How Much Do Australian Shepherds Shed?


Australian Shepherd is one of the best family-friendly dog breeds. The friendly, loyal, and loving nature of Aussies makes them ideal for families with kids. The name seems to state that this dog breed must come originally from Australia, but in reality, they originated from the western U.S. If you are a new Aussie owner, you definitely want to know about shedding of this dog breed.

The question is how much do Australian Shepherds shed?

Aussies shed a lot. They shed heavily throughout the year. You will notice a huge shedding during the spring season. So it is essential to be prepared in advance for that. Spring is the time when Australian Shepherds starts losing their winter coat.

Your Aussie will require to be groomed well, especially during the spring and fall season. Because spring and fall are the time when Australian shepherds shed a lot.

Below we will discuss some tips on helping with the shedding situation and we also asked Aussie Owners the same question and how to do with all the shedding. Their tips, advice and opinions are shared below as well.

Why Do Dogs Shed?

The amount of shedding will differ from one dog breed to another. It may also differ slightly from one dog to another. There can be various reasons behind shedding. One of the major reasons is hormonal changes.

Hormonal changes can be affected by the amount of daylight, hair growth control, etc. As we know, dog shedding is mainly based on the dog breed. This is because different dog breeds have different types of coating. Dogs depending on their type of coats are:

  • Long coat dogs
  • Short smooth coat dogs
  • Medium length coat dogs
  • Double coat dogs
  • Silky coat dogs
  • Corded hair dogs
  • Curly hair dogs
  • Wiry coat dogs
  • Hypoallergic hair dogs
  • No coat dogs

Talking about Australian shepherds, they have double coats. This is the reason why they shed a lot.

If you are planning to adopt a new dog and don’t want your dog to shed, then make sure you select the dog breed that does not have coats or dog breed with short smooth coats.

Due to hormonal changes in the dogs during the spring season, they shed a lot. Apart from hormonal changes, what are the other possible reasons behind dog shedding? There can be various reasons. Here are some of the reasons:

  • Bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infections
  • Severe inflammatory diseases of the skin
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Allergies

So there is no possible factor that affects the shedding in the dog. Depending on different factors, some dogs with the same breed shed a lot, while some dogs shed comparatively less.

Why Do Australian Shepherds Shed So Much?

As we have seen, Australian Shepherds shed throughout the year, but what’s the reason behind their heavy shedding?

The main reason is their double coats. Aussies are double coating dogs. Their double coats are ideal for the location from where they are originated, i.e., cold climate of Pyrenees Mountains.

Their double coat helps them to avoid becoming too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Normally, they shed throughout the year.

But during fall and spring, they shed a lot. So if you have an Aussie, you may be facing the problem of shedding in your dog.

How Do I Stop My Australian Shepherd From Shedding?

If you own an Australian shepherd, it is not recommended to shave your dog. The process of shedding is natural, shaving your dog to get rid of it is not a good idea. By doing that you are actually putting your dog at risk.

You must have a question, if I can’t shave my Aussie, then what should I do? Here are some tips you can implement to reduce shedding in your Australian Shepherd dog. Make sure you understand each of these tips before implementing any of them in your dog.

1. Keep your dog outside

By this tip, we do not recommend you to keep your dog outside during the winters. You must not be doing this in very cold weather. If you are living in a country or the location that does not have super cold weather, then you can take your dog outside. By keeping your Australian shepherd outside, the shed will be released outside and there will be very little shed inside your house.

2. No rugs or carpets

Another great way to minimize the shedding of Australian shepherds is by removing the rugs and carpets from the house. To avoid the allergy, it would be essential. Now, if you can’t remove rugs and carpets from the house, you can keep your dog at the place where there are no rugs and carpets. If space, where there are no rugs and carpets, is little, then make sure you often take your Aussie outside. This way, you can minimize the problem of shedding in your Aussie dog.

