As a general
rule, if a dog needs to be clipped regularly it is
a breed that doesn't shed very much hair. The more
common breeds in that category are poodles, cocker
spaniels, shih tzus and schnauzers.
The length of a
dog's coat does not determine how much shedding
you can expect. German Shepherd Dogs can
shed an awful lot of hair because of their dense
undercoat. The outer hairs hold the undercoat in
until it falls out or is brushed out. Short
haired dogs, such as Labradors, can shed as much
(if not more) than longer haired breeds such as
Collies. Dobermans and beagles don't have a
very heavy undercoat, but you can still expect a
fair amount of shedding to occur.
A healthy diet and
daily brushing will cut down tremendously on the
amount of hair that you see around the house.
During the twice a year intense shedding of
undercoat (also called "blowing coat")
you may need to brush twice a day. Vacuuming
your dog's coat, using the regular hose
attachment, is also an excellent way to remove
dead hair. There are even special "pet"
attachments made for some vacuum cleaners!
Dogs that don't
have much of an undercoat, or have the type of
coat that needs to be clipped, still shed but it
is about the same amount of hair that you shed,
which is hardly noticeable.
