Why do some dogs shed more then others?

Long haired dogs or dogs with undercoats need to cool off during the hotter months and so they shed more. Or, at least, their shedding is more visible.

Some have fur, some have hair, some are bred for cold climates, some for warm, some are water dogs, some are desert dogs, some work, some are just for pets, some have shedding seasons, some, like German Shepherds, shed all year.

All creatures with hair shed. With dogs there is a difference in the result of their shedding. Curly coated dogs shed but the hair rarely reaches the floor because it gets tangled around the other hairs and matts instead. Those who say poodles don’t shed are incorrect. Short and straight hair dogs when their hair comes loose it falls onto the floor or the sofa or your shirt. Most creatures shed year round although more heavily during the transition times of the year, spring and fall. It even happens here in the tropics where the temps remain pretty constant all of the year. I have heard the theory that it has to do with the amount of daylight hours, it seems plausible but I don’t know if it is scientifically proven.

It has to do with genetics. Two of our dogs have undercoats and undergo major shedding events in the spring, while two of our dogs are bully breeds that have short, stiff hairs and no undercoats at all and that shed a little all the time. The two that shed in the spring are Asian – one is a Shar-Pei and the other a Chow mix.

According to dogbreedinfo.com, some breeds, like Shih Tzu, Maltese and Poodle have “little to no shedding.”

I had a little Miki for a week and I never found a single hair (and he climbed on the furniture and slept on the carpet).

@drdoombot – Honest I am not kidding, the hair may not drop onto the floor, but believe me they shed. Because of the curls of the poodle and the softness and density of the maltese and shih-tzu, they mat instead. They require a lot of brushing to avoid that. Poodles not as bad, shihtzu in the middle and a thick maltese coat is one of the worst to deal with, bichon and afghans too, little hair on the floor but lots of brushing!

I’d like to know why my pit bull sheds too. The back seat of my car is covered in these short, prickly, tan colored hairs. You would think short haired dogs don’t shed, but they sure do. Still, he’s my baby and I love him just the same :-)

People with short haired dogs should go into the artist paint brush business. Why use pig bristle when you could use pit bull hairs!!

@rooeytoo I never thought about it that way :-)

And people with Maltese and such can gather up the fur, spin it into yarn and make scarves. Here’s how.

I saved piles of the downy undercoat from my akita and we used it to make felt. There are a whole bunch of little purses and passport cases, and ipod cases etc. all made from my Red dog!