My golden sheds too much? Picture inside...

[lilxkimchee]

My golden Tyson is currently 1 years old. I've noticed that he sheds ALOT so I decided to compare him to several other goldens in the area. None of the other goldens shed as much as Tyson and I'm wondering why he sheds so much. I gently tried pulling the hair out of all the goldens and only managed to pull maybe 2-5 hair pieces while on Tyson I can easily pull out 100 or more pieces. And it does not stop. I can keep pulling out 100 pieces of hair every single time. Even my friends siberian husky which are suppose to shed MORE than a golden sheds WAY less than Tyson. I only managed to pull out maybe 5 hair pieces out of the siberian husky. I've tested the hair pulling method on 5 or more goldens and none of them even come close to Tyson. What can I do to reduce the shedding? I also brush him twice daily and it doesn't help.

This is a picture of when I gently pull on his hair. It happens every single time and never stops. It's even worse after a bath.

http://www.topgoldenretrieversites.net/userpictures/kimchee/Picture 12117.jpg

This is not a very good picture either. I grouped all the hairs together so it doesn't look like there is very many, but trust me, there is. I honestly have never seen a dog shed this much before. Not even a sheep dog sheds this much. And considering that goldens are indoor dogs, I don't feel this is acceptable unless you live in a trashy trailer home. And Yahoo rated them as medium shedder while siberians and sheep dogs are heavy shedders. What's going on?

[Swampcollie]

Do you have a picture of the dog?

Goldens shed, ALOT!

Many shed heavily twice a year, and a minimal amount during the time in between.

[lilxkimchee]

Tyson has been shedding like this ALL year long. It never stops. Labradors are known to shed a little more than goldens and my friends lab is nowhere close to Tyson. He complains that his lab sheds alot, but compared to Tyson, he doesn't shed at all. Even my friend has told me that my golden sheds unusually alot.

http://www.topgoldenretrieversites.net/userpictures/kimchee/Picture 121213.jpg

[Swampcollie]

Well to be honest, the golden in the picture looks normal to me. If he was shedding at a abnormal rate, he would look much different. There would be thin or open spots in his coat, and they aren't apparent.

[lilxkimchee]

So are you telling me that you can pull out that much amount of hair (pictured in 1st post) when you gently grab him? How come none of the other goldens shed this much? I'm just kinda upset on why I have to deal with 100x more shedding than any other golden. I guess some goldens just shed much more than others.

[Jenny]

If I pet my dogs and brush them hard enough with my hand I get quite a bit of hair left in my hand. What you are describing sounds normal. My dogs also shed more just after a bath. I find clumps of their hair in the drain after they get a bath.
This time of year they are shedding their winter coats for the summer. I've been vacuuming every other day just to keep up with the hair.
Goldens do shed A LOT!

[Goldenheart]

<span style="font-family:georgia; color:navy;">Oh boy do they<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif" />I can brush Bianka in the morning, and come evening I can take out just as much as I did that morning<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/eyes.gif" />

They are major shedders as already posted above. I honestly don't know if they ever quit shedding cause I haven't seen a complete down time yet on Bianka but for a short time<img border=0 src="http://www.topgoldenretrieversites.net/smiles/204.gif" />She does shed heavily twice a year, the rest their is still alot of shedding going on with her.

I see its time to bring out the dog hair picture again<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif" /><img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif" />And yes everyone, I have plenty of work to do. Just so happened I thought this pic would come in handy someday<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/roll.gif" /><img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/roll.gif" />This by the way isn't all of it, the wind took quite a bit of it before I could gather it all up in a pile.<img border=0 src="http://www.topgoldenretrieversites.net/smiles/032.gif" />You could check with your vet just to make sure she is not lacking something of some sort though if your still not convinced it is normal for your dog<img border=0 src="http://www.topgoldenretrieversites.net/smiles/021.gif" />
<img border=0 src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d822b3127cce88a198f986c10000001610" /></span>

[ChicagoCanine]

Hi,
When did the shedding start? Maybe he's still getting rid of his puppy coat?
From that photo it looks like the fur that you pulled out is guard hairs and not undercoat- The guard hairs are usually darker and are more 'wiry', less cottony... These are the outer hairs, the undercoat is the fuzzier-looking stuff underneath. Not sure if I'm explaining it well... Do you know which type he is shedding?

[lilxkimchee]

I would say the shedding began when he was about 5-6 months old. There has never been a down time w/ Tyson. He has been shedding like this for the past 7 months non-stop. When I brush him, I usually get the fuzzy type of hair. When I pull the hair, I get the wiry type. I can't go through a day w/o vacuuming. I'm gonna try using a shampoo that is suppose to reduce shedding. Hopefully that will help.

