How to Deal with Your Dog’s Constant Shedding

We love our dogs, but during heavy shedding seasons, their fur might be another story. Sure, it’s cute and soft, but it also starts to lose its allure when your entire carpet is covered in a fuzzy white film and your vacuum fills to the brim after just one trip around the living room. As someone with two dogs, you can only imagine the gasps (and maybe, on occasion, expletives) that leave my mouth every few months when I remember to sweep under the bed. Thankfully, as with all things #doglife, there’s a hack for that — or, really, several.

Take a look around TikTok, and you’ll find plenty of suggestions, many of which just happen to come with a name-brand tool attached. I don’t have any sponsorship deals (at least, not yet 👀holler at me, Furminator!) so I wanted to find the best general tips for dealing with mountains and mountains of fluff. I found them with the help of a few clever searches, plus expert opinions from certified pet groomer Amber Boaz over at Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming.

Free virtual dental health check

Snap a pic of your pup’s teeth, and GREENIES™ will help you spot potential signs of oral health issues. 

Try It Out

As Boaz gently reminds us, you’ll never stop shedding completely; our pups use their fur to regulate their temperature, and so shedding is just a natural part of being a dog. “What you can do,” she says, “is help your dog shed. And if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, that is why professional dog groomers exist.”

Ready to try tackling your pup’s extra fuzz? Here are TikTok’s favorite tools and tricks.

Curry combs

For some dogs, a curry comb can help grab extra fur. The tool in this video appears to be metal, but Boaz recommends choosing one made of rubber. 

“The rubber curry brush is an amazing tool to use on short coat dogs, as well as short hair spots on shedding dogs that have short hair legs and faces,” Boaz says. “It is very gentle and grabs [the] undercoat without cutting the dog.” That’s how you prevent a beauty session from turning ugly.

Force dryers (and a playpen cover to catch all the flying fur)

I’ll admit, this idea is my favorite just because the visual made me laugh.

If your pup will tolerate sitting under a playpen cover, a force dryer and playpen cover look like a winning combo. Boaz says that force dryers are an “excellent” deshedding tool to keep around, and some aren’t even too big or loud. Still, make sure you only use these if your dog is comfortable with the tool, and be sure to ease them into it. As Boaz points out, “A lot of dogs don't like the noise or feel, so it does involve some training to get dogs to be comfortable with such a tool.” 

If you don’t have a force dryer, a regular blowdryer could work in a pinch; just make sure to keep it on the cool setting.

A rake (no, not that kind)

If your pup has a longer coat, you might not get by with a regular brush. Instead, Boaz recommends a slicker brush or a deshed rake. These tools are better for reaching the infamous undercoat. That said, she warns, “These can be dangerous if pushed too hard on the dog skin or used too much in one spot.” So use them carefully.

An oil-rich diet for natural luster

Veterinarian Andrew Jones runs the TikTok account Veterinary Secrets and recommends supplements like safflower oil to keep dogs’ shedding to a minimum. Boaz agrees. “Oils in a dogs diet can help keep skin and coat healthy,” she says. But as with any addition to your dog’s diet, consult your veterinarian to confirm the product you’re considering will be safe for your pet. 

Deshedding shampoos knock the fur out during bathtime

Deshedding shampoos usually contain conditioner and oils that help loosen dead fur, essentially causing it to slip out. But that doesn’t mean they’re a substitute for conditioner. 

“Shampoo removes oil, and conditioner adds oils back into the skin and coat,” Boaz says. “To get all [of the] dead coat out, a dog has to be completely clean, then conditioned, and then completely dried.”

As tempting as it might be, don’t skip that last step, even if it takes forever. “If you don't dry a dog probably, that can trap the fur from coming out, and moisture will settle in the coat and cause skin issues,” Boaz says. If your dog’s shedding patterns ever change suddenly or drastically, it might be time to see a vet.

Like all aspects of doggie care, shedding treatments can take a bit of trial and error. Be patient, keep vacuuming, and when all else fails, just think of the fur on your clothes as your pup’s way of giving you a piece of them to take with you wherever you go.