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  1. #1
    Mechagnome
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    Question Dogs shedding hair

    My sister wants to buy or adopt a dog, and she is interested in a Siberian Husky, Labrador or a Golden Retriever.

    Her question is if those dogs are kept well trimmed and short trimmed, would they still shed a lot of hair?

    Hopefully some of you gamers have one some experience with some of this breeds!

    Thanks!
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  2. #2
    Titan
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    All dogs shed hair and all of them need grooming and washing, but a husky will definetly shed the most of those three.

    My father has a golden retriever and he barely leaves any hair at all.

  3. #3
    They will still shed hair. Take for example the mastiff. Even though he is more of a short hair, he sheds a lot!

    ---------- Post added 2012-03-02 at 10:41 AM ----------

    I also have a retriever and once again, a lot of hair! Beware of Labradoodles and Goldendoodles, people will say that they don't shed, but they would be lieing to you. They are nice pets, but crossbreeding isn't what I would consider a good choice.

  4. #4
    Herald of the Titans Snow White's Avatar
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    DO NOT get a husky if you're concerned about shedding. Dear god no.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Snow White View Post
    DO NOT get a husky if you're concerned about shedding. Dear god no.
    Totally agree with Snow White (wow that sounds weird).

    If you run a brush through a husky's coat you will come back with enough hair to make a sweater, and not even make a dent in the amount of loose hair.

  6. #6
    One of my dogs is a Husky / German Shephard Cross and oh man when her double coat from winter started shedding i could have literally made 10 pillows with the amount of fur that came off while brushing.

    ---------- Post added 2012-03-02 at 05:02 PM ----------

    Also please tell your sister to fully read up Huskys lovely traits. They can be a handfull believe me.... Lab or Golden Retriver are much easier to deal with.
    I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

  7. #7
    Merely a Setback Reeve's Avatar
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    My Black Lab shed soooooo much hair when I was growing up, and the hairs are strong and wiry. My mother actually stepped on a hair and had it stab up the pores of her feet, causing tremendous pain not once, but twice!
    'Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead
    Or a yawing hole in a battered head
    And the scuppers clogged with rotting red
    And there they lay I damn me eyes
    All lookouts clapped on Paradise
    All souls bound just contrarywise, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

  8. #8
    I have a shitzu (spellcheck) which allegedly doesnt shed very often, I can tell you thats not true either. When I dust and vacuum 95% of the prize is dog hair (and i do it evey weekend). Also during the spring they shed even more.

    Of those 3 I would say a retrieve sheds the least, but if you want 0 shedding your gonna have to get a reptile.

  9. #9
    Merely a Setback Reeve's Avatar
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    I think there are some kinds of dogs that have hair instead of fur, which supposedly keeps them from shedding much at all, but I'm no expert.
    'Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead
    Or a yawing hole in a battered head
    And the scuppers clogged with rotting red
    And there they lay I damn me eyes
    All lookouts clapped on Paradise
    All souls bound just contrarywise, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Angel25 View Post
    My sister wants to buy or adopt a dog, and she is interested in a Siberian Husky, Labrador or a Golden Retriever.

    Her question is if those dogs are kept well trimmed and short trimmed, would they still shed a lot of hair?

    Hopefully some of you gamers have one some experience with some of this breeds!

    Thanks!
    As others have said, all dogs will shed. With proper grooming, you can minimize what you find around your home but having dogs means having fur As to the breeds you mentioned, the Siberian Husky, like other northern breeds goes through what's called "blowing its coat". What this means is that about twice a year (depending on where you live), the dog will shed it's outer coat. If you are diligent about brushing, this is in some ways more manageable than breeds that shed regularly. If you've never seen a Husky blow its coat though, you will be in for a shock with the amount of fur they lose Of the other two, the Lab is likely to shed more than the Golden because of the type of coat it has but again, all dogs will shed, you just have to manage it by brushing them regularly and investing in a decent vacuum. None of the breeds you mentioned require any sort of trimming other than nails, just regular brushing with the Golden requiring the most frequent brushing of the three to prevent its hair from matting.

