There are many reasons to consider adopting a Greyhound dog. The are active dogs with great personalities. But how about the shedding? Do Greyhounds shed and how badly?
Quick answer: Yes, Greyhounds shed. That being said, they are considered to be low shedding dogs. Greyhounds shed a little bit but don’t worry, you will not be seeing their hair all over couches, upholstery or anything else.
How to Control Your Greyhound’s Shedding
If you keep your greyhound well-groomed, you can keep the shedding to a minimum. If you have allergies and were considering getting a Greyhound, you can bathe them once a month with hypoallergenic shampoo and that should keep the little bits of dander away and keep your allergies at bay.
It is always recommended that the person with the allergies go and spend some time with the dog that they are trying to adopt to make sure that even if greyhounds shed just a little, this particular greyhound is good for your health and for your home.
Now that you know greyhounds shed, there are a couple of things that you can do to keep the shedding under control instead of under your couch, bed and carpet (or even over it!)
Vacuum Regularly
First of all, if your greyhounds shed, you will need to vacuum your house more often to match that shedding. Start by vacuuming weekly. If your greyhounds shed more hair that still shows after vacuuming weekly, you need to vacuum twice a week—and so on and so forth.
Keep Lint Removers Handy
Second of all, if your greyhounds shed you can keep a couple of lint removers near you. This way, you will be able to make sure there isn’t extra hair that is stuck on couches, your clothes or any other upholstery.
Brush Your Dog Regularly
Third of all, greyhounds shed their dead hair and dander that has already accumulated on their skin. If you want them to shed less, you need to take this away from their body before it hits the ground.
This can be done by making sure that you brush the hair that your greyhounds shed if not taken away. It is recommended that you brush your greyhound at least three times a week (some people prefer to do it daily but it that does not fit into your schedule, that’s fine).
You can use a soft-bristled brush or a hound glove. Brush from head to tail in the direction of hair growth. You might want to do it outside or put a puppy pad underneath them to make sure that the hair is not going all over the place.
Make Sure to Provide Your Dog a Balanced Diet
Fourth of all, greyhounds shed more than usual if they are missing essential nutrients from their diet. In this case, make sure to go see your vet so that they can tell you exactly what is missing and what you can do to make sure that your dog is healthy. There are a couple of supplements in the market that help to keep greyhound shedding to a minimum.
We use Nutri-Vet Shed Defense which has Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids for our dog. It keeps his coat looking healthy and he loves eating one per day as a chew (we tried the oil one and he hated it so we decided on the chew). You can do your market research to see what works best for your dog but make sure that whatever you’re getting has Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and Vitamin-E in it.
Eliminate Parasites
Finally, sometimes Greyhounds shed more than usual when they are being attacked by parasites such as fleas and ticks. In this case, again make sure to take your dog to the vet to rid them of any of these enemies. Once they’re clean and well-protected, the excessive shedding should go away.