Does a Flat-Coated Retriever Shed?
Owning a Flat-Coated retriever can be a lot of fun for the whole family.
This is a lively dog that has a lot of loyalty to share and who likes to spend time with their family.
As you take a look at their longer coat though, you may wonder whether this is a dog breed that tends to shed a lot and whether you will need to spend a lot of time brushing through that coat to take care of it.
Does a Flat-Coated Retriever Shed?
Flat-coated retrievers are moderate shedders. They are not hypoallergenic but they do not shed as badly as other breeds. Dog owners who want to get a Flat-Coated retriever will need to keep up with regular grooming and brushing of their dog to make sure that the shedding is kept to a minimum.Â
When you bring home a Flat-Coated retriever, you need to be ready to take on a dog that will shed a bit.
Let’s take a look at some of the different ways to handle the shedding so you can love on your Flat-Coated retriever and not have to pick up hair all the time.
The Flat-Coated retriever is going to experience moderate shedding.
While there are other dog breeds that will shed more than this dog, you can expect that this breed is going to shed quite often and you need to be prepared to vacuum it all up.
Brushing is a good way to help reduce the amount of shedding that the dog does while helping the coat to be cleaner and softer overall.
You may also want to consider grooming the dog to help make sure the hair is not going to fall out quite as much.
A professional groomer will be able to brush the hair and keep it a little shorter, which does tend to help the dog not shed as much as they would if you did not take care of the hair.
If you are worried about the amount the dog will shed on your couch or other items in the home, then you may want to limit where they are allowed.
Keep them off the couch or have a special blanket that they can use to help them only get the fur in one location.
Since this dog does have a longer coat than some of the other animals you can own, be prepared for hair to still show up, even when you do all of the steps above.
Keep in mind that this is not a hypoallergenic dog.
They will shed and leave their hair behind.
If you need to have a dog who is hypoallergenic to help with allergies and other issues, then this breed is not going to be able to get the work done for you.
You may need to pick another dog to help out with this issue.
While this dog does tend to shed a bit more than some of the other options that you can choose, there are a lot of great features that you can fall in love with when it comes to this breed.
Some of the reasons that pet owners love this breed of dog, even though they are going to be heavier shedders includes:
- It has a pretty feathered coat that is a lot of fun.
- This dog breed is cheerful and always ready to see people
- They thrive on being active and moving around all the time
- They do well with other animals in the home
- They are good and can even be polite to everyone.
If you are able to handle a bit of shedding in your home and can take on some of the grooming capabilities, you will find that this dog has a lot of great features you will love.
Is the Flat-Coated Retriever Hypoallergenic?
The Flat-Coated retriever is not a breed that is considered hypoallergenic.
For a dog to be hypoallergenic, they need to barely shed at all.
This will usually include dogs that do not have a lot of hair to shed in the first place.
They do shed on occasion, but the shedding is minimal and you are not going to find their hair all over the place like you can with other dogs. Breeds like the Poodle can fit into this category well.
You will not be able to put the Flat-Coated retriever into this category.
They are going to shed much more than other dogs that are considered hypoallergenic, and you will have to put in some work to make sure that the hair does not get everywhere.
These dogs are considered moderate shedders, which means there is some maintenance and cleaning involved in having one in your home.
If you need to have a dog who is hypoallergenic due to allergies, then this is not going to be the best dog breed for you.
There are a lot of benefits to owning this kind of dog, but they are not allergy friendly when it comes to the type of fur they have and the amount that they are able to shed each day.
How Can I Limit the Shedding from My Flat-Coated Retriever?
There are a few steps that you can take to help limit the amount of shedding that you see from the Flat-Coated retriever.
These can include brushing them often, cutting the fur, and taking them into a professional groomer for some care and attention.
The first thing to consider is to brush their hair.
This is a great chance for you to spend some time with the dog while ensuring that you brush through all the tangles that may be in there.
When the hair is left behind and not removed through the brushing, it is more likely to come off by touching other things like the couch, the chair, and the floor.
Try to find time to brush the hair of your dog a few times a week or more.
You will be surprised by how much less fur you end up having everywhere.
The next thing to consider is to trim the hair. Trimming the hair will keep it a little bit shorter and can prevent as much of it from falling out.
You can pick from a few different lengths to help your dog have some of the look that you would like.
Some pet owners choose to do the grooming and trimming on their own.
Others worry about getting it straight or even and choose to have the professional get it all done for them.
You can make the decision that works the best for you.
It is a good idea to take the dog in for professional grooming sometimes as well.
This can really take care of the hair.
They will do a thorough brushing of the whole thing while ensuring that the hair is trimmed, the nails are done, and even the teeth are brushed.
This not only helps to limit the amount of shedding that happens with the dog, but it ensures that the dog is kept hygienic and looking amazing.
How Often Should I Brush My Flat-Coated Retriever to Avoid Shedding
One of the best things that you can do at home to help take care of the Flat-Coated retriever, to help keep all of the tangles out of their hair, and to make sure that they are healthy and do not shed as much, is to brush the hair on a regular basis.
If possible, it is a good idea to brush through the hair of your Flat-Coated retriever at least a few times a day.
It is even better if you can do it once a day.
This will help you to collect many of the loose hairs that are there, and then you will be able to clean it all up and throw it out, rather than having the hair get over your clothes and other items in the home.
This is a great time to bond with the dog and give them some love, while helping to keep the shedding down to a minimum.
Preventing the Shedding in Your Flat-Coated Retriever
Shedding is part of owning any breed of dog.
While there are some dogs that tend to shed more often than the others, this is a common occurrence and pet owners need to be prepared to take on the shedding and clean up the mess.
It just happens that the Flat-Coated retriever is going to shed a bit more often than some of the other dogs.
There are steps that you can take to help limit the shedding and to make sure that you do not end up with hair all over the place all the time.
Check out some of the tips above and you will be able to give your dog the love that they need while keeping the shedding down to a minimum.