[goldenjack]

There are some owners that swear that their GR does not shed or does not shed a lot. Well, golden retrievers shed. In fact, I've never owned one that didn't. My experience has been that shedding is a matter of time of year, maintenance, and perception.

Time of year: I mean that my GR generally sheds more frequently in the warm and hot months of the year.

Maintenance: you said that you brush your dog twice a day. This may seem like a stupid question on my part, but do you actually remove hair when you brush? And do you use a forward, then backward motion with a good dog comb to get the most hair out? Also, I recommend that you groom your dog in your backyard (or outside of your house) this will reduce the amount of hair flying around in your home.

Perception: Ever heard the expression "One mans junk is another mans treasure"? <img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif" />Well, it's the same way with dog hair.<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif" /> Some people take some dog hair on their carpet very seriously, some don't mind as much. It doesn't make you a bad person if you take hair very seriously. I'm just trying to point out that people view this issue differently depending on the person and their circumstances.

Sorry. A bit long winded. I had my "Wheaties" this morning.<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/wink.gif" />

<hr>
<img src = "http://home.att.net/~goldenjack/dinopics/dinonotmesmall.jpg" align=left border=0><font color=green size="+1" face="comic sans ms">Hair? What hair? It's not my hair, Dad. That dam cat from next door always jumps over the fence and leaves her hair all over the yard. Honest!

[honeyhunter]

It seems to me like you just have a heavy shedder! Sorry! Honey is shedding a ton right now too. To look at her you wouldn't think she could loose that much hair and not have a bald spot here or there. Goldens have ALOT of hair. It is so thick and no matter how often you brush you'll get alot. I even take a force-air dryer to Honey to remove some of it and she still sheds tons!!! I am so used to all the hair around here that I no longer pay attention to it. I'm sure if there was a problem with him that the vet would notice. He doesn't appear to look like he has a problem with his coat. Ask your vet. In my opinion based on talking to alot of owners during my vet assisting and grooming days those anti-shed shampoos are a waste of money. :b -Angie

[scherner]

I couldn't help but laugh while reading through this topic. Idaho did not shed much over the winter--I vaccumed a couple of times a week--didn't really brush him much at all...it was fine...then spring hit and BAM--hair EVERYWHERE. I brush him for several minutes outside every day--vaccume and sweep ALL the time--still get hand fulls when I scratch him! The joys of pet ownership huh? :lol Wanna know the best part? I am the proud mom of a long haired black cat too! a couple of days ago I got dressed for work in black dress pants and a baby blue top...I am getting ready to walk out the door and hubby looks at me and just starts laughing--I look down and my baby blue shirt is COVERED in black cat hair and my black pants are COVERED in golden puppy hair! Needless to say I buy those lint removers in bulk from BJ's now!

[KCGoldens]

Goldens shed and shed and shed!
lilxkimchee~I can get that much from Cayenne easily, every day, and I always wind up with a daily pile of fuzz like pictured above. I would think my poor girl would be bald by now with all the hair shedding, but it dosn't make a dent at all, she still has plenty of hair left for future shedding. :lol

[Jo Ellen]

Daisy's first shed when she was about a year old was amazing. I couldn't believe the hair she lost. It was her puppy coat she was losing and the worst shedding phase so far.

Now she sheds pretty much year-round but not as heavily as that first time.

I am never without my purse-sized lint brush. Dog hair is a fact of life for me now. I just got used to it.

[aspenaden]

My pup sheds like it's going out of style!! I wonder if there's any money in selling GR hair because my dog could be a gold mine and I don't even know it!!:lol I have a lint brush in my car, at work, in my purse, and they are scattered everywhere throughout my house. Just one of the perks of owning a great dog:085

[ChicagoCanine]

Ginger is NOT a heavy shedder (thankfully!) She doesn't have the thick, long, heavy coat/undercoat that some Goldens do. Hers is closer-lying and not so thick-- except when she's shedding, you wouldn't know she had an undercoat...
Most of the year, when I brush her I usually only get a few hairs to half a brush-full left in the brush. About 2 times a year (seasonally) she sheds her undercoat, and then I get a few brush fulls usually when I brush her- not extreme amount of fur.

There is something you can do with dog fur- spin it!
I am saving Ginger's shed fur now. I'm going to have a teddy bear made out of it when I collect enough! Her fur is actually already part of a blanket, called the Amber Memorial Blanket, which contains fur from a lot of Goldens from all over the country. It was auctioned off for Golden rescue.

