Living with a Labrador means you have accepted there will be dog hair on your floor, furniture, clothing….and maybe even your food. As much as the dog hair is a pain; it’s worth it to have the love of a loyal companion. Labs will shed throughout the year, but it is noticeably worse when the seasons change. Shedding does have a function – it is the body’s way of ridding old dead fur, to allow for successful growth of new fur. This process keeps the dogs fur coat and skin in good condition. In the spring, labs will shed a lot of hair in an attempt to lose their winter coat and prepare for the hot summer weather. During fall, they’ll regain the hair to bulk up for the winter temperatures (especially if you’re in Canada like us!).
Have you ever heard the term “Double Coat” – yup, Labs have those too!
A double coat makes up the undercoat and topcoat of a dog’s fur. Only a few breeds have double coats, like Labrador Retrievers, German and Australian Shepherds, Pomeranians, Siberian Huskies, among a few others.
Labs developed their trusty double coat centuries ago when they were being bred as fisherman’s dogs in Newfoundland. To be great water dogs, labs needed to have a waterproof coat with another layer to help regulate their body temperature in cold waters—which is where the double coat comes in. (Many of you may have heard me talk about the Newfoundland Water Dog as being the lineage for one of my lines of Labs – this is a bit of that history coming through)
The first layer, the undercoat, is short and dense and “fluffy”. It is designed to keep your dog’s body warm even when swimming or playing in cold temperatures. The second coat, the topcoat, is longer and silkier. It helps keep the coat free of dirt and water. American Labs especially will have a “water resistant top coat”; and you’ll find they dry off very quickly after swimming. Hemi was an American Labrador, and she would be nearly dry in 20 minutes; while Diesel was English and he would be wet for 6+ hours after a swim!
How to control the shedding?
1) Brushing – Find a good brush, and do a once over of your dog every week; especially during the seasonal changes. In a seasonal change, you’ll want to do this outside. It is astounding the amount of fur that will come off of your dog; you might be able to make a second dog in fact!
I have tried many brushes, and I was thoroughly impressed by this “Undercoat rake“. It really tackles the undercoat with the “hooked teeth”; and when you flip it over you have the polishing brush to get the remaining fur. Furminator is another great brand for that polishing action, especially if your dog isn’t a fan of the hooked undercoat rake.
2) Nutrition – My day job is in pet nutrition, and I firmly believe good, basic nutrition makes a big difference. A kibble based diet with adequate fat/oil, and supplementary omega 3 and 6 fatty acids will absolutely support skin and coat health. I recommend a diet of 12-16% fat (my dogs and pups eat a 15% fat diet), and strongly recommend adding Fish Oil as a supplement to support skin and fur/coat health. Grizzly Fish Oil is one we like – just a couple pumps into their food daily, and you’ll notice a big difference. Alternatively, you can purchase fish oil tablets from the human food section at your local pharmacy.
3) Housekeeping – let’s face it, you’re never going to completely stop the dog hair from ending up places you don’t actually want it; so we need ways to make it more manageable. I live with
8-10 dogs at any given time, and trust me….I’ve tried it all! I’ve tested so many vacuums, mops, air purifiers – many of which are good, but maybe don’t hold up; and some of which really didn’t work well at all. Below are my favorites, and they make this list for a reason – they stood the test of time, and I may have even bought multiples! Vacuums – I have two robot vacuums and a regular upright. Shark Rotator is our upright, but it can also remove totally to be a handheld (thus easy to reach the tops
of windows and doors). You can also purchase a rolly-base separately and remove the vacuum from the base to become a canister vacuum.
Bottom line – Labs shed, but so do most dogs. We accept this fact when we choose to bring them into our homes, our family, and our hearts. Trust me….one day you’ll miss that dog hair. Diesel was my super shedder….but I’d rather still have him here than have a more fur-free home.
The Genetics: YES! There is a genetic component to shedding in Labradors. There is a Shedding Locus, but officially called the SD Locus, where much like most genetic inheritance, there are a few different phenotypes (actual outward appearances/actions that are notable). While I can’t guarantee a non-shedding Labrador, I can tell you we are trying to produce lower-shedding Labs. Below are some of the specifics about the genetics, and which genotype you may be dealing with with your Labrador.
SD/SD – This dog carries two copies of the SD Allele which has been associated with higher shedding than sd/SD and sd/sd dogs. However, the overall degree of shedding fo
r this dog is dependent on the combination of this dog’s genotypes at the SD and IC loci. This dog will pass on SD to 100% of its offspring.
–> Interpretation: High shedding
sd/SD – This dog carries one copy of the sd allele and one copy of the SD allele which has been associated with moderate shedding compared to SD/SD and sd/sd dogs. However, the overall degree of shedding for this dog is dependent on the combination of this dog’s genotypes at the SD and IC loci. This dog will pass on the SD allele to 50% of its offspring and the sd allele to 50% of its offspring.
–> Interpretation: Moderate shedding
sd/sd – This dog carries two copies of the sd allele which has been associated with lower shedding than SD/SD and sd/SD dogs. However, the overall degree of shedding for this dog is dependent on the combination of this dog’s genotypes at the SD and IC loci. This dog will pass on the sd allele to 100% of its offspring.
–> Interpretation: Low shedding