How to Deal with Dog Shedding (Because Fur Doesn’t Count as Home Décor)

By: Wendy Rose GouldUpdated:

How to Deal with Dog Shedding (Because Fur Doesn’t Count as Home Décor)
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How to Deal with Dog Shedding (Because Fur Doesn’t Count as Home Décor)

You love your sweet pooch more than life itself. But the fur they leave around your house? Not so much. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “How is it possible for this creature to release this much hair?!” know that you’re definitely not alone in this battle.

Depending on your dog’s breed, you might experience year-round shedding and/or heightened periods of shedding when the seasons shift. But here’s the good news: With high-quality deshedding tools and regular brushing and grooming, you can nip those furball tumbleweeds in the bud.

How to Deal with Dog Shedding: Step-by-Step

Tired of dealing with your dog’s fur taking over every surface of the house? Here’s how to manage their shedding so you and your family can live in peace.
a collection of products including dog shampoo and conditioner, a vacuum cleaner, dog brushes, and lint rollersa collection of products including dog shampoo and conditioner, a vacuum cleaner, dog brushes, lint roller and furniture covers

1Gather Your Supplies

Here’s what you’ll need to help tackle dog shedding.

a dog getting a batha dog getting a bath

2Give Your Dog a Bath

Bath time doesn’t just make for cute pics. It helps dislodge excess loose hair, dead skin cells, dander, and dirt—so less of all that stuff will end up on your clothes and sofa. At the same time, it nourishes your dog’s skin and helps their coat look shiny and soft.

Most dogs need a bath about once every month or two throughout the year to keep shedding at bay, and about once every two to four weeks in the height of the spring and fall shedding seasons. But different dog breeds have different bathing requirements—some will need more frequent baths, while others only need baths a couple times a year. Look up your dog’s breed here to find out what’s typically recommended for them, and if you have any questions about your unique pup, ask your veterinarian or groomer.

Need a primer on giving your dog a bath? We’ve got you covered.

Buddy Wash Lavender & Mint Dog Shampoo & Conditioner
$13.99
Burt's Bees Oatmeal Dog Shampoo
$6.99
Zesty Paws Itch Soother Dog Conditioner
$15.47
a man brushing a doga man brushing a dog

3Brush Your Dog Regularly

Our pups might be wild at heart, but they need our help to stay in tip-top shape. Regular grooming, especially during high-shed seasons, is a key part of their health and wellness.
Depending on your dog’s breed and the time of year, they may need to be brushed multiple times a day, once a day, several times a week, weekly or monthly. You’ll know they need brushing if the house is filling with loose fur, they release a lot of dead hair when you pet them, or if they’re more focused on grooming themselves. You can also check the grooming recommendations for their breed here, or ask your vet or groomer what’s right for them.

Undercoat

Noun / UN-der-COTE

The part of a dog’s coat coat that grows closest to their skin coat. In some breeds the undercoat is thicker or has a different texture than their outer coat


Frisco Soft Slicker Dog Brush
$7.63
Mr. Peanut's Hand Gloves
$9.99
Frisco Deshedding Dog Brush
$12.78
Along with shampooing and brushing your dog as needed, consider using wet wipes made specifically for your pet. Wet wipes might seem simple, but they can make a big difference in shedding and allergies, as well as minimizing odor, dust and dirt.
Earth Rated Dog Wipes
$9.98
Vetnique Labs Furbliss Pet Wipes
$11.99
Burt's Bees Multipurpose Wipes with Honey For Dogs
$12.97
Pro Tip: If your dog’s shedding becomes too much for you to handle, take them to a professional groomer. They’ll be able to remove all traces of loose hair and more easily tend to your dog’s hard-to-reach undercoat.
a man placing a furniture cover on a couch
a man placing a furniture cover on a couch

4Cover Surfaces

One of the easiest ways to prevent dog hair from taking over your house is to protect the surfaces where your pooch hangs out most. Drape a pet-approved sofa cover (like the Forever Young couch cover from Molly Mutt) over their favorite couch and place a cozy throw blanket on “their side” of the bed. We like the Pet Adobe Waterproof Pet Throw Blanket.
FurHaven Water-Resistant Reversible Furniture Protector
$46.99
FurHaven Polyester Long Fur & Velvet Dog Blanket
$25.99
Molly Mutt Romeo & Juliet Couch Cover
$159.00
FREE 1-3 day shipping
a man vacuuming the floora man vacuuming the floor

5Vacuum Often

Set the broom aside and break out a vacuum equipped for tackling pet hair, like Hoover Evolve Upright Vacuum Cleaner.

