How to Stop Dog Shedding: Expert Tips to Reduce Fur in Your Home

Whatever breed of dog you choose to share your home with, fur and the shedding of it is going to be a fact of life you can’t get away from! The amount can vary wildly between breeds and can be vaguely annoying through to downright dangerous for people with allergies. Moulting is a vital part of your dog’s skin staying healthy, so this article is here to help you understand why that is and how you can cope best with all the flying fluff.

Why do dogs shed?

“Just like humans, hair follicles die off and with them falls out the hair,” explains veterinary surgeon Dr Scott Miller.

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This moulting allows the replacement of dead and damaged fur with new healthy strands. Just like any cell type in the body, hair follicles and the fur they produce have a distinct growth cycle. 

• In the active growth phase (anagen), new hair is produced from hair follicles in the skin. This can last anywhere from 1 to 12 months.

• The brief transition phase (catagen) marks the end of active growth, and the hair follicle shrinks whilst the new hair remains in place. This lasts for a few weeks.

• The resting phase (telogen) is where the hair is not growing but is anchored safely in place in the follicle. These phase can last for several months.

• The shedding or moulting phase (exogen) is where the old hairs fall out to make way for new, undamaged ones.

“The shedding is influenced by many factors including breed, age, time of year and your dog’s hormonal cycle. Each hair has its life cycle, and as new hair grows, old hair gets dropped” says vet Dr Sean McCormack.

When is ‘moulting season’ in the UK?

Whilst dogs shed dead fur all year round, dogs of years gone by would have had distinct periods of moulting in the spring and autumn as the seasons and temperatures changed. 

“This helps dogs adapt to changing temperatures, losing their thicker winter coat as the days lengthen and weather warms up, and regaining it again as winter approaches,” explains Dr McCormack.

Double-coated breeds such as Huskies, even if living in the UK, are still genetically adapted to living in more extreme weather conditions where they need large seasonal moults and so you still see this distinct pattern twice a year.

Dr McCormack notes that this cycle is also typical for working dogs kept mostly outdoors, but “our pampered pooches living the life of luxury inside with central heating in winter may not exhibit noticeable seasonality of shedding patterns at all”.

10 ways to reduce your dog’s shedding

You can’t (and shouldn’t) stop your dog from shedding, as that would disrupt their natural process and nothing will stop an animal from shedding altogether, says Dr Anna Foreman, in-house vet at Everypaw Pet Insurance. However, there are some things you can do to reduce it.

1. Commit to a daily brushing routine

Regular brushing helps because it removes dead hair before it has the opportunity to fall out on your clothes or carpets. It also has the added benefit of getting your dog used to being brushed and handled (which can be valuable if ever you need to do it in an emergency) and can be a lovely bonding experience for you both. To keep it an enjoyable routine for you both, Dr McCormack advises not using excessive force or harsh grooming tools.

“Never shave a double-coated breed to try to reduce shedding, as this can affect their natural insulation and lead to skin problems or prolonged shedding,” he adds.

Undercoat rakes can be useful for removing the dead undercoat of double coated breeds whilst keeping the protective top coat intact, and slicker brushes are effective at removing dead fur in most coat types.

2. Feed your dog a high-quality, protein-rich diet

We are what we eat and your dog is no exception. Fur is made from the protein keratin, and as adaptive carnivores, a high-quality protein diet is needed to maintain skin and coat health. Look out for diets that are nutritionally complete and have recipes that are consistent between every batch. Remember that pure protein fed on its own (and especially raw) is not considered a complete diet by vets, and whilst it may give a shiny coat, it may also cause significant issues with other body systems, especially the liver and kidneys.

3. Add Omega fatty acid supplements

“Improving the skin and coat condition with the use of products or ingredients containing essential fatty acids can reduce shedding,” says Dr Miller. 

“Adding supplements like fish oil to your dog’s diet can potentially reduce shedding, as they are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which have many health benefits, especially in boosting the protective function of the skin barrier and improving coat health,” agrees McCormack. 

4. Ensure optimal hydration

Dehydration can lead to brittle hair, which breaks more easily and needs to be shed to allow it to regrow. Make sure your dog always has a plentiful supply of fresh water, and consider investing in a drinking fountain.

5. Bathing with de-shedding shampoos

Bathing your dog can be part of a good skin health routine, but how often to do it varies wildly with breed. Short coated breeds need bathing with a shampoo maybe only twice a year, whereas the long silky coated breeds may required one every couple of weeks to stop fur tangling and knotting. Excessive bathing can actually worsen coat condition by stripping out protective natural oils, and can cause dry skin and scurf. If you need advice on shampoos, speak to your vet.

