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Much to the chagrin of pet owners everywhere, dogs shed and Labrador Retrievers, though rumored not to shed, are no exception. Considering Labradors have such short coats, one would be a little shocked to find that these animals shed at a constant rate all year and have massive shedding twice a year known as “blow coat.”

Labradors are not at fault for their shedding, they have a double coat, which is the result of being a water breed of dog. It is because of their physical adaptations to the water that they shed at the rate that they do. The top coat is a water repellent, while the undercoat is more thick and used for warmth. It is damaged hair in the undercoat that is responsible for the, at times overwhelming amount of hair strewn across carpets, furniture and owners clothing and the occasional broken vacuum.

There is no quick fix or way to permanently stop Labrador Retrievers from shedding, but there are steps to make it a less prevalent problem for both animal and owner. Bathing a Lab multiple times a week does not help with the shedding problems and shaving a Lab is an even worse choice; taking control of the undercoat is the key to controlling a Lab’s shedding. This can be done by grooming the Lab regularly with grooming utensils that are designed to pick up hair such as a wire brush or short haired rake. Many Labrador owners attest for the effectiveness of the FURminator and the Zoom Groom, which are specialized products have been designed to trap trimmed hair even more effectively. Many owners also prefer going to self-service grooming stations, because of the convenience of not having to be responsible for the hair clean up.