Shedding

How the American Dirus Dog Sheds

Knowing how the American Dirus dog sheds will help you to understand the grooming process.  During your puppy's first seasonal change from cold to warm and from short days to long days, your puppy will begin to shed from the hips and thigh area first.  You may notice clumps of undercoat being a different color and hanging loosely or flying off the dog.  It is here!  The shedding season of the American Dirus dog!  

After the shedding starts in the hips and thigh areas, the rib cage and under belly start to come loose.  Then, the shoulders and front leg undercoat will come out in your brush.  Finally, the neck starts to shed out and then the tail.  Because the dog's entire body doesn't come out all at once, only comb out the parts of the dog that are shedding easily with a wide tooth steel comb and brush out the rest of the dog as you normally would with your slicker brush.  It will usually take about six weeks to brush out all the undercoat at this time.  

Most American Dirus dogs shed entirely.  They will end up with a single coat during the summer.  The undercoat will come back in around September/October.

American Dirus dogs shed twice a  year. It is important to brush all this hair out or your dog will shed it all in the house. The American Dirus dog also has a tendency to have matted hair behind the ears, on the fluffy fur of the tail and back of the rump. If you brush out these areas regularly you will have no problem.  

American Dirus dog fur remains free from odors. I give my dogs a bath once a year or when I need them to look pretty for a picture. After bathing them, I blow the hair dry while brushing to create a fluffier look.

If you do not live in the city, you may need to watch for stickers.  Because an American Dirus dog's hair is thick and wooly, it may collect stickers or other debris.  If this happens it will be important to get them out as they can embed in a dog's skin and cause major irritation. Foxtails can even kill a dog if they get embedded. Be vigilant and brush your dog regularly after hiking, especially on the west coast.