6. Regular flea and parasite prevention

Creepy crawlies such as fleas and mites are a another fact of dog parenting, and their presence can cause ‘false shedding’ as the scratching causes hair breakage. Using a prescription-only treatment as advised by your vet at an interval recommended for your particular dog’s lifestyle is the way to deal with this – be aware that the treatments sold in pet shops are ones that are no longer considered effective, and may in fact cause further fur damage.

7. Manage stress and anxiety

Ever noticed how your hair and nails suffer when you’re stressed? Dogs are no different, as high cortisol levels mean the body concentrates its protein reserves on maintaining repair in more vital body systems. If you think your dog is stressed and their physical health is suffering, make sure you see your vet to ensure there are no underlying causes that might increase cortisol levels.

8. Professional ‘groom-outs’

A good groomer is like a good hairdresser – once found, worth keeping hold of! Experienced groomers understand the coat needs of all the different breeds, and will be able to do the necessary functional things as well as keeping your dog looking smart. Different breeds have very different needs, and these days the Poodles and Poodle cross breeds keep groomers very busy. These so called ‘hypoallergenic breeds’ are nothing of the sort (they just shed their coiled coat less easily) and a visit to the groomer every 6–8 weeks is essential. Double-coated breeds like Huskies may benefit from a seasonal de-shedding visit to get the moult done in one place and reduce the burden on your home.

9. Keep your home cool

In modern UK homes with our approaches to central heating, a dog is likely to exist in an inside environment that stays at a constant temperature, but will still go on walks in all weathers. This can ‘confuse’ the natural shedding cycle and cause near constant high level moulting. Keeping your home on the cooler side reduces this effect, and also keeps humidity levels constant – low humidity caused by hot central heating is a major cause of dry skin and hair.

10. Visit the vet to rule out underlying issues

According to Dr Jeremy Carr from MediVet, pet parents should speak to a vet when their dog is shedding a lot more than normal, or if there is little to no hair covering the skin in certain areas and they have developed bald patches. Dr Carr adds that excessive shedding and hair loss can lead to alopecia (where the fur does not grow back), which in turn is a symptom of certain metabolic diseases like hypothyroidism or Cushing’s disease. 

Dr McCormack adds there are many other causes of fur loss or alopecia  like “allergies, hormonal imbalances, parasitic infestations, bacterial or yeast infections, hormonal disorders, thyroid problems, or skin infections” and a vet is needed to differentiate between them, as many conditions appear the same but have different causes.

Managing dog hair in your home

Sabrina Tretyakova is an ISSA-certified cleaning expert who uses eco-friendly, industry-leading Fortador technology for her clients, and recommends various cleaning methods depending on the surface you are looking to clean. 

For clothes, she says to wear rubber gloves or dampen your hands, and run your hands over the clothes to clump the hair together. “Hair sticks to rubber or damp surfaces, making removing them from the cloth fibres easy,” she says. Then you can mix some fabric softener with water in a spray bottle, to spray on the clothes before wiping them with a paper towel, which helps remove residual hair.

For other surfaces like furniture and cars, a lint roller or sticky lint brush is your first defence, but a reusable fabric roller may work even better. A special pet vacuum can be used to pick up hair as they have been created to withstand cleaning large amounts of pet hair, and the motor won’t die on you. 

Any fabrics that are fur-covered can be put in a clothes dryer on a low-heat cycle, with a wet microfibre cloth. “The hair sticks to the microfibre, making it easier to remove,” says Tretyakova.

“I’ve personally found great success with a little tool I found on TikTok called Fur Viking and works particularly well on our sofa.”

Dr Carr says that vacuuming a dog’s hair has become rather popular and if you were to try this, make sure to use a specific dog hair attachment and low suction.

Caution is needed with this approach, as both Dr Foreman and Dr McCormack agree. Vacuuming fur can be a scary experience for your dog, especially if they don’t like loud noises, and if forced, the dogs may become aggressive.  If you were to try it, do so slowly, with positive reinforcement, praise and treats.

For dogs that tolerate loud noises, a pet-specific brush attachment like the Dyson Pet Grooming Kit, can be effective at removing loose fur while minimising stress for your pup, says Dr McCormack.

Frequently asked questions

Can I shave my dog to stop them shedding?

Shaving a dog is only advisable in certain breeds, and NEVER advised in double-coated breeds like Huskies as it removes the protective top coat but leaves behind the dead undercoat, often resulting in permanent hair damage. A professional groomer is usually the best person to use clippers on your dog.

Do home remedies like olive oil work?

It is not advisable to use home remedies for fur shedding without checking with your vet first, as many causes of excessive moulting have underlying causes. Applying substances directly onto the coat just makes them sticky and can be distressing for your dog, and using oil as a food additive usually only leads to weight gain.