# So much Shedding



## cory (Aug 23, 2010)

Dakota sheds so much. I try to brush her quit often and use a rake brush and then another type of brush for the top of her coat that is supposed to get off the "dead" fur but she still seems to shed a ton. As soon as she lays on our couch she leaves a ton of fur. She walks by us and leaves a ton of fun on us. I don't mind it but am wondering if I am doing something wrong. Is it OK to brush her while she is dry? Should I try to give her a supplement? I feed her Purina ProPlan Large Breed. Any thoughts? She has a very soft coat that is wavyish.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

Too much shedding depends on your perspective. I remember my mom asking me one time if Maggie (RIP) was _still _shedding because she found A (one!) hair on her pants after visiting. Where as shedding to me is emptying the vacuum canister 4 vs 2 times per vacuum session.

Goldens are big, hairy dogs and shed somewhat year round. Where we live they usually have a big shed (where there are tuffs of undercoat on the carpet and sticking out from the coat) twice a year. Those are the times I use a Furminator.

I always brush dry, never wet.


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## Tuckers Mom (Nov 12, 2010)

It sometimes can be scary to see how much hair comes out.... and it's all normal for our lovely breed. At Dakota's age, she is probably still going through puppy coat blow... Tucker did at her age, and again about 6 months after that..... REALLY BAD. now he is big an wooly and I LOVE It.... hang in there, and keep brushing it won't hurt to keep on with it....


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## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

Weird--- Lola does not hardly shed at all-- and when I brush her and brush out her undercoat I hardly get anything. . I do give her healthy supplements for her coat. She has a very thick shiny coat. Perhaps the supplements are working?? I am sure in the summer come the hot months she will shed some of this thick winter coat.


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## Pumba19 (Oct 19, 2011)

not sure what the weather's been like in your area this winter, but here in Alberta, we've had a very warm and mild winter (with only a week of -40 weather) and Pumba has been shedding so badly this winter as a result. she normally sheds a bit, but nothing bi-weekly sweeping and vacuuming couldn't keep up with, and now i need to sweep and vacuum a couple times a day, and try to brush her daily. the best solution i have found (if it is possible for you) is when it is the warmest part of the day is leave her outside as long as possible. she loves it and it gives my floors and furniture a bit of a break from fur =P


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

I think some of it depends on the line. Mine are from conformation lines and have heavy thick coats and constantly shed. My trainer has Goldens from field lines and they have much less coat and don't shed any where near as much as mine.

For the record, they shed all year round but do blow the winter coat in the spring. I brush a lot and still get a ton of fur, I brush dry only use a comb when they are wet. The under coat rake does a nice job especially before a bath. I am on my third (of is it fourth) vacuum.... all part of having Goldens.


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## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

Muddypaws said:


> I think some of it depends on the line. Mine are from conformation lines and have heavy thick coats and constantly shed. My trainer has Goldens from field lines and they have much less coat and don't shed any where near as much as mine.
> 
> For the record, they shed all year round but do blow the winter coat in the spring. I brush a lot and still get a ton of fur, I brush dry only use a comb when they are wet. The under coat rake does a nice job especially before a bath. I am on my third (of is it fourth) vacuum.... all part of having Goldens.


perhaps this is it. Lola is a red color Golden. Maybe the lighter goldens shed more?


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## Phoebe's mom (Jan 17, 2012)

I would invest in taking her to a groomer for a bath and blow dry, the groomers have a very powerful blower that blows out most of the undercoat. I do that to Phoebe once or twice every 2 weeks and I don't notice any hair in the house, she is a puppy though but it will still help your golden.


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

newport said:


> perhaps this is it. Lola is a red color Golden. Maybe the lighter goldens shed more?


Not sure if it's the color or the lines. I know some red goldens that shed although not as much as Darby. But it seems to be that way at least in the dogs that I've met.


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## hvgoldens4 (Nov 25, 2009)

newport said:


> perhaps this is it. Lola is a red color Golden. Maybe the lighter goldens shed more?


It isn't the color.  It is the genetics and the amount of undercoat that the dogs carry. Dogs from show lines tend to have more undercoat and dogs from field lines have less. Spayed and neutered animals also tend to have more coat because they don't have the hormones dictating coat blows.