    ---------- Post added 2012-03-02 at 10:34 AM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Reeve View Post
    I think there are some kinds of dogs that have hair instead of fur, which supposedly keeps them from shedding much at all, but I'm no expert.
    The closest you can get to a non-shedding breed as I understand is a poodle or some poodle mixes (which is why many people claim the "doodle" crosses are allergy-safe). They all shed though, some just do it more than others. Hell people lose around 100 hairs a day, I dont know why folks are bothered by dog hair.

  11. #11
    Bloodsail Admiral sugarlily's Avatar
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    Aw, awesome that your sister wants to adopt a dog! Please please please, on behalf of homeless pets everywhere, go to your local shelter or especially Humane Society. The Humane Society has changed massively in the last 25-30 years & are strictly now NO-KILL Animal Shelters. There is no "expiration date" on the animals they take in. They also take wonderful care of the animals & very often offer spay-neuter & shot clinics on the premises.

    If you do ANY research you'll see that for whatever reasons (environmental, dog/cat food additives etc) a HUGE umber of unaltered (not neutered/spayed) dogs & cats aquire a number of nasty health problems, especially cancers of the reproductive organs mid-to later in life. It's so sad. It can also end up affecting their urinary systems too. Not to mention all the 'accidental' unplanned escapes & subsequent breeding that results in even more homeless pets. I know I'm going a bit off topic but it is part of the topic of adopting a pet & after working for many years in pet rescue, I urge you to do it early & follow through with shots & 1/yr vet check up. You'll be so thankful that you did. :) I speak from experience.

    OT: even if you "trim" or shave close the coat, the animal will still shed it's coat. The work to keep up all this "trimming" would be as extensive as if you treated the coat normally & brushed & groomed & cleaned up afterwards anyway. Many dogs get terrified of the sounds of electric trimmers & puting them through that just because you think you'll shave some time off the grooming/clean-up time is silly, & even a bit selfish. Let the dog have it's natural coat & if you can't be bothered to groom as necessary then you shouldn't have that dog. Do some research & find a dog that you find has "acceptable fur".

    Best of Luck!<3
    Last edited by sugarlily; 2012-03-02 at 05:48 PM.

  12. #12
    Siberian huskies shed a LOT, even with daily grooming. If you can't tolerate fur, DO NOT get a Siberian husky. Of the three, the Labrador sheds the least, but not much less than a Golden Retriever. So those two are good choices. With daily grooming, you may not notice much fur around.

    Experience: I've owned four Siberian huskies in my lifetime, and I'm a certified dog obedience instructor.
    “You have died of dysentery” – Oregon Trail

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by sugarlily View Post
    Aw, awesome that your sister wants to adopt a dog! Please please please, on behalf of homeless pets everywhere, go to your local shelter or especially Humane Society. The Humane Society has changed massively in the last 25-30 years & are strictly now NO-KILL Animal Shelters. There is no "expiration date" on the animals they take in. They also take wonderful care of the animals & very often offer spay-neuter & shot clinics on the premises.

    If you do ANY research you'll see that for whatever reasons (environmental, dog/cat food additives etc) a HUGE umber of unaltered (not neutered/spayed) dogs & cats aquire a number of nasty health problems, especially cancers of the reproductive organs mid-to later in life. It's so sad. It can also end up affecting their urinary systems too. I know I'm going a bit off topic but it is part of the topic of adopting a pet & after working for many years in pet rescue, I urge you to do it early & follow through with shots & 1/yr vet check up. You'll be so thankful that you did. I speak from experience.

    OT: even if you "trim" or shave close the coat, the animal will still shed it's coat. The work to keep up all this "trimming" would be as extensive as if you treated the caot normally & brushed & groomed & cleaned up afterwards anyway. Many dogs get terrified of the sounds of electric trimmers & puting them through that just because you think you'll shave some time off the grooming/clean-up time is silly, & even a bit selfish. Let the dog have it's natural coat & if you can't be bothered to groom as necessary then you shouldn't have that dog. Do some research & find a dog that you find has "acceptable fur".

