Moved to a New Climate and Now Excessively Shedding

[LabsN'Hounds]

I'm new to the board so I guess I'll tell about my dog family. We have two Labs, a male yellow six year old named Sawyer and an eight year old female black Lab name Liberty aka "Libby," and we have a three year old Bloodhound named Wilmer.

We moved from Colorado to the Kansas City area this past spring so the dogs have been introduced to a much warmer climate than they are used to. Our yellow Lab has been shedding all summer, non-stop. It's driving me insane! He normally sheds in the spring and fall then pretty much quits. He does have a much thicker coat than our black Lab. We have to sweep and vacuum twice a day to keep up with the hair, which is not realistic at all so it's more like an every other day mission.

All of our dogs eat Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete. The yellow Lab's coat is shiny, his energy is good and he's very fit. Is this just how he's going to be living in a warmer place? If so, I'm going to have to get a better vacuum cleaner......

[Lauranj]

We lived in KS for a few years, I don't know that I'd say it is a lot warmer than CO. The season may be longer and slightly warmer but that really shouldn't make a huge difference. Now, AK to HI that is a temperature difference. Do you have different floors where you are just noticing it more? Most dogs do shed a little all year. I vacuum everyday as fur drives me a little nuts if it becomes really noticeable. Stress will make a dog shed more so maybe the shedding is just a combination of factors. It really should even back out to what it was- perhaps shedding a little later in the season but it should go back to what it was.

[POPTOP]

Hello and Welcome!

I've had two yellow labs and found that they seemed to shed more than the blacks. Right now, Mardi, is shedding like crazy. I use a Zoom Groom brush followed by a comb with a Bamboo brand comb with rotating tines, wide on one side, narrower on the other. It's a matter of daily brushing and combing. After the shed, a once or twice a week does it.

Looking forward to pictures of your entire crew.

[Snowshoe]

It might be partly the change itself that's prompting the shedding. I know my dog and cats all shed more on the way to the Vet's than they do usually so it isn't always climate or photo period induced. I think you may have moved to a more humid place depending where in Colorado you were. Maybe he will adjust and not be so bad next year. Lots of people here have said though, that their yellow sheds more than their other colours. Maybe check out prices on light coloured flooring and furniture, just in case. LOL, kidding. Partly anyway. Welcome to the board.

[LabsN'Hounds]

We lived at 8,000 feet in Colorado in a town that is consistently the coldest in the state so it is a considerable climate difference. I should have included that......

I would say his life is probably less stressful now. We live out in the country, he has a dog door so he goes out whenever he wants, and the dogs are rarely home alone for more than about 4 hours a day. I'd kill to be one of our dogs (I say this as I realize the Bloodhound is asleep on our memory foam bed on the down comforter).

[Maxx&Emma]

I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't use the Zoom Groom almost daily and definitely vacuum daily! Both of mine shed all year long, there is never a period that it stops completely.

[LabsN'Hounds]

I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't use the Zoom Groom almost daily and definitely vacuum daily! Both of mine shed all year long, there is never a period that it stops completely.

I didn't get the best results with the Zoom Groom. I use a metal curry comb for horses. It seems I get far more hair off using it than with any other brush. I miss the days of the yellow hair onslaught only twice a year. I don't understand how he still has hair! Unfortunately our new house has dark hardwood so you can really see the hair on the floor. It doesn't help the cause at all.

I just realized I don't have any pictures of all three stooges together. They are usually all going in opposite directions. I'll make a thread in the intro section with some pics.

[Berna]

The move by itself can be stressful for most dogs and stress can trigger shedding. But since it's been quite some time since you moved, he should have settled in by now.

The climate change can also be stressful. Give him some time to adapt. Have you changed his food recently? If yes, it can be that the food is not agreeing with him. All dogs don't do well on all foods.

Other than that, give him some time, brush regularly and feed a good quality food.

[csblabmom]

If you have hardwood floors, I highly recommend a Roomba. We have 1 for each floor (and 4 labs) otherwise I'd spend my life cleaning floors.

[xracer4844]

The only thing I can suggest is to brush the coat daily. Use a kong zoom groom or a nylon bristle brush. Also, if they can swim - water is a fantastic way for them to blow their coat.