You’ve fallen in love with the orange-red puppy that looks a lot like a fox. You’re ready to bring him home until you notice the fluffiness of his fur and start thinking about the shedding. Shiba Inus have beautiful, fluffy coats and while they’re cute and cuddly, they are also extreme shedders. But, with the proper tools and care, your Shiba Inu’s shedding can be managed.
Originally bred as a Japanese mountain dog, Shiba Inus carry two layers of fur; a stiff, straight outer coat and a thick, soft undercoat. They shed their coats moderately throughout the year and heavily twice a year. For three weeks, during both the fall and spring, Shiba Inus “blow” their undercoat and you’ll find an increase of fur on your clothes, furniture, and all around the house. With double the coat comes double the shedding.
A clean and odorless breed of dog, the Shiba Inu is fairly easy to keep groomed if you follow some of the guidelines outlined below.
Brushing, Brushing, Brushing
A surefire way to keep shedding under control is to brush your Shiba Inu’s fur on a consistent basis. Throughout the year, regularly groom and brush your Shiba Inu about twice a month. When the heavy shedding seasons commence, increase his brushing to once or twice a week.
There are several different types of brushes on the market but a de-shedding brush will quickly become your new best friend. The rounded edges protect your dog’s skin from any scratches and scrapes and the fingers of the brush are very effective for raking deep into the undercoat and pulling out any detached fur.
It is also recommended to get a good brush with soft bristles as well as a comb to help groom your pup. These three brushes in your arsenal will help you manage the heavily shedding Shiba Inu.
Start by using a brush with soft bristles to brush through your Shiba Inu’s coat to loosen up the fur. You can even brush in a circular motion.
Then take the de-shedder and brush through your dog’s coat again, raking up the detached hair deep within the coat. Finally, use a comb for one last pass over to pick up any remaining stray hairs.
When life gets busy, keeping up a regular brushing schedule can become hard to maintain. Don’t worry, missing a brushing or two won’t harm the Shiba’s coat. The fur will shed off naturally but you will definitely see an increase of fur around your place.
Regular Grooming Visits
Seeing your groomer regularly will help keep the shedding at bay, especially when your Shiba is blowing his undercoat. Between the high powered hand sprayer and blow dryer, a groomer will be able to loosen the fur and take care of most of the shedded fur. This leaves less fur to find its way around your house.
Bathing
In between groomer visits, you can give your pup a bath at home. Shiba Inu’s fur is resilient to water and dirt so they don’t need to be bathed often, no more than twice a month.
Excess washing can cause skin allergies and dry up the natural oil in their fur.
Teeth and Nails
Like any other breed, Shiba Inus also need to have their teeth brushed and nails trimmed. Working these into your dog grooming schedule will guarantee that you have a clean puppy. Now that you know how to manage a Shibu Inu’s shedding, you can keep your house clean and enjoy the newest addition to your household.
Sources:
- “A Guide To Shiba Inu Shedding Causes And Solutions.” How To Train Your Dog, Accessed 15 Sep 2017. www.howtotrainthedog.com/shiba-inu-shedding/.
- “Shiba Inu Grooming.” My First Shiba Inu, Accessed 15 Sep 2017. www.myfirstshiba.com/shiba-inu-grooming/.
- “Life with a Shiba Inu.” PetCoach, Accessed 15 Sep 2017. www.petcoach.co/breed/shiba-inu.
- Thornton, Kim Campbell. “Tips to Help You Manage Dog Shedding Season.” Vetstreet, Accessed 15 Sep 2017. www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/8-tips-to-help-manage-dog-shedding-season.
- Kelly. “Buried In Fur – Tips To Deal With Undercoat Shedding.” PetHelpful, 15 Mar. 2013, Accessed 15 Sep 2017. www.pethelpful.com/dogs/Buried-In-Fur-Tips-To-Deal-With-Undercoat-Shedding.
