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Guide on How to Control Pet Hair

November 20, 2019 by Mary Telesz

Love Your Dog, Hate the Dog Hair?

Pet Hair controlLike many people who love their dogs, you probably regard your dog as a member of your family. That means your dog spends time with you indoors, and in some cases, shares your bedroom or even your bed with you. If only you could do something about the hair the dog leaves behind.

Most of us care more about having the dog than having to clean up dog hair in the house. We regard regular dog hair clean up as a small price to pay for the joy of dog ownership. However, there are some ways you can minimize the amount of hair your dog sheds in your home.

What You Can Do About It

Dogs, like other animals, shed their hair as a way to replenish old, damaged hair with new hair. The purpose of hair is to help with sensation, skin protection, and regulation of body temperature. Some breeds shed more than other breeds. Understanding that, you can take a few easy steps to reduce the amount of shedding by your dog.

Rule Out Health Problems

The first step is to check with your vet about the volume your dog sheds. If it is unusually heavy for the breed, your dog’s shedding could be a health problem that you haven’t identified. Heavy shedding can be a symptom of allergies, anxiety, or parasites.

Change Your Dog’s Diet

Shedding can be exacerbated by a poor diet or a nutritional deficiency. Just like with humans, a well-balanced and healthy diet can go a long way to having a healthy body. In dogs, a healthy diet will help keep shedding down to a more manageable level.
Put your dog on a healthy diet. Consult with your vet to learn about good quality food and the amounts your dog needs. Realize that an imbalanced or poor diet will deprive your dog of the nutrients it needs for a healthy coat. Your dog needs the right amounts of good quality protein, fat, and essential fatty acids to normalize the amount of shedding. Also, add some moist food to the diet. It is surprising how much the quality of food affects the degree of shedding and the health of the coat.

Regular Grooming

Baby and DogYou can reduce the amount of hair in your home by grooming the dog regularly. That means bathing the dog with a good dog shampoo and conditioner. Human shampoos are too harsh for a dog’s skin. Dogs have very thin skin and human shampoos can be uncomfortable and dry out your dog’s skin.

Also, brush the dog regularly – do it outside or in the garage to keep the hair out of your house. Ideally, brush the dog daily, or at least several times each week. After just a few days of this, it will take less time to brush it out, and you should notice less shedding in your house. Consult with a professional groomer about what type of brush or comb works best for your dog’s breed and type of hair. If you use the wrong tool, you can damage the dog’s undercoat and make the experience unpleasant for your dog.

For very short-haired dogs, you may think no brushing is needed. However, their coats and skin respond very well to using a hand-mitt. It will remove loose hair very well on short haired dogs that shed a lot, such as a Doberman or a Dalmatian. It also works well on Labrador retrievers, Bulldogs, Boxers, and breeds with similar coats. A hand-mitt or rubber curry comb will also massage and stimulate the dog’s circulation, which will also help the coat shine.

If your dog has a heavy coat, try using a grooming vacuum. It will get the dander and loose hair deeper than you can access with a brush. It does a great job of bringing the dog’s natural oils to the surface. Before long your dog’s coat will shine and feel better to the touch than it ever has before.

Use a Professional Groomer

To really keep your dog’s coat healthy and the shedding under control, try getting the dog professionally groomed on a regular basis. Professional grooming will help you keep the shedding in check, as well as notify you of any health issues that may be developing on the dog’s skin.

Contact Paw Pals for more information

Child and DogFor more tips on controlling pet hair in your home, call the pet experts at Paw Pals. They are experienced with pet care and pet health issues. They are always available to help you with your own four-legged companion. Be sure to inquire about their pet sitting services, too. With Paw Pals pet sitting services, you can be comfortable leaving your pet home for long hours, but never alone. Paw Pals pet sitters are trained and licensed pet sitters. Call for more information.

Filed Under: Pet Advice, Pet Care

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Office Location

Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Office Hours

Monday
9am - 5pm
Tuesday
9am - 5pm
Wednesday
9am - 5pm
Thursday
9am - 5pm
Friday
9am - 5pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Areas Served

Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 22151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
Fairfax Station – 22039
Manassas – 20109, 20110, 20111
Reston – 20191, 20190

Google Rating
5.0
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
5.0
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
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