Labrador Shedding – Is It Really A Turn off?
Is the idea of having some little furs scattered around the house turning you off? Those tiny numerous black or chocolate furs spread through your carpets or floors or even our beds and couches. If it does turns you off and might be a reason for you to have a bad day, then a Labrador retriever is just not the right dog for you.
You see, Labs are huge shedders. Simply saying, this breed will shed more often than you can imagine. They will shed twice in a year and you will just have to bear watching those tiny furs in your furniture twice each year.
But, Labrador shedding is normal, just like in any other dogs. They shed off their furs and they are back to their old adorable self. Just clean off these tiny dog hairs and you will be enjoying your Labrador retriever for the rest of the year. If most people can survive this issue, why can’t you?
Why do Labradors shed?
Labs need to shed their fur twice each year. In order to them to survive the water and coldness during swimming, these dogs have a water-repellant coat called the guard coat. Underneath the guard coat is a soft, often downy, coat that keeps them warm. This set of coats is what they refer to as the double coat of a Labrador. Primarily, Labs need to shed off this double coat and make room for a new one. So, it is quite normal for your Labrador retriever to shed their coats twice each year.
You will first notice the shedding when they are about 5 to 6 months old. This is their transition period from being a puppy to becoming an adult dog. In this period, shedding is also experienced as the so called puppy coat is shed off to be replaced by an adult coat. As the dog owner, you will notice this excessive shedding hence, you need to assist your dog so that they can go on their normal physical modification and you can save yourself from a lot of cleaning.
How can you survive Labrador shedding?
Actually, the trick in surpassing dog shedding is proper grooming. All you have to do is properly groom your Labrador always in order for him or her not shed profusely and scatter those little dog hairs around the house. Brush your Labs once a week. This will rub off dead coat fur in his body and you can easily catch them before shedding period come where you cannot bear the amount of fur your dog needs to shed. But, remember to do this outside so that you will not spread those furs in your house furniture or floor.
If you are thinking of giving your Labs a bath just to take off those extreme shedding then you might be thinking wrongly. Bathing is not the solution for your dog’s shedding. In fact, Labradors need not be bathe always. You can just rinse them off once they are dirty but more often, they do not need to take a bath. If you plan to put on some shampoo, it will be a wrong idea. Shampooing your Labradors will only eliminate the natural oils in their skins and coats.
Brushing your Labrador once a week is the best solution to this concern. If your dog do not conform to brushing, give him a treat and train him to make it a habit of brushing his coat once every week. He will always give in to that.
To see a good way of removing Labrador shedding, here’s a good video:
