How Much Do Dalmatians Shed? Grooming Needs & Tips to Manage It
By Ashley Bates
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Dalmatians are a favorite for many canine lovers due to their excellent temperaments, fun energy levels, and adorable appearance. However, shedding is an inevitable part of owning one of these cuties. While they have a single-layer coat, they still shed every day.
So, exactly how much shedding can you expect? In this article, we will discuss exactly how much shedding you can expect and how to reduce it as much as possible. So, here we go!
Dalmatians Shed Heavily
Dalmatians have a single layer of fur. They are unlike a double-coated breed with two significant blowout periods per year. However, they still shed a pretty tremendous amount. So, if you’re looking for a low-shedding dog, this is certainly not the right breed for you.
You will find Dalmatian hair on your clothing, carpets, bedding, and even