[judyi]

I brush Mokie twice a day and could make a small dog out of the hair every time. I also have wood floors and I have to sweep and vacuum at least once every day and I still can see it floating around and so far there hasn't been any down time (of course it doesn't get very cold where we live.)I was expecting this though-one of the things the breeder assured herself of before she would sell us Mokie was that Golden's shed ALOT and we had be okay with it. We used to have Chows and Mokie sheds even worse than they ever did. It's like having to constantly get onto your husband to pick up his socks - you just get used to wearing golden hair on all your clothes. I told my husband it could be an advantage for him-he could have an affair and as long as she had red/blond hair I wouldn't even suspect. Somehow, he doesn't see as much humor in it as I do but he's getting less grouchy about it anyway.

[GoldenLover]

Hahaha........Do golden's shed?? I sweep at least 5 or 6 times a day....yes, brush them outside...and leave the hair for the birds to make their nests..I see them flying away with the dog hair all the time.

[dewyboysmom]

After enduring the heartbreak of having to give up my Gwen do to a past illness of mine, the golden hair I now have all over my house from my new boy Dudley brings me such joy. The golden slobber on my car windows causes me to say"Thank you Lord thatI have a golden to love!" Crazy? Maybe, but sooo happy.

[judyi]

Dewysmom you said that so great! I totally agree on being thankful for the hair and the golden slobber on the car windows and on the glass storm door. I honestly thank God for sending Mokie to me every single night.And when I lay down at night and he gives me a sweet kiss before he lays down on his pillow I don't even care that he has kitty cookie breath (or least I try not to think about it too much) He is just the most wonderful dog in the world -hair and all!!

[baby snooks]

i can comb my molly every day [she is 12 ]and i get so much hair. it lies in clumps in the yard if i dont pick it up. i think its just natural. i wish i had hair like hers.....:415

[KCGoldens]

I was sweeping out the bedroom this morning, and I swept 2 dustpans full of hair out from under the bed! :lol
I have two goldens who sleep in on the floor in there.
It was just swept out a week ago! :eek

I had hardwood floors put into the rest of our home last month and I find hair tumbleweeds daily, and I brush my dogs every morning! :rollin

Goldens are hairy. :)

[Summer Dance]

We used to go crazy because of Summer's shedding too. Then we started adding Linatone to her food. That helped a bit, but not enough to pay the price of that expensive stuff. But I did seem to stumble onto a shedding solution....for Summer at least. I started her on the BARF diet almost a year ago. It was amazing how quickily the excessive shedding stopped. I no longer had to brush her... and when she shook herself the room didn't explode in fur. The only times she has shed since are #1- after baths....don't think that one can be helped, and #2- when she went into heat a few weeks ago she blew out her coat....also coudln't be helped. Her coat is also so silky now!!

I'd be interested to know if others that are BARFing have noticed lessened shedding?

[shaysgran]

Shay is shedding an amazing amount too. Someone needs to invent some kind of attachment for the vacuum cleaner that we can brush out dogs with.

[ardeagold]

Lots of shedding around here too! We have furballs that collect against and under virtually everything and have to vacuum daily and sweep again around the furniture a couple of times a day! Ours are beginning to shed less now that winter's coming, and the girls are over their coat-blowing post-puppy time. In the winter, spring and fall it's not too bad, but this past summer was a bear (or all the fur looked like a bear)!;) I really think it's because of the coat-blowing.

One thing we don't do is bathe ours too often. We've discovered that even when they get dirty/muddy, if we put them in an area where they can dry off without spreading dirt all over our house, the dirt just ends up in a pile on the floor and they're clean as a whistle!! Labradors do the same thing...it's amazing to see! Plus we didn't want to dry their skin out.....it's easy to do if you bathe often, and Goldens don't usually have that "doggie" odor like many breeds always do (especially the Hound group)! Of course rolling in whatever they can find to make our lives horrid is their goal of the day, so bathing is necessary on occassion! :p

A prior post said that Labs shed more.....they absolutely do!!! Their fur is downright everywhere..all the time! Ours would walk across our dark hardwood floor, and her white fur would be lying like a blanket in her walking path! They also shed more heavily in the summer, but I don't think Golden fur is nearly as bad! It's like poof-balls which is much easier to clean up. Plus the tile floor and the leather furniture has made life easier! :lol

[lvngold]

Pardon my ignorance but what is BARFING?:

lvngold

[monomer]

I think it stands for Bones And Raw Food
Its part of a trend where people feed their dogs RAW (meat, bones, veggies, etc). It really took-off after the publishing of a book (in 1993) entitled 'Give Your Dog A Bone' by an Australian vet, Dr. Ian Billinghurst. There are many people the world over that now feed their dogs RAW.

It is still a very controversial trend in dog health.

[monomer]

Shay is shedding an amazing amount too. Someone needs to invent some kind of attachment for the vacuum cleaner that we can brush out dogs with.

