In a single glance, you may find Greyhounds as dog breeds that don’t shed. This kind of dog has a short coat, making it hard to believe that they need regular grooming. Of course, Greyhounds are famous for being racers. Thus, if you plan to get this dog, shedding might come the least to you.
Now, do Greyhounds shed? Despite having a short coat, Greyhounds do shed. For this reason, their short fur needs daily brushing to lessen the amount of shedding. Like all other dogs, they also need to shed to maintain a healthy coat. Moreover, they also need a regular bath to keep them smelling good.
This breed earned its name in the dog world for being active and fast dogs. Thus, they are always on the move. Without constant grooming, they may not look and smell great since they are active dogs.
If you plan to take one home, but you don’t know how to deal with its shedding aspect, you may want to read more.
Contents
- 1 Do Greyhounds shed a lot?
- 2 How do I stop my Greyhound from shedding?
- 3 Why are Greyhounds shedding?
- 4 How long do Greyhounds shed for?
- 5 When do Greyhounds shed the most?
- 6 What to do if your Greyhound is shedding excessively?
- 7 Are Greyhounds hypoallergenic?
- 8 What to do if I am allergic to my Greyhound?
- 9 Summary
- 10 Resources
Do Greyhounds shed a lot?
Greyhounds don’t shed a lot. While they do change their coat more than the other breeds, they are moderate shedders nonetheless.
For this reason, you don’t have to worry too much about shedding when it comes to this dog breed.
Most people get Greyhounds for their active lifestyle. They make good companions for exercising, and they are always on the move.
Thus, it may be unusual to see a greyhound staying indoors and leaving a mess of loose hairs around.
Of course, they do shed just like other dogs. Thus, regular brushing of their coat is essential to keep them looking clean and great.
Since they have short coats, you’ll find these dogs easier to groom, unlike the others. Moreover, you’ll have shorter grooming sessions and more playtime and exercise.
Another good thing about these dogs is that their coats are not oily. Thus, they won’t have that doggy odor frequently, unlike other dog breeds.
Do Italian Greyhounds shed?
Italian Greyhounds do shed, but not that much. Thus, if you plan on getting one, you won’t have to worry about its grooming needs.
Since Italian Greyhounds shed only a little, it means they are easy to groom. They would only need a bit of brushing and bathing now and then to maintain cleanliness.
Do miniature greyhounds shed?
Miniature Greyhounds are the same as Italian Greyhounds. Thus, they also don’t shed that much.
Since they both need a minimal amount of grooming, you won’t have any problem keeping them clean.
Of course, they are always on the move. Thus, it’s normal for these dogs to run into something dirty and create a mess in their coat.
You need only to brush this dog when it gathers dust. If it gets messy from something smelly, you may need to bathe it.
However, that’s as far as grooming would be for this dog breed.
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How do I stop my Greyhound from shedding?
Shedding is a part of a dog’s nature and cycle. Thus, you can’t stop it from happening. However, there are things you can do to lessen the shedding of your Greyhound.
Bathe and brush your dog frequently.
Bathing and brushing your greyhound helps a lot in preventing the shedding.
A typical greyhound doesn’t need frequent bathing sessions. Thus, you may bath it at least once every six weeks. What it needs is constant brushing, which shouldn’t be any lesser than once a week.
Now, if your Greyhound starts shedding too much, it would be best to bathe and brush it more often than usual.
If your pet sheds too much, you may need to groom your dog more than usual.
Remember that frequent baths may result to dry skin. However, you can avoid such by using an oatmeal-based shampoo.
Offer only a good-quality diet.
A good diet helps create and maintain a healthy and shiny coat. Thus, keeping your dog’s health in good condition may stop excessive shedding and prevent it from occurring again.
Prevent flea problems.
Flea and other parasites can be a severe factor for dogs to shed. For this reason, it’s always important to check your pet for these problems.
