[fusionrx]

My dog, Sophie the Shiba/Sheltie mix (see thread entitled Welcome Sophie, what kind of dog am I? for photos) is showing her Shiba side by shedding her thick undercoat.

Right now I am brushing her every other day, but the house is getting FULL of furballs.
Is there a better way to brush her? Better comb? Just using a standard dog brush. I am back brushing her to get the fur out, and am netting about a plastic shopping bag full of dog hair every other day.

Open to suggestions or recommendations from others with heavy shedding dogs.

Thanks!!

 

[Willowy]

Vacuum a lot? LOL, I don't know what else to do about it. Get a good undercoat rake and use it every day if you can--you'll get a bunch more fur out with a better tool. Maybe a shedding blade, too, although if you can only get one get the undercoat rake. And vacuum!

 

[PackMomma]

Haha, oh you will LOVE the Shiba side come shedding season. Shiba's typically blow their coat twice a year, spring/fall. I have the same problem...

Typically what I do is brush him once a day with a shedding blade - don't waste your time with a brush, get a real good shedding blade and go to town - brush, brush, brush and then brush some more...use your hands and pull the larger loose clumps of hair out. Do this every day for a couple days until you start to notice a decrease in the amount of hair coming out. You have to keep on top of your vaccuuming on a regular basis if you have a Shiba or a Shiba mix, that's for sure. I vaccuum my house at least twice a week when he's shedding, and once a week usually just to help stay on top of the hair situation, especially with two dogs.

Once you have noticed less hair coming out on your daily vigorous brushing, give him a bath, this helps remove a lot of the hair as well. Be prepared to declog the drain and scrub the tub and vaccuum the bathroom afterwards.. then if possible take him outside in somewhere you don't mind having a lot of hair flying around but that you can plug in a blow dryer, blow dry and brush vigoriously some more until he's dry. This should help, have fun lol

 

[fusionrx]

I'll take him to groomers for the bath. We have enough issues with people hair without clogging up the drains with Dog hair.

 

[hanksimon]

I watched a young woman with two beautiful huskies at the dog park. First, she put them on their sides, then she ripped out hands full of fur until she had the equivalent of another dog... Then, she did the same with the other. The dogs just lay there, looking like they were getting their bellies rubbed

When she was finished, where there had been two dogs, it looked like she had four! She put most of the fur in a plastic bag and left, leaving behind a puppy-sized clump that had escaped in the wind... I had the impression that she did this once a week or so...

 

[Willowy]

I watched a young woman with two beautiful huskies at the dog park. First, she put them on their sides, then she ripped out hands full of fur until she had the equivalent of another dog... Then, she did the same with the other. The dogs just lay there, looking like they were getting their bellies rubbed

When she was finished, where there had been two dogs, it looked like she had four! She put most of the fur in a plastic bag and left, leaving behind a puppy-sized clump that had escaped in the wind... I had the impression that she did this once a week or so...

Haha, I do that, too! But out in the country where I don't have to clean it up. If anyone sees the fur clumps I wonder what they think happened. . .

 

[Bordermom]

That's what I did this morning for a golden! Pulled another dog out of him! HA!

What I used mainly was a greyhound comb and a mars stripper (you can look it up). Used the stripper first to get the dead hair out, layer by layer, then the greyhound comb to double check it was all out.

Then the bath, a good lather with the zoom groom, worked it in everywhere and then rinsed well, then conditioner and more zoom groom and elbow grease. He went from having cotton balls to pick out to having not much left.

A good groomer can save a lot of time though with the right tools and clog their drains, so it's usually a lot easier if you don't have the setup to do it...

 

[Morrwyn]

Haha, I do that, too! But out in the country where I don't have to clean it up. If anyone sees the fur clumps I wonder what they think happened. . .

I've actually been the victom of this, I was walking in the park and saw what I thought at the time was a rabbit massacre, it wasn't until a feww weeks later that I actually saw the owner brusing out their dog there that I connected the dots.

 

[ThoseWordsAtBest]

I have an Elkhound, a Lab mix a Shepherd mix, and an Alaskan. At this point in my life I just let the fur happen.

 

[a7dk]

My dog is a mutt, but his coat is all lab. I use a furminator, and it works wonders. Wonders. That thing is amazing. The reviews on amazon indicate that it's not great for all types of coats, though, so I'm not sure if it would be appropriate for a Shiba coat, but definitely worth a look.

Lately I've been brushing him with the furminator every other day or so, which cuts down on the shedding a lot. Usually I don't have to do it that often but I guess he's shedding his winter coat.

 

[LuvMyAngels]

I take an undercoat rake & comb to Buster at least every other day. This is something best done outside. The first time my teenager looked out the window and saw what was left she thought she was seeing exploded bunnies.