Beagles are great little hounds that are social, intelligent, playful and good with children. They are often said to be the perfect family dogs. Needless to say, there’s many reasons to consider adopting or buying a Beagle pup. Yet getting a dog is a big commitment. Thus, you may have many questions like: do beagles shed a lot? Or if you already have a Beagle pup, you might want to know how to reduce the shedding?
Do Beagles Shed a Lot?
If you are wondering “Do Beagles shed?”, then the answer is yes, Beagles do shed. Yet, the good news is that, because Beagles have a rather short coat, the shedding is not as noticeable as with many other dog breeds.
Also, the shedding of hair is totally natural process for all dogs and you can expect some shedding from a Beagle dog everyday. The shedding can, however, be controlled by regular grooming.
This is not surprising because all dog breed shed, and it is just a matter of how much exactly each breed is shedding.
Not every single Beagle will shed to the same amount. In general, Beagles are known to be moderate shedders. The amount of dog hair that a beagle sheds will depend on the amount of fur growth that it is experiencing.
This growth rate can also depend on a variety of factors, such as genetics, nutrition and the environment that the Beagle is living in. All of these factors affect the amount that an individual Beagle sheds.
Why Beagles Shed?
The Beagle shedding process is a way in which the old fur falls off of the Beagle and is replaced by a new fur coat. The new fur does not push out of the old hair. This process starts the day that the Beagle is born and will continue to go on throughout its life. Therefore, there is no start point or end point to this cycle of Beagles shedding.
Every Beagle has a medium coat (in comparison to other dogs in the community). They have what is called a double two. This is, as the name suggests, a two-layer coat. The outer layer, or the topcoat, is coarse or rough looking and feeling. The inner layer, or the undercoat, is very soft. This is the layer that acts as insulation for the Beagle and protects it from the weather conditions.
What Time of The Year Do Beagles Shed the Most?
Beagles usually shed more during springtime. This is because the coat will grow thicker for the winter months, when the temperatures are cold and the dog needs more protection from the weather. The Beagle then sheds off the warm winter coat because Mother Nature tells the dog’s body that he will not need that coat any more.
Why Is My Beagle Shedding Excessively?
Often times, Beagles shed more excessively when they are suffering from nutritional deficiencies.
If you feel like your dog is shedding more than normal, it is recommended to contact a veterinarian. If the vet agrees that the Beagle pup is suffering from nutritional deficiency, you can take steps towards recovery. Either change the Beagle’s main course to a balanced high quality dog food or supplement nutritious treats to what the dog is already eating.
For example, you can even use a fish-oil supplements for dogs who shed excessively. Fish oil is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, which are important nutrients for a healthy skin and coat.
There are some food allergies that can make your Beagle shed. Shedding can also take place if one or more fleas have attacked a Beagle. These are somethings that can be very quickly diagnosed and the effect can also be reversed. Make sure that you always take the Beagle to a vet whenever some unexplained shedding occurs.
Finally, there is a very rare medical condition that can make beagles shed. It is called Acantosis Nigricans. It is, again, rare but can occur. This can cause fur loss due to some kind of a friction, hormonal imbalance, or hypo sensitivities.
Your veterinarian will have to do testing on your dog in order to determine whether or not your dog is suffering from this condition. If that is the case, they can then determine the proper course of action. Treatment for this might include some steroid shots or even simple Vitamin E supplements.
How to Control Beagle Shedding?
Although Beagles shed, you can control that quite a bit through proper care.
Try brushing your Beagle’s coat once or twice a week The first time you do this, you will possibly be very surprised and scared because you will get a lot of hair out. Even though it might be surprising to you, this is quite normal. The second time you brush them you will notice that it is really not that big of a deal. You will realize that beagles shed but that you can control how much hair you get at a time by brushing regularly.
When a Beagle sheds, you have to use a special kind of brush to brush him and remove dead hair! Normally, during regular grooming sessions, you can just brush your Beagle with a fine-toothed comb or a medium bristled brush. If your Beagle is shedding, however, and that is the reason that you are brushing him or her, you should use a special shedding brush. You could also use a dog brush glove, which is a glove that you put on your hand. It allows you to reach every single area of the dog’s body with ease.
Loose fur can easily get caught in this kind of a brush and so it makes it easier to remove the extra hair that you might want to get rid of.
You should also vacuum your house about three times every week. This will keep the hair out of the couches, your clothes, and your bedding.
It is truly annoying to have dog hair everywhere, but by regular grooming and vacuuming, you can minimize this problem.
To Sum It Up: Beagles Shed, but So Do All Other Dogs!
Beagles do shed, but so do all other dogs. There are, of course, some dog breeds like the Chinese Crested or Havanese that only shed very little, but is a little bit of loose hair going to stop you from adopting equally adorable and intelligent Beagle pup? That’s is for you to decide! Just remember that with proper grooming and diet, you can keep the shedding under control.