“Vacuums have special furniture attachments that actually pick up the pet hair and keep it in one spot—in the vacuum,” notes Vera G. Peterson, president of Molly Maid, a franchise of professional home cleaning services. “When you sweep, you are just spreading around dog fur further into your house, since it will move around and fly through the air.” A vacuum will also help pick up dander, dust mites, dead skin cells and other gross stuff that accumulates.

Pro Tip: You might need to run a vacuum over floors every one to two days in areas highly trafficked by pets, especially during high-shed seasons like spring and fall.

Black+Decker Powerseries Extreme Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
$149.00
FREE 1-3 day shipping

Temporarily out of stock

Dirt Devil Scorpion+ Corded Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
$49.95
FREE 1-3 day shipping
BLACK+DECKER Dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Pet Cordless Hand Vacuum Cleaner
$99.99
FREE 1-3 day shipping
a man using a lint roller on furniturea man using a lint roller on furniture

6Dry-Wipe

Along with regularly vacuuming up loose hair, Peterson recommends dry-wiping surfaces your dog frequents. There are a handful of tools that can help with this, including the FURemover Pet Hair Removal & Lint Brush, and simple sticky lint rollers like these ones from Evercare.

Peterson says that using a glove—like the Furrfighters The Furr-Ari Pet Hair & Lint Removal Glove—is one of her preferred methods for removing pet hair from fabric surfaces.

“Rub down the surface with the pet hair and it will come off and stick to the glove,” she says. “This is a quick solution that doesn’t require you to haul out a vacuum, plus the rubber gloves can be reused over and over again.”

FurZapper Dog Hair Removal Tool
$9.99
Frisco Dog Hair Remover Lint Roller
$4.01

Temporarily out of stock

Petmate Pet Hair Magnet
$14.16

Temporarily out of stock

Why Is My Dog Shedding So Much?

Some dog breeds shed more than others due to their type of coat, and many breeds go through periods of time where they shed more than usual (e.g. spring and fall seasonal shifts and when outgrowing puppy coats.) This is considered normal shedding and, while frustrating, you shouldn't be concerned.

That said, it’s possible for dogs to experience excessive shedding, which could indicate an underlying health issue that requires veterinary attention, says Dr. Carl Prior, DVM, owner of Park City Animal Clinic in Utah. If you notice any of the following signs, reach out to your vet:

  • Bald spots
  • Skin problems such as redness, flaking, swelling or irritation
  • Pain or discomfort
  • Excessive scratching or biting
  • Fleas, ticks, mites or other bugs on your dog’s skin
  • Higher than usual hair loss compared to your pet’s norm
  • Lots of hair matting and tangles
  • Reduction in self-grooming

Dog Breeds That Shed the Most

A dog’s breed is one of the biggest predictors of how much they’ll shed. And don’t let a short-haired dog fool you, pet parents! In some cases, breeds with shorter pet hair actually shed more than their long-haired brethren. Here are the top dog shedders out there:

Discover more breeds known for high dog shedding.

Dog Breeds That Shed the Least

Curious about which breeds qualify as low shedding dogs? Some of the pups on this list might surprise you with the low amount of hair they shed.

Discover more low shedding dog breeds.

Dealing with dog shedding is a signature part of being a pet owner. Regular brushing and routinely using high-quality shedding tools can help keep everything under control. So, what’s the best way to brush that dog of yours? We’ve got everything you need to know.

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By: Wendy Rose GouldUpdated:

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