Hairy dog can't live here anymore!

I'm sorry but I'm choking on all the loose hair from my dog...and its not even just the summer, the great beast sheds copiously all year round and he's not even a longhaired type.....so we're seriously considering kicking him outside to live there predominantly.

But this is RI...and it gets cold in the winter. Does anyone know if a dog house or shelter can be insulated to be a proper shelter for a doggie who has caused the demise of 3 vaccum cleaners since his arrival here?

 

dogs should never be forced to live outside....esp in extreme weather conditions, be it summer or winter. Even an insulated dog house wont be enough to keep her comfortable. All dogs shed alot, esp in the summer....my dogs are shedding like crazy! I just keep the place vaccumed every day and brush them outdoors on a daily basis and even with those things i still find hair on my clothes, furniture, etc.....it just sort of goes with the territory of caring for an animal. get one of those scotch tape roller thingys.....it will help get the hair off your clothes and everything. but to be honest with you.....forcing her to live outside is not a nice thing to do. not only will be extremely uncomfortable with weather extremes, but she will be very lonely. dogs do not get on well living outdoors alone...they need to be inside with their family. i know there are people that keep their dogs outside, but i'm sorry, it's not the right thing to do. either find a way around the hair problem or see if you can find her another loving home.......

 

Please don't put your dog outside! I would rather see you give it up than live that lonely life.

Have you done anything to try to stop the shedding? Switching to a high quality food can really cut back the shedding. Daily brushing is also a great idea. What sort of dog do you have?

 

Yup.. switch to high quality food (www.yarrah.com) and brush! Take the dog for a good long walk and brush it while outside!

Hm.. you're not just the kind of people that think a puppy is cute but don't want to deal with the unavoidable catches that come with a pet right? Dogs are hairy and will loose hair.. my rabbit is shedding like crazy at the moment.. the carpet went from a sandy color to a grey one just because of all the hairs.. so now I have to help the rabbit get clean, since he's getting a bit to old to properly groom himself. Just part of the deal.. like how he sometimes has trouble getting to his cage in time to poop, so I have to clean up the mess They give us company, we have to take care of them. They way people treat their animals says a lot about them..

 

what kind of dog is he?

would you ever confine one of your other family members outdoors? no?? well dont treat your dog like an outcast just because he is a breed that requires a little more grooming...



i own a siberian husky, she shed all year round. Guess what!! shes an inside dog.

 

yea, dogs are not meant to live solitary lives, they need to be welcomed into the pack. don't force your dog to live outside

 

forgive me for sounding harsh, but you brought this pet into your life, and you have to accept the responsibility of having a pet. shoving a dog outside is a horrible thing to do. they are pack animals and require a lot of attention and affection. they require your companionship most of the time. most dogs that end up living outside are usually socially inept, meaning they have a hard time dealing with new people, etc. and they are lonely! animals have feelings, you know. fucking deal with it! feed her a high quality food, brush her daily, and vacuum a few times a week. it is your job to care for her, not shove her aside simply because she is inconvenient to you. if you disagree, then perhaps you should reconsider having any pets in the future, because pets are hairy. period. perhaps you should also avoid having children because kids are really messy as well. they poop in their pants until they're 2 or 3, and you can't exactly make THEM live outside all the time.

damn, that was harsh. but i get really burned up when i hear about people casting animals aside because they see them as an inconvenience.

 

I've been on hiatus so sorry for not responding to y'alls sooner.

Does the food really affect the shedding, or is that just BS the companies feed you to make you buy more expensive stuff? I hadn't heard of that until just now, but I do admit that we are store-brand dog food buyers...as well as store-brand everything buyers. Yeah, not a lot of money to go around.

And no, to answer someone else's question, we didn't have the dog when he was a puppy, we got him when he was an adult from a dog pound. The dog is a 1/2 german shepard, 1/2 black lab and very short coat.....which is why the shedding baffles me. How can he even afford to shed?? I've had many pets in the past, including longhaired varietys, and never has it been so bad that it is affecting the health of my entire family. Makes no sense to me.

 

Here's my baby, btw

He's a shy guy....not very happy having his picture taken, ever.