3. Allergy Medication

Another thing you can do is get in touch with your dog’s doctor and ask for proper medication. Medication is not always recommended. It is advisable when your dog starts shedding excessively. During the seasons like spring and fall, your Australian shepherd will start shedding excessively. In such a situation, you can get allergy medication.

4. Regular brushing

This is very important, especially for dog owners with double coat dog breeds. Double coat dog breeds like Australian shepherd sheds a lot throughout the year. Hence, it is very important to manage their shedding. This becomes more important when you have an allergy. One of the best ways to manage and reduce your Australian shepherd’s shedding is by brushing him/her regularly. You don’t have to focus on grooming your Aussie just during the spring or fall seasons. As this breed sheds throughout the year, focusing on grooming becomes very crucial.

5. Food

One of the main things that impact dog shedding is the kind of food you provide to your dog. By controlling the food your dog eats, you can manage & reduce your Australian shepherd’s shedding to some extent. There is no guarantee that providing healthy and nutritious food to your Australian shepherd will reduce shedding greatly. But, with most dog breeds, it providing nutritious food does control the shedding to some limit.

6. Cutting

You can cut your Aussie’s hair, but you should not shave it. There are chances of so many risks if you shave your dog. As Australian shepherds shed a lot, cutting the hair can help to reduce the shedding. This way, you can give a better appearance to your dog and control the shedding.

7. Use better shampoo

Another best way to control and reduce shedding is by using better shampoo for your dog. Double coat dogs require a great focus on grooming. If you won’t use good grooming products for your Australian shepherd, the chances are your dog’s hair shedding will be increased and it may lead to insects on your dog’s hair. With a regular shampoo, you can control the shedding a bit.

Can I Shave My Australian Shepherd?

This will always be a topic of debate. Whenever you will ask this question from different dog owners and dog experts, you will hear different opinions and recommendations.

Some people think that it is a good idea to shave the dog because it can help the dog during the hot summer weather. On the flip side, some people don’t recommend shaving the dog.

Our opinion is you should not shave your Australian shepherd. There are so many reasons why shaving an Aussie or any double coat dog breed is not advisable.

Shaving your dog just because it sheds a lot is not a good idea. It can cause many risks. Double coat dogs like Australian shepherds have undercoat for their body’s protection in different weathers like summer and winter.

Some new dog owners think that completely shaving their dog will help them fight with hot weather, but it is not true. By shaving your dog by the coat, your Australian shepherd will not feel cool.

By removing the natural coats, you are actually putting your dog at risk. Shaving will avoid the cool air from getting into the skin. By doing that, there are greater chances of risks like:

  • Overheating
  • Sunburn
  • Infection
  • Skin cancer

Comparing single coat dogs with double coat dogs, you can shave your single coat dog because the shaving process does not change the hair texture of the single coat dog breeds. By shaving your double-coated dog, i.e., Australian shepherd, its texture will change.

And shaving will not help your dog from the hot weather. In fact, it will increase the chances of sunburn. Apart from this, it also increases the chances of skin cancer. So to avoid your dog from being infected to different diseases, make sure you don’t get it shaved.

Can I Cut My Australian Shepherd’s Hair?

Different dog owners and dog experts have different opinions on this. Some dog owners & experts don’t recommend shaving or cutting the dog, while others do recommend it. The majority of them do recommend cutting the double coat dogs’ hair like an Australian shepherd.

As we have seen, Aussies have thick double-coats, due to which it is not advisable to completely shave your Aussie. As they have thick double coats, instead of shaving, cutting is a good idea.

By cutting your Australian shepherd’s hair, you are not harming him in any manner. Your dog may face issues like overheating, sunburn, infection, skin cancer, etc. if you shave him completely.

One of the major reasons why people consider cutting their Aussies is due to their thick double coats. With the thick coats, summer can be a bit difficult for them with long hair. By cutting the hair, you can help your Australian shepherd dog feel better, especially during the hot weather.

The great thing is by getting your dog’s hair cut, there will be no chances of having potential risks related to sunburn, skin cancer, infection, overheating, etc.

