch all your dog's hair neatly fall into the trash can.

Happy brushing!

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