To ensure your pet doesn’t suffer from flea issues, consult your vet, and get your pet checked.
You can always prevent such issues by constant grooming. Thus, it would still be best to maintain your pet’s cleanliness by regular bathing and brushing.
Regularly exercise your dog.
Regular exercise is also a factor that can produce a healthy coat. Exercising maintains a healthy flow of blood. Moreover, it would give your good pet resistance against other diseases that can cause excessive shedding.
Since Greyhounds are active dogs, they always need regular exercise more than other breeds. Without such, it may lead to excessive shedding.
Visit your local veterinarian.
As always, your best bet to solve the excessive shedding is to have your pet checked by your veterinarian.
This way, your pet will receive a proper diagnosis to find out the cause of excessive shedding.
Moreover, it would also give you an idea of how to deal with that shedding.
Shedding is a part of a dog’s life. Thus, it’s not a good idea to always go to the vet whenever your pet sheds. Do so only when you think your pet sheds too much than usual.
Why are Greyhounds shedding?
Although they are light shedders, greyhounds need to do so since it’s a natural process. Like all other dogs, they need to shed their coat to replace old and damaged fur with new ones.
Because of shedding, they maintain healthy and good-looking coats that protect an essential part of their body – their skin.
Greyhounds also shed their coats to adapt to different climates and seasons.
As they shed, they replace the old and damaged coat with new ones. Such a coat helps protect them as they move around.
They may also experience seasonal shedding, which means they change their coats to adapt to certain conditions.
How long do Greyhounds shed for?
It doesn’t take too long for Greyhounds to shed their coats. Unlike other breeds, which take weeks, they would only take a few days or a bit more.
The good thing about this breed is that they only have a short and light coat. These dogs don’t have a heavy undercoat that needs constant and heavy grooming.
For this reason, they have a lesser mess when shedding than the moderate and heavy shedding dogs.
When do Greyhounds shed the most?
Since they are light shedders, greyhounds don’t often change their fur. Thus, it can be difficult to tell the time when they shed the most.
Nevertheless, they undergo seasonal shedding, just like other dogs. Such a shedding happens during fall and spring to prepare for winter and summer, respectively.
During the spring season, you may find a greyhound’s coat to be a bit thinner. It’s because these dogs need thin coats to prevent themselves from getting too hot in the summer heat.
On the other hand, they may change their coat in fall and make it thicker. This way, they receive extra warmth amidst the winter cold.
As they go through the rest of the month, they would change from time to time to deal with the current weather condition.
Whatever the season is, remember that Greyhounds keeps only a short and light coat.
What to do if your Greyhound is shedding excessively?
Since Greyhounds are light-shedders, it can be worrisome to see them shed too much. Thus, if these dogs do so excessively, you may need to do something about it.
The best way to deal with it is to remove all those loose and dead hairs in your pet’s coat. You can do such by bathing and brushing your pet.
As I said earlier, shedding is when the old and dead hair gets replaced by new ones.
Thus, if your Greyhound sheds too much, it means the season is about to change and that it needs to change coat.
Bathing your pet helps you remove those loose and dead hair without creating a big mess. Moreover, it will help you quickly take those loose hairs away in one washing.
Lastly, it will keep your pet’s coat clean and its skin healthy. This way, you’ll worry less about your pet shedding on your place.
Another thing you can do is to give your pet a brushing session as it sheds. By brushing, you help your pet eliminate the hairs that need replacement.
This way, you’ll lessen the shedding time and will help the replacement process to be quicker.
As a general rule of thumb, shedding is a part of a Greyhound and all other dogs’ lives. Thus, it’s not something you can prevent, but you certainly can do something about it.
Are Greyhounds hypoallergenic?
The short answer is no. Greyhounds are not hypoallergenic. Thus, you may want to think twice about getting one if you’re allergic to fur and other things that this dog carries.
Now, if you already have a Greyhound and you just find out that you’re allergic recently, don’t grieve. You can still do something about it.
