shedding like mad

[Kegman]

My 10 month golden is shedding like mad. I am not sure if its from the season or what. It wasnt always this bad. If anyone could shed some light on this subject it would be greatly appericated.

[Spiritus]

From what I have been reading on my dog email lists, it seems to be happening almost everywhere this year. Shedding and shedding and more shedding. I know that I took a whole 'nuther dog out of Gunner last night, and I could have kept going. There are puddles of hair all over the carpet, which I have NEVER had happen before this year.

[britishbandit]

Yup, same here. I have been sweeping up a pile the of hair the size of a small dog daily from my rottis the past month or 2.

[GreenleafGreyhound]

Your dog is simply "blowing" his winter coat in anticipation for the summer months. If he is a primarily indoor dog and you periodically turn on the heater, the shock of the atmosphere should not be as traumatic on your dog's coat so the shedding won't be too bad. However, if he is a primarily outdoors dog and the weather is beginning to change in your area, the shedding could be worse and more aggressive I know a lot of double coated breeders who intentionally do not turn on the heater during winter months to help build up a thick coat. Word to the wise, the shedding blade is your friend. If you're not planning to show your dog, I would definitely look into a slicker brush and shedding blade. Those two combined with a regular bristle and pin brush will save you the heartache of snipping mats out of your dog's coat. However, the slicker is rather harsh, so only brush in the direction of hair growth. Otherwise, you can risk scratching your pup's sensitive skin. Remember to brush for short amounts of time at least bi-weekly if you've got a long coated dog, and you should be okay.

Edited to add: You may want to supplement your dog's food with a storebought supplement like Missing Link or other skin healthy add-ins like cod liver oil, Jack Mackerol, raw or cooked eggs, kelp, and similar products. Supplementing his diet now may prevent dandruff, a prevalent problem when dogs are blowing coat.

[gaddylovesdogs]

My lab sheds like crazy this time of year...I swear, you could stuff pillows with it all, and it would be super comfy...

[paw prints]

Did you say "shed some light on the subject"? Love it!
I use Solid Gold's Seameal powder for my male Pyr who came to us with all kinds of skin issues and this stuff works miracles. Two weeks and there was a difference in his coat.
It has been a crazy year weather-wise, and I think the coats are not sure WHEN to be blowing, as I have had the same problem (and with 2 pyrs and Elkie cross and a Pom, well, you can imagine what the house looks like...)