Tips for Grooming Puppy

dlambirl

Our 6 month old puppy is shedding hairs like no dogs business and its so annoying. Any tips to stop him shedding? I've heard giving a dog an egg can make their coat shiny and stop shedding but i doubt i'd be able to give a 6 month old dog this.

andreac

Sorry to tell you, but all dogs shed (apart from a few non shed breeds like bichons,poodles), so there isnt really anything you can do about it.

Try giving it a good brush maybe once a day to get most of the hair out too, and if you do it outside you wont get too much in the house then.

The pup is probably losing his puppy coat which can be a lot more than what they shed normally which is twice a year.

What breed is it? Some breeds shed a lot more hair than others, just depends really. To help keep the coat on good condition just make sure the pup is being fed good quality complete food. Adding things like tuna or sardines will help with quality of the coat too, and give a good shine.

I feed salmon oil to my dog and he has a great coat, but still sheds a lot when its that time for shedding.

Skillie

Regular brushing is a must. what kind of dog?

ideally you would have started this earlier so the pup could have gotten used to the brush easier but just try and make it positive experience rewarding with treats and praising etc stick at it a little a day. when one of ours was very young we brushed her everyday not cos she needed it but to get her used to it after a walk she got bruahed and rewarded no if she sees a brush shes in your face she loves it

dlambirl

I got the brush out yesterday and he thought it was great that i was giving him a rub!! He even got onto his back to i could do his belly!!! Cheeky git! Its a golden lab by the way. As you said it might be his puppy coat shedding cos up until now he lost a few hairs but we washed him one night (Cos he was absolutely minging) and ever since then he has been shedding bucketloads.

andreac

Until a dog gets its adult coat there will be a lot of hairs shedding, esp with a retriever!!

But just try grooming every day to get as much out as possible and you should start to see less around the house.
You just have to bear with it, but a good diet will help too.

Also, try not wash him too often as it isnt good for their coat as it strips them of all their natural oils.

deisebabe

ahh god! our guy bites the brush like theres no tomorrow! Those mitts/glove things are great for labs. you just pet them with the glove on. My familys lab sheds lots of hair and this has been a great help...these things...http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/grooming-mitts.php

Tony H

you think a golden lab is bad , try a golden retriever , i have a 4 month golden retriever and he is loosing his puppy coat at the moment , the hair is everywhere , even as I type the laptop keyboard has loads of puppy hair on it, its soo light that it seems to float in the air and gets everywhere, this is our second golden and we found that you really have to brush them at least once a day and that keeps it under control but its just another one of the joys of being a dog owner .

dlambirl

He has alot of hair so i think there is a touch of the retriever about him!! I dont wash him very often. The last time i washed him was the first time in 2months. I know its bad to wash dogs every week. Thats grand so i'll feed him every day and get him some dog food with tuna in it....or a can of actual tuna??

andreac

No you just add the tuna in, but dont give it everyday, just as a treat maybe once a week as they can get fussy. Just make sure the tuna is in sunflwoer oil and not brine as the brine one isnt very good for them. Sardines are another thing you can add. You mentioned eggs too, you can give them also, even with the shell!!

What food are you feeding him at the mo? He should be on a good complete dog food, there are loads of different brands out there.

dlambirl

I think its Dingo Museli that he's scoffing at the mo.

Would he be too young for an egg a week??? (He's 6 months old)

andreac

God ive never heard of that? what part of the world are you in? i take it its not ireland then.

andreac

No, not too young at all. Some breeders feed very young pups scrambled egg when weaning, so an egg a week is fine, just break it into his food and mix it around, doesnt have to be cooked.

dlambirl

andreac wrote: »

God ive never heard of that? what part of the world are you in? i take it its not ireland then.

You've never heard of what??

spurscormac

dlambirl wrote: »

You've never heard of what??

I suspect they were referring to the Dingo Muesli, never heard of it myself either.

I have a Cocker Spaniel, my brush was getting destroyed (pins coming out), so got advice in a dog shop/groomers.
They recommended using a comb, as its easier to get out the matts and knots. They also sold me a finishing comb/brush, lots of very fine pins.

Haven't used the finishing one too much, but the steel comb is brilliant for a dog with longer fur, its much stronger than a brush and will last forever.
Try to give him a quick comb every second day, and it's amazing how much comes off.

I'm also one to suffer the puppy fur everywhere - keyboard, floor, worktops, and most of my clothes.
But hey, getting a dog means you sign up to that.

I might try the extra foodstuffs to see if it shines up his coat, he's on Royal Canin, has a good fluffy coat, but a little shinier would be nice.

andreac

Yes i was talking about the dingo muesli.

LisaO

Dingo Muesli - have only ever seen it for sale in Petrol Stations.

Good quality food is the surest way to a healthy coat - also find the salmon oil is very good. An egg a week is fine but won't stop or reduce moulting.

Labs should really only need a bath very rarely - my lab is 4 now & I can only remember bathing him once so far!

At times when a dog is losing more hair than usual, I find a rub over with a barely damp cloth after a good brush helps to pick up any loose hairs - the microfibre cloths are particularly good for this.

LisaO

Dingo Muesli - have only ever seen it for sale in Petrol Stations.

Good quality food is the surest way to a healthy coat - also find the salmon oil is very good. An egg a week is fine but won't stop or reduce moulting.

Labs should really only need a bath very rarely - my lab is 4 now & I can only remember bathing him once so far!

At times when a dog is losing more hair than usual, I find a rub over with a barely damp cloth after a good brush helps to pick up any loose hairs - the microfibre cloths are particularly good for this.

Mossir

My 11 month jack russell terrier female has lot "clumps" of hair, I washed her last week and this happen hours later so I blame the shampoo, What should I do?

Skillie

Mossir wrote: »

My 11 month jack russell terrier female has lot "clumps" of hair, I washed her last week and this happen hours later so I blame the shampoo, What should I do?

by clumps do you mean knots or do you mean after washing big bunches of hair come out? if its the latter then you need to brush and brush and keep brushing. its coming into the spring/summer now too so she may be molting. nothing for it but brushing really