Read on to know what you can do to deal with your Greyhound if you have allergic reactions they can trigger.
What to do if I am allergic to my Greyhound?
You can do many ways to test yourself if you’re allergic to your Greyhound. Now, if you already think you are, here are some things you can do to deal with it.
Keep the coat short.
Greyhounds are not hypoallergenic. Thus, you may have allergic reactions and get it triggered through their coat. Aside from that, there are other factors, as well.
Thus, it may help you to cut the coat short since it will be easier to wash away the things causing your allergy. Some of these are your pet’s dander, urine, and saliva.
By doing so, cleaning your pet will be much more efficient, and it will lessen your chances of triggering that allergy.
Bathe your pet regularly.
Bathing your Greyhound more often would do well not only for your pet but also for you.
In general, Greyhounds need to take a bath once every six weeks. It can be a bit more often if your pet is always running outside. Thus, bathing your pet once a week would serve you well.
Be wary, though. Frequent baths can turn its skin dry. However, you can solve this through an oatmeal-based shampoo and a conditioner with a thick consistency.
Give the brushing duty to other people.
If you are allergic to your Greyhound, brushing it on your own may not be a good idea. Moreover, it would be best to have your pet’s brushing session outside. This way, you’ll prevent dog danders from staying inside the house.
Regular brushing would prevent danders and other factors that may trigger allergic reactions. Still, it’s not something you need to do yourself.
If you keep, it’s coat short, brushing at least thrice a week lessens your chances of allergies.
Wipe your pet clean.
Using grooming wipes help keep your pet clean and prevent it from being an allergy trigger.
Three things can cause allergic reactions. These are dander, urine, and saliva. Thus, removing such things immediately with wipes would lessen your allergic reactions.
Of course, nothing beats an old-fashioned bath. However, bathing isn’t something you can do all the time. If your Greyhound needs some immediate cleaning, a wipe will surely come in handy.
When using wipes, always give a run all over the body. Wipe up below to clean the specks of urine. It would be best if you also went for the face and neck for saliva and the rest of the body for dog danders.
Wiping is ideal, especially if your pet recently got back from playing outside.
Limit access for very allergic people.
If you or someone from your house is very allergic, it would be best to keep your pet from entering that person’s room. It would also be best not to let the Greyhound access the room where that person spends most of its time.
Wash hands frequently.
The best way to prevent allergic reactions is by washing your hands. Most allergies get triggered through contact with their face. Moreover, a person may touch his face as frequently as we can imagine.
For this reason, washing hands is the best way to prevent such allergic reactions from happening.
If you are allergic to your pet, it would be best to clean your hands or even clean your body after handling your pet.
This way, you’ll lessen your chances of suffering from your allergies caused by your pet.
Purify your air.
Cleaning your atmosphere lessens the chances of triggering allergic reactions. By using an air purifier, you can get rid of particles that can cause allergies.
It’s something ideal for people who suffer from seasonal allergies. If you get a good-quality cleaner, you can remove those dog danders, dust, and even mold spores.
Summary
Greyhounds do shed, just like all other dogs. These dogs are light shedders. Thus, you don’t need to worry too much about loose hair. Of course, if you compare them to other breeds, shedding and grooming won’t be a problem for these dogs.
Shedding happens in Greyhounds not only to replace the old coat with new ones. Moreover, they need to replace such to adapt to the season.
You may experience shedding at least twice a year with Greyhounds, and it would be during autumn and spring to prepare for winter and summer.
As a general rule of thumb, all dogs require proper grooming, such as bathing and brushing. As long as you do so regularly, you can lessen your pet’s shedding and even avoid allergic reactions.
Resources
Image credits – Canva
[1] Greyhounds – Wikipedia
[2] Dogs Are Shedding… Light on Human Health – NIH
[3] Dog allergen levels in homes with hypoallergenic compared with nonhypoallergenic dogs – NCBI
