Do Australian Shepherds Shed? Care and Grooming Tips
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Australian Shepherds shed frequently. In fact, they are probably among the heaviest shedders out there. Their double-layer coats shed extremely profusely, creating a great deal of work for their owners.
You will need to spend plenty of time brushing this dog, vacuuming, and cleaning your furniture. Even so, you will never be able to remove all the loose fur.
We do not recommend adopting one of these dogs unless you can commit to plenty of grooming time. Many owners brush their dogs daily on top of any extra cleaning that they have to do. Luckily, grooming these dogs doesn’t take more than 15 minutes, but it does need to be done quite frequently.
Here are a few tips on how to manage your dog’s shedding.
Top 6 Tips to Manage Australian Shepherd Shedding
1. Prepare for Plenty of Brushing
You should plan on brushing your canine frequently. There is no way to get around this time commitment. Your dog will require a great deal of brushing. You should plan on doing it daily, even twice daily, in some cases.
Hormones control a dog’s shedding level. They will shed more at certain times of the year, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is directly linked to the weather. Spring and summer are often the heaviest times for shedding, but your dog may also increase their shedding during other periods.
To manage their shedding, you need to brush them as often as possible.
2. Use the Right Tools
Brushing and brushing aren’t going to get you anywhere if you aren’t using the right tools. A pin brush is often best for removing excess fur from the undercoat. A de-shedding tool can be useful for removing fur in hard-to-reach areas, like around the dog’s neck.
We recommend that you invest in professional tools because you’ll be using them frequently. This may cost you more up front, but it is essential if you want to groom your dog correctly. Second-rate tools don’t remove as much fur as other options, and they may break more often.
3. Plan to Vacuum and Sweep More
Even with extensive brushing, these dogs will still produce a large amount of loose fur. To control this excess hair, you should plan on vacuuming and sweeping more around the house. If you don’t have the time for this extra cleaning, this probably isn’t the best breed for you.
We highly recommend vacuuming the dog’s favorite hang-out areas daily. This routine will help reduce the amount of fur circulating the house. Most of the time, the fur will be contained in a particular area. If you keep that area clean, you can prevent it from ending up all over the house.
Of course, this requires discipline and a bit of work on your part. However, we recommend committing to this work frequently rather than deep cleaning all the rugs once a week.
4. Don’t Bathe Them Too Often
While you want to brush your Australian Shepherd regularly, you don’t want to bathe them that much. Bathing can disrupt your dog’s natural oils, which are essential for keeping their coats healthy. If you bathe them too often, you can strip their coat and skin of these essential oils, which can eventually lead to skin irritation and similar problems.
Australian Shepherds aren’t particularly prone to skin irritation or other skin problems. However, overbathing can cause skin issues to develop. Often, many of these problems cause extra fur loss around the area of irritation. Not only will you have to deal with your dog’s discomfort, but you’ll also end up with extra hair floating around the house!
5. Feed Them a High-Quality Diet
You should plan on feeding your dog a high-quality diet. Low-quality dog foods can increase your dog’s shedding because the fur will not stay healthy.
Omega fatty acids can be essential for protecting the hair shafts of your dog, leading to less damage and shedding. You can choose a food with omega fatty acids already in it or supplement your dog separately. The former is often more straightforward because you won’t have to worry about adding things to your dog’s food.
Other supplements may help your dog’s coat and skin. Generally, high-quality dog foods with plenty of added meat will be higher in essential oils than others.
6. Check Your Dog’s Health
Health problems can sometimes cause excess shedding. For instance, hormonal imbalances can often cause excess shedding because shedding is tied to hormones. However, parasites, allergies, and other illnesses can also cause excessive fur loss.
Food allergies are probably the most common conditions that cause fur loss. Often, these allergies make dogs quite itchy, especially around their paws and the base of their tail. This itchiness can cause excessive scratching and biting, leading to fur loss.
You often have bigger things to worry about than fur loss when your dog has allergies or parasites. If your canine suddenly starts losing more hair, it may signify that they are developing one of these problems.
How Do I Stop My Australian Shepherd From Shedding?
While our tips can help reduce and control shedding, you will never prevent it entirely. Dogs shed—that’s just what they do!
Don’t adopt this breed if you don’t want to deal with a dog that sheds profusely. We do not recommend this breed for those who don’t have the time to groom their dogs or do extra housework.
How Bad Is Australian Shepherd Shedding?
Australian Shepherds shed quite a bit more than most other dogs. They are considered “profuse” shedders. Their double coat is primarily to blame. Their undercoat will shed quite a bit. Usually, this fur is white and soft, which makes it stick to things quickly. It is more difficult to clean than fur from the upper coat, simply due to its softer nature.
These dogs will shed year-round. However, they will shed particularly severely during the spring and fall seasons in most cases.
Final Thoughts
These dogs shed frequently. You shouldn’t get an Australian Shepherd unless you’re willing to put up with a large amount of excess fur. They shed profusely year-round, though they will shed even worse during seasonal changes.
You’ll need to brush this dog often. Most owners brush their Australian Shepherd multiple times a day, especially during the heavier shedding periods. At a minimum, you should expect to brush this dog at least daily. More is often better. You can’t really over-brush an Australian Shepherd.
Also, plan to vacuum and sweep more. These dogs will leave hair all over your house, even if they are brushed regularly. If you want to keep your house from being covered in a thin layer of dog fur, you should expect to do a bit more housecleaning than usual.
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Featured Image Credit: JitkaP, Shutterstock