Unfortunately, shedding season has come early this year with the mild winter. I have spent most of the week bathing and blow drying ours to get rid of all the dead undercoat. You can rake and brush when they are shedding like that until the cows come home and it will just keep coming out. There will also be more 15 minutes after you are done. 

The best thing in this situation is a bath in warm water and a high velocity dryer to blow the coat out. Depending on where you live, there are doggie grooming stations that you can take your dog to and do it yourself or take the dog to a groomer and ask them to bathe and dry the dog-completely without it sitting in a crate with a cage dryer. The cage dryer will not get rid of that dead undercoat.


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## msdogs1976 (Dec 21, 2007)

My old golden seemed to shed year round. My current dog(labx) sheds year round too. Who knows why. Just goes with the territory.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

I think a lot of it is genetics. Tucker has tight wavy reddish cost. Some feathers on the tail and as he matures he's getting a bit of a lion's mane. But he's never she'd a lot. I'm waiting for the spring blow everyone talks about. Plan to do what I've done with my spaniel and take him to a pro for an extra thorough grooming. With Tess that takes off much of the shedding. But I'm also investing in a new vacuum soon!


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## cory (Aug 23, 2010)

Unfortunately, Dakota is scared to death of the dryer (and vacuum cleaner) so I don't think the high dryer is an option for her. She does go to the groomer but has to air dry because she is afraid. I'm glad to know that she is not abnormal. I was kinda concerned that she shed "too much" and that she had a problem because she is also so lazy.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

newport said:


> perhaps this is it. Lola is a red color Golden. Maybe the lighter goldens shed more?


Nope. It's the actual coat. Sometimes you have dogs with more undercoat than others. Our first golden was all field and a nice shiny copper color... and while he was healthy, he had normal shedding patterns, including coat blows. 

@Cory - give it a month. Jacks was REALLY blowing his coat in December and early January. At the _start_ of the cold weather. :uhoh:

He is now back to barely shedding. 

One thing that baffles me is that he actually has a fuller, thicker, longer coat than he did before the coat blow in December. :uhoh: It defies basic math.


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## Swampchamp (Mar 3, 2012)

mild winter is to blame.


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## Bentman2 (Sep 30, 2013)

Megora said:


> Nope. It's the actual coat. Sometimes you have dogs with more undercoat than others. Our first golden was all field and a nice shiny copper color... and while he was healthy, he had normal shedding patterns, including coat blows.
> 
> @Cory - give it a month. Jacks was REALLY blowing his coat in December and early January. At the _start_ of the cold weather. :uhoh:
> 
> ...


Katie
I have to ask my Golden guru a question on coats. Bentley has shed a lot of his coat this summer (July-Aug) and I have noticed it specifically in his britches. He had a lot of coat there in the spring but now it is really light and I can even see his testicles from the rear. Will that also come back as the weather cools down here? I have been giving him a lot of protein (hamburger, cottage cheese, sardines) on his kibble to help his coat, and have noticed it is a lot softer now, but not thick yet. What are your thoughts?


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## jennretz (Jul 24, 2013)

Duke blew his coat at beginning of summer and Charlie is blowing his coat now. I brush them both 2xday...


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## Melfice (Aug 4, 2012)

I have been lucky with Rusty. He does not shed his coat at all. He is 2 years old, and its pretty much the same all year long (since his adult coat came in)


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## xoerika620xo (May 25, 2012)

with chester, i am constantly picking up golden tumbles of hair everywhere. He recently got his first de shed haircut and it has really made a big difference of the amount of hair in my home. While the cost was pretty high up there, totally worth it in my book. I still brush him daily, but thanks to the de shed not that much hair is coming out.


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## Our3dogs (Apr 3, 2008)

We now have 2 Corgis. I remember the breeder saying when we picked up the 2nd one "Corgis shed a lot". I laughed and told her, you don't really know shedding until you have had 2 big, hairy, Goldens! Even though they have been gone for a couple of years, I still find their hair when I go through closets or cupboards - which kind of keeps them close to our hearts.


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## mddolson (Jul 10, 2012)

Our Bella sheds continuously.
We have a central vac, & I empty it every two weeks.
There's 2 gals of dog hair in it consistently.

Mike D


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## Ripley16 (Jan 26, 2012)

Ripley is shedding like there is no tomorrow, even with brushing multiple times a week. At this point, we generally take her into the groomers because they do a much better job than I ever could. Without our groomer, the house would be plagued with golden tumbleweeds year round!


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