 

actually, think about it...if you eat shitty food, it affects your health, including the health of your skin, hair, and nails. store brand pet foods usually have a lot more chemicals and preservatives in them while compromising on nutritional value, thus affecting the health of your pet. it's better to buy food that isn't a national brand or store brand for your pet. before you get a pet, you need to evaluate if you can really afford to take care of it, including feeding it well. short haired AND long haired animals shed. they are constantly growing new hair and their dead hairs come out a lot faster than a human's dead hairs. the food you feed your pet can affect all aspects of its health. a diet rich in nutrients and omega fatty acids will help any creature have better skin, hair, nails, etc.

i'm sorry if you found my last post "obnoxiously harsh." it was harsh, and i apologize if it hurt your feelings, but i am REALLY passionate and get really heated up over people who get pets then complain about them being hairy, or noisy, or messy, etc...


this is an internet forum, and people feel a lot less like being tactful, especially when you title your post "hairy dog can't live here anymore." you said to me that you left out a lot of the details, like you planned on only leaving him outside when you guys were gone during the day. you didn't say that in your post, so is it any wonder that people reacted the way they did? you're talking to people who treat their pets as family, so naturally people who saw your post reacted the way they did...are you really surprised?

 

Firstly, you rescued this dog from the pound, so you have no idea what he has been through in the past..

He could have been beaten etc, thats probably why he is shy. German Shephards and black labs both are heavily shedding breeds. Why would your family have adopted him if you knew the breeds in him shed...??

how long ago did you adopt him?
Have you ever takin him to the groomer?
Whats the weather like there?
How often do you brush him?

I have a siberian husky and I brush her daily.. It is REQUIRED!.

 

We've had dogs before who've eaten the same stuff, and it's been fine. And yeah, I acknowledged that I'd left out some important details. Like I said, I dig what you're sayin'

 

Yeah, he was abused by his previous owners. :'( Whenever someone takes out a broom to clean up, he freaks out and hides. Poor doggy. Personally, though, I'm not too well-versed in dog breeds, and neither is my mom, who decided to get him. She seemed to like that he had short hair, but apparently shorties can still shed a remarkable bit.

We got him....about 4 years ago? I think he was 3 at the time. We have taken him to a groomer, and I'm sure there are good ones to be found around here, but none of the ones we've tried has done a very good job at all. My dad gives him a bath and brush every week or so in the spring and summer, which reduces the shedding a bit, but not by too much. That dog is remarkable about producing hair. It's new england I live in...so weather can be really hot or cold at almost any time of year. It's been really humid this summer as well.

 

Is your dad using soap while bathing the dog? I don't think dogs require baths at all, unless they are playing outside in the mud and sand all day in which case you may want to use some lukewarm water to rinse the sand of. If you bath the dog in water that's (too) warm, the skin might react because it's not natural to them (neither is it for us, that's why there are so many skincare products like lotions etc). Especially if you use soap, that might be a big cause for skin/hair problems. If you really want to keep using soap, at least make sure it's special dog-shampoo and check if it doesn't have parfumes etc in it.

Brushing it once a week 'or so' for a big, shedding breed like that is NOT enough. Like the previous poster said, you have to do it once a day! Hell, I even do that with my rabbit! Make a habbit out of it to brush him every single day.. it has to become a routine and you will find way less hair in the house..

What you said about food.. it not being a problem with the previous dogs. Well, like humans, not everyone responds to food the same way. We have a cat that litteraly goes bald if she eats regular catfood from the supermarket, because they all contain additives (plus they are usually low on meat and high on sugar). Since we started using 'yarrah' (www.yarrah.com) her coat is excellent and she looks very vibrant and happy. If you change the food though, do it gradually so he can get used to it. Radical change in food can cause other problems.

Good luck!

 

He's been shedding year-round...even before the bathing rituals started. My dad uses pet soap, but not the flea-killing kind. I dont think hes ever even had fleas! (thank god) I really must look into this food. My family is really doing all they can -- we're tearing up all the carpets now in favor of bare floors, new furniture, etc. I'm sure a smaller investment like food is worth a shot.

Thanks everyone for your input. I'd really rather not kick spencie outside, and I'm sure he'd rather not either!

 

you have had him for 4 years? Did this JUST start?

 

man poor dog why don't you just shave him

 

it's always been happening, but has gotten ten times worse the past two years. --"

and haha, I've gotten high more than a few times and been like "hey spencie! do you wanna get SHAVED?? huh boy???" But alas, I have the presence of mind not to go ahead and relieve him of the hairy burden.

(j/p )

 

honestly..



Deal with it.