Actually there are a couple of devices that do just that... for one example go to kvvet.com, its called pethair fantastic. There is another one shaped just like a pin brush but I can't remember the name or where we purchased it from... it was like 7 or 8 years ago.

[CaynCher]

I have two goldens and they shed but it tends to clump together so it's easy to pick up. I wouldn't say that they shed excessively though. Possibly diet and climate may have something to do with the amount.

[MaThGr82]

just to give you some more info. I have two Goldens. One is 3 yrs old and the other is 9 months old. I brush them out every other day or so and between the both of them, I only take out enough hair to fill one brush.

[Cassidy'sMom]

I think general coat appearance is a direct result of nutrition. Bad food leads to rough, dull coat with lots of hair loss.

But in terms of a healthy GR shedding . . . HELLO . . . you selected to bring home a large breed, long-haired dog with a dense undercoat - what exactly did you expect? I don't mean to be rude but this thread really made me laugh. I like to say I actually have three dogs - my little mutt, my GR and the big furball in the courner of the room. ;)

[MaThGr82]

Maybe I just don't think that mine shed that much after living with a Siberian Husky growing up. I have re-read this thread and it seems like some of you have dogs that shed as much as the Siberian did. I honestly don't think they shed that much.

[lvngold]

I read the thread and seems like some goldens shed more than others. Beau has just started what I would call, really shedding. He is now 7 mos and I wonder if it's his puppy coat he is loosing. The hairs look like they have been crimped. Usually when brushing I get about one good comb full and this week I have been getting 3 or 4 and this is the third time I have brushed him this week. His coat is beautiful though. He is so soft and I love to play with his ears, if they could make a fabric that soft I would rush out and buy it. His hair on his back is still curly and looks like he has had a perm.
Also need to know what kind of brush/comb do you use?

[goodtim'n]

I have mentioned this before in my grooming threads. Use a medium wire slicker brush with coated tips. A good metal comb. Do not brush aggressively and comb from the skin up. This time of year (depending where you live) can have an effect on coats. In cooler climates we tend to warm our houses up more and it does effect the dropping of coat. Plus do to your pups age, there will be a coat change. But in general goldens shed and drop coat year round. Some more than others. :dogbark

[csmyangel]

Another thing you can try aside from a good diet and what not... you can buy a curry comb (normally used for horses) and it will help you get more of the hair out that a normal brush leaves behind. If you don't mind spending a little more you can get what's called a fermanator (dunno if the spelling is right) My groomer sells them for $40 I believe. Even after using a curry comb... when you think you can't possibly get anymore hair out, this thing can still get out piles of hair. It is amazing and well worth the $.

[denalipup]

OK...maybe I am not reading carefully enough...but my questions is - do they actually lose their puppy coat? Denali is 9 months, and he has NEVER shed this much. It seems like he has really lost a lot of fur in the past two weeks or so. I know that they shed a lot twice a year, but it is COLD outside.

So, to clarify - is he doing one of the twice a year sheds or is he losing his puppy coat? And how long does the heavy shedding time usually last?

Thanks in advance.

[CaynCher]

Mine didn't lose his puppy coat at 9mths. I noticed him losing his puppy coat at around 5-6mths. His hair changed texture too. I think that it depends on climate as goldens shed most of year down here. Mine do not shed heavily though just a brush full a couple of times a week. I would think that if it's cold where you live his coat should be thick. Maybe it's too hot where he is kept if he is losing that much hair. Or it could be diet too.

[rushe]

This thread has been very informative. At least I know that I'm not alone with the tremendous shedding problem. I bought a shedding blade a few months ago and used it morning and night. My yard ended up being so completely covered with hair that I ran out of clean spots to brush him. I had to sweep my porch 3 times a day and still couldn't keep up. My dog also has a habit of shaking (like after a bath) all the time. When he shakes inside hair flies EVERYWHERE! I had to purchase the Dyson Animal just keep up with it. It's hard to tell what color the carpeting is in my car because it's completely covered with dog hair, and he is usually only in the car for short periods. I did the same test as you did once. I can also pull tons of hair out of my dog with one gentle tug, and when I did the same test on a lab I got nothing.

[suzysues]

My X Lab shed like you wouldn't beleive. I used to feel like crying the amount of time I had to spend vacuming! Abbey does shed, but so fat no where near as bad as my Lab. Hers are more like little balls of hair, so easy to pick up. But when I brush her it fills the brush really quickly. I notice dust more than hair. My house seems to be always dusty since we had Abbey!! :confused:

[jzend]

I had a friend over for coffee. As she sat at the table, she calmly said.."oh look, there goes another tumbleweek" aka hair ball. No matter how often I vac the house and dogs (cc and rudi) and brush and comb them there is hair everywhere. I give up...thinking of shaving them just to give me some free time. After all, I do have to go to work :dogbark