    Best of Luck!<3
    Exactly with what this post says; not only does fido absolutely love to be brushed, but regular brushing ensures that at least part of the shedding hair ends up on the brush and not the everything else around the dog. There is no such thing as a dog that won't shed, just as we shed skin and hair everywhere we go.

    In many places humane societies still actually do put down "expired" animals though, and this is all the more reason to adopt from such a shelter, because if you adopt from a no kill shelter you aren't saving anybody. Plus the humane society always has a pretty sweet contact list, better access to trainers and veterinarians etc.

    Shedders gonna shed, but the longer the hair the more likely your vacuum would be to pick it up, vacuuming twice as often is part of the responsibility of pet ownership.

  14. #14
    They will still all shed the exact same amount, just shorter hairs. Also, please don't trim long-haired dogs short like that, their hair tends to grow back in different colors and textures.

    If she wants a dog that doesn't shed, go for a poodle. Standard poodles are as large as a retriever/husky, and they make amazingly loyal and smart pets. They don't really shed, they're somewhat easier on allergic people and they just need a regular trimming with clippers (nothing professional, you can buy the clippers yourself and just shave them down every so often).

  15. #15
    I have a Golden that leaves hair all over the house. Granted I don't keep her hair short all year round but even when it is I still find plenty of it laying around.

  16. #16
    Deleted
    You could always get yourself (or your sis) one of these:


  17. #17
    Also, sort of random.. but if we're sharing ways to get hair out of the house, I acquired the most amazing hand-me-down vacuum ever called a "Rainbow". It looks like it's about 20-30 years old and it still works perfectly. I have two mixed breed dogs (a terrier mix and a beagle mix) and I vacuum about once a week and pick up about 2-3 cups of wet hair from our tiny apartment. I say wet because you have to fill it with water instead of a vacuum bag, which is also REALLY affective with drowning fleas and flea eggs.

    Anywho, that'll help with hair if you have carpets, just look for a cheap one from a garage sale because new ones go for 2-3 grand. These things last forever.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Mowgles View Post
    Also, sort of random.. but if we're sharing ways to get hair out of the house, I acquired the most amazing hand-me-down vacuum ever called a "Rainbow". It looks like it's about 20-30 years old and it still works perfectly. I have two mixed breed dogs (a terrier mix and a beagle mix) and I vacuum about once a week and pick up about 2-3 cups of wet hair from our tiny apartment. I say wet because you have to fill it with water instead of a vacuum bag, which is also REALLY affective with drowning fleas and flea eggs.

    Anywho, that'll help with hair if you have carpets, just look for a cheap one from a garage sale because new ones go for 2-3 grand. These things last forever.
    2-3 grand? I dont know what kind of vacuum you got but mine was about $200 at Target and it works fine on German Shepherd, Bulldog and massive amounts of cat hair lol.

  19. #19
    Deleted
    From my experience dogs with naturally short hair shed more hair, way more hair.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by sugarlily View Post
    Aw, awesome that your sister wants to adopt a dog! Please please please, on behalf of homeless pets everywhere, go to your local shelter or especially Humane Society. The Humane Society has changed massively in the last 25-30 years & are strictly now NO-KILL Animal Shelters. There is no "expiration date" on the animals they take in. They also take wonderful care of the animals & very often offer spay-neuter & shot clinics on the premises.
    While I certainly support rescuing homeless animals, the above information is not true everywhere. I know the local humane society here most definitely is still a kill shelter and I'm fairly confident there are still others as well. Rescue groups are no-kill and often will get their animals from the humane society but all Humane Societies are definitely not no-kill yet.

    Also I would highly recommend talking with your veterinarian about the right time to spay/neuter your pet rather than listening to the propaganda from the humane society. Altering an 8 week old puppy or kitten can have detrimental affects on its health later in life though many shelters would have you believe otherwise. I strongly believe in spaying/neutering your pet if you are not showing or breeding it but do your homework on when the right time is.

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