When Do Labrador Retrievers Shed Their Puppy Coat?

The coat that a Labrador Retriever will have when they are first born is not the one that they will keep for the rest of their lives. 

At some point, that puppy coat is going to shed and go away, meaning that they will switch over to the adult coat that they can have instead. But when is this going to happen?

When Do Labrador Retrievers Shed Their Puppy Coat?

Labs are often going to shed the puppy coat they were born with around 4 to 5 months of age. When Labs start maturing, they will begin shedding their puppy coats and developing their adult coats. This coat is longer, often lighter and color, and is their permanent adult appearance.

It is important to understand when the shedding will happen so that you are prepared and can take care of the coat and not worry about a big mess all around the house. 

You should absolutely pick up a slicker brush like this one to help control the shedding and get it off your Lab before it’s all over your house.

Let’s take a closer look at when this coat will come in to help you take the best care of this breed of dog. 

When Do Labrador Retrievers Shed Their Puppy Coat?

When you first pick out the Labrador Retriever that you would like to bring to your home, you will find that they have a cut little coat to work with. 

The hair is shorter and nice and fluffy, which is part of what makes them so cuddly and fun to be around all the time. 

Unfortunately, that is their puppy coat and they will not keep this for the rest of their lives. 

At some point, the dog is going to start to get their adult fur. 

You will notice that this fur is going to be much longer and a little coarser than what you see with the puppy when they were first born. 

This often provides them more protection and makes them ready to go out hunting or be outside as much as possible. 

But when is this change going to occur?

While each dog is going to be different, you will notice that the Labrador Retriever is going to start losing that puppy hair and changing to the adult hair when they get closer to their maturity level. 

This often happens between 4 to 5 months.

It is not common for this to happen earlier, but a few individual dogs may have it a little bit later. 

This does not mean that the full hair will be changed by five months. 

It means that the puppy hair is going to start to shed and you can start to see some of the longer, adult hair come in as well.

There will be a few more months before you will be able to see the full amount of adult hair come in, but this is the time that you will see it start to show up as well. 

How Often Does the Labrador Shed?

Once the puppy starts to release some of their puppy hair and go into adulthood, you can expect a lot of shedding out of the dog as well. 

Labs are going to shed all throughout the year. 

But when they do a blow of their coat two times a year,  you will really notice that the hair is falling out and you may feel like there is hair everywhere that you turn. 

This is common with labs and some of the other double-coated dog breeds as well. 

There are a few things that are going to determine how much the Lab is going to shed.

Seasonal changes are a common trigger and the most common times when there will be an excessive amount of dog hair will be in the winter and the spring. 

Keep in mind that this is a dog breed that is going to shed a lot. 

They are capable of shedding the coat all year long. Grooming and proper care of the dog will make a difference. 

You will find that this dog breed is going to shed the most during the winter and the spring. 

The reason that they shed during the winter is because they will produce a new layer that protects them against the winter elements.

They may also shed in the summer to cool down and not carry a dense second layer that is hot to keep around. 

When this one happens, it means that the dog is blowing off their coats and while it can be annoying to clean up, it helps to keep the dog cool in the summer. 

You need to pay attention to the shedding all year long and provide the Lab with the proper grooming to make sure that they are safe and healthy.

However, during the spring and the winter, you may need to brush their hair a little bit extra to help out with some of the shedding that will happen, especially since it picks up at that time. 

This can be a slight annoyance to some dog owners, but it does pass pretty quickly and is one of the main ways that the Lab is able to keep themselves protected and healthy along the way. 

The good news is that the Lab breed is going to shed less than some of the other dogs that have a double coat, like Malamutes and Newfounlands, so that can make them a little bit easier to take care of over time. 

How to Manage the Shedding in My Labrador Retriever?

This dog breed is going to shed. That is just how their coat is meant to work. You need to be prepared to handle some of this shedding to make sure that you do not end up with hair all over the place.

The good news is that there are a number of things that you are able to do to help manage the amount of shedding that your dog has. 

Some of the best steps to utilize to help with the shedding is to do regular brushing, bathing, and using your own de-shedder a few times a year. 

The good that you give to the dog can play a role if there are allergens present that you need to worry about as well. 

You may want to consider working with a groomer once or twice a year to see whether this is a big concern and to give the hair a good cut too. 

The first step to utilize here is brushing your dog.

You need to brush their hair at least once a week.

If possible, up it to two times a week to remove the hair and to make sure that it is not going to make a mess all over the place. 

Getting the dog breed comfortable with these sessions of brushing will make it harder for all of that dog hair to get all over the place.

Take the time to get a good brush for your dog and pick one that is specifically designed to reduce the shedding in your puppy. 

You will find that this dog is going to have some sensitive skin. 

An oatmeal shampoo is a good option if this is the case. 

You also do not want to give the dog an excessive number of baths and once a month is often going to be a good number.

If you give too many baths, it is going to deprive the Lab of some of the natural oils that will show up in the coat. 

The oatmeal shampoo is going to be one of the best options for most dogs, but if it does not tend to do well for your Lab, then you should look at an anti-shed formula and see if that will help.

There are also options that you can choose to calm down various skin conditions that will help reduce the amount of shedding too. 

Giving your Lab a good diet can make a difference in the amount of shedding that the dog will do. 

Check to see whether your dog has any allergies present that they need to work through and take that into consideration when picking out a good food for them. 

Some dogs will need supplements to fight against some of the issues with skin conditions and more. 

You should talk to your vet to see which options are best for the Lab before you make any big changes. 

Taking Care of the Shedding for Your Labrador Retriever

There are a lot of great reasons to love the Labrador Retriever, but they can make a mess with all of the hair that they shed. 

Recognizing when they are going to shed and being prepared for this to happen along the way will make a world of difference in the mess that you have around your home.

Make sure to look out for when they do shed their puppy coat and be prepared with the proper care so that you can take care of the other issues with shedding that this dog may have.