My dog is shedding so much! What shampoo should I use?
When it comes to reducing your dog’s shedding it’s not about the shampoo; it’s all about the brushing. Brushing consistently, with the correct tools and with the correct technique depending on your dog’s coat type is the key to keeping your dog’s shedding to a minimum.
In the grooming salon we do tout our deshedding shampoos and conditioners with our deshedding packages. These products are formulated to make removing the dead coat easier during a professional grooming session. We, as groomers, have the ability to: make sure the dog is rinsed thoroughly, ensure all of the undercoat is blown out with a high velocity dryer and use our arsenal of brushes to ensure a detailed brushing session.
Here is a list of tools, description of their usage and what coats they work best on:
KONG Zoom Groom - This rubber brush is great for removing guard hairs from the top coat. You can also use it while you wash your dog to help lather up the shampoo and do some extra deshedding work. Make sure the tines aren’t worn down, this is a sign you’re ready for a new one! Use it on your dog’s coat as if you were petting the dog.
Best for - Smooth coated breeds / short haired breeds (click the links for list of these type of dogs)
Slicker Brush - A slicker brush is excellent for removing undercoat and will work best on the thicker parts of your dog’s coat (ie tail, ruff, hindquarters). A great technique for this brush is called “line-brushing”. You can find tutorials for this brushing technique on my Tik Tok. A combination of line-brushing and just normal brushing with a slicker brush will do a wonderful job at maintaining your dog’s coat.
Best for - medium length coat / long coat (click the links for list of these type of dogs)
Metal Comb - Sometimes referred to as a “greyhound comb”. A comb is an amazing tool for helping you find areas that may need more attention. After brushing with a slicker brush run a comb over the area you brushed, it should go through the coat with little to no resistance. That means you got most if not all of the undercoat out. It also works well as a deshedding tool, but can add some time to your brushing session. In short, brush with a slicker first and check your work with the comb.
Best for - All coat types besides smooth coated dogs.
Furminator / Deshedding blade - This is a tool best used sparingly, if at all. You risk ruining your dog’s top coat. They are expensive and not worth the hype. Though it says blade in the name, it is not an actual blade. It does not cut your dogs hair, but it can pull out the valuable top coat.
Undercoat rake - Undercoat rakes are a wonderful alternative to the furminator. It bypasses the topcoat and targets the undercoat directly, which is what you want to remove.
Best for - double coated breeds (huskies, malamutes, some thicker coated labs, german sheperd, corgi… etc)
Find product recommendations in the Brush Your Dog section of my Amazon Storefront.
