How to Reduce Dog Shedding and Keep Your Home Clean

My dog sheds everywhere. It is relentless. I find her hair in every corner of my home, from the oriental rug in the living room to the cracks in the bathroom tiles. Sometimes I’m left wondering just how Nikki’s hair could have possibly ended up on the clean clothes that I just took out of the dryer—damn she gets around! And nothing beats the moment when I’m on the way to meet with some friends and I realize there is a sea of dog hair covering my black button-up shirt. I think, there is no way I can walk into this restaurant with all of this dog hair on me, so I end up arriving twenty minutes late because I had to stop at Walgreen’s for a lint brush. SHEESH. I love my dog, dearly, but I simply cannot deal with living swathed within a dog hair coat every day. Below you will find some tips that I have found useful in minimizing this issue a bit (never 100% effective—there will always be dog hair!), and I hope they will put you on the path to a cleaner, more comfortable life.

Brush Your Dog

Regular, even daily, brushing is the most effective way to keep your home hair-free. Brushing will also make your dog’s coat softer, cleaner, and less likely to shed. (Keep a small trash barrel nearby to dump the remains).

The Right Dog Food

A dog’s coat is often a reflection of what they eat. Feed your dog a high quality food with good digestible protein sources, and watch the hair on the ground start to magically disappear.

A Fatty Acid Supplement

Giving your dog a fatty acid supplement, such as Vitacoat Plus, will do wonders in helping to keep your dog’s coat healthy.

Cover Your Furniture and Car Seats

Upholstery is a magnet for pet hair. Throws will keep your furniture looking (and smelling) better, and make your home more inviting to guests. Car seat covers are also a wise investment and highly recommended.

Allergy and Flea Control

See your veterinarian to make sure your pet is getting proper allergy relief. To prevent itching and scratching from fleas, use bioSpot SPOT ON or Advantage to prevent and control infestations.

Vacuum Often

Be diligent in your vacuuming efforts (No one said this would be easy). Frequent vacuuming is one of the best ways to keep your home hair free.

Bathe Your Dog Occasionally During the Summer

Using a gentle oatmeal shampoo once a week or so will clean without drying the skin and rejuvenate a lackluster hair coat. Dog shedding is especially oppressive in the summer time, so keep on it!

Use the Right Brush

Slicker Brushes, Shedding Blades, Matbreakers and Love Gloves each have a specific function and work best on the type of coat they are designed for. Most pets need more than one type of brush to remove all of the dead hair (fussy little things).

Remove Hair From Upholstery and Your Dog’s Bed ASAP

Hair that is newly shed is easier to remove before it works its way into upholstery fabric (Yikes). A Tape Roller is one of the best tools for removing hair.

With these few tips I have found that there has been less dog hair around my home, in my car and on my clothing. I still find little stragglers here and there, but that’s nothing compared to the dog hair plague that was once taking over my life. It will take a bit of diligent effort on your part to reduce the amount of dog hair in your life, but believe me, it’ll be worth it.