Shaving the dog removes the undercoat, and that’s what makes it risky for the dog. On the other hand, by cutting the hair, you will not be cutting the undercoat. For double coat dogs, removing the undercoat is like you are removing their ability to adapt them as per nature. Those undercoats help to adapt themselves in cold and hot weather.

What To Do About Aussies Shedding: Owner Opinions

We have gone out and gathered information from several different sites and brought them all back to one place for your viewing pleasure.

We curated this information and only corrected spelling/grammar where needed. Other then that the answers remain the same.

1. Barbie Collie-Zuzia “Ways to reduce for sure” – Well, you have an Aussie! Nothing will really stop the shedding. It might just reduce it.

What brushes are you using? My favourite brush for Aussie type coats is a rake comb/rake brush. It’s like a bunch of straight pins. Gets a lot of hair out. The other is the shedding blade (looks like one of those horse brushes). If you look at google images for either of those terms you’ll see.

Some people have also had success with using fish oil supplements in meals.

What kind of dryer is the groomer using? Using a kennel dryers/cage dryers doesn’t take as much fur out as a high velocity dryer. I swear by HV dryers. If you use them when the dog is still dry it blows a lot of the hair out.

2. Depoots “Groomer” – I generally just bring her to the groomer when it’s time for a clean up. I normally only do the simple things myself such as bathing her or cutting her nails.

She is outside a lot since we go hiking, swimming, ect. This causes her coat to go crazy I’m looking into doing this myself since after grooming she is only better for a day or so.

I thought I’d ask here to see what others recommend. So I’ll definitely take a look into your suggestions!

3. Cpersall “Groom with bath” – Australian shepherds shed a lot. Certain times a year they tend to blow their coat or shed more than usual. A good groom with a bath and a high velocity dryer can help get out most of the loose stuff. The correct grooming tools will help to control the rest. I use a medium tooth comb for my aussies. A slicker brush can work for feathered areas. Anything with a blade is not suitable for an aussie coat.

4. Good_Will_Confused “ShedEx” – This isn’t something that always works, but for my dog we use a product called “ShedEx” which is just a combination of vegetable/fish/etc oils for Omega-3s + other skin ingredients. It doesn’t stop the quantity, but it seems to make it easier to brush out in one go!

5. LynnLovesTea “Have right supplies” – Rake comb: removes majority of undercoat. Does not contain blades. I was told not use a “furminator” brush as it does contain blades and can damage the top coat. I’m using a heavy-duty conditioner to undo the damage I did with that brush.

Slicker brush: similar to rake comb, also removes undercoat but brushes the fur to make it purdy. I use this after the rake comb to make his fur look less wild and get the last bit of undercoat.

Tooth comb with wide and fine spacing: I use this for his face. Also belly and legs I guess. You can go without this one. I use it in combo with the shears.

I mean, you really can just go with one brush, but I got them all just to desensitize my dog to all kinds of things. He’s not high maintenance lol. I vacuum once a week and the fur isn’t bad.

(The last two are more for grooming than shedding, but they’re thinning and straight grooming shears. Used to trim and thin certain areas (by ears, under his paws, butt, etc.))

6. GhostEatspaper “high velocity blow dryer” – My favorite tool is a high velocity blow dryer. If you don’t want to invest in one, find a self-wash place with them or book a groomer. In between baths, I just use a comb and a slicker brush. However, my guy doesn’t have a crazy full coat…

Conclusion

The Australian shepherd is the dog breed that sheds throughout the year. This breed sheds a lot, especially during the spring and fall. There are different ways to reduce your Aussie’s shedding. If your dog sheds a lot, it doesn’t mean you shave it off.

Shaving a double coat dog such as an Australian shepherd has so many potential risks. There are many other ways to control shedding than shaving.

 

Tab Winner

Hello my name is Tab Winner. My wife and I have been around Australian shepherds for 20+ years and we definitely love them. We currently have a pair of Toy Aussies one is a Tri-color and the other is a blue merle that are both 10 and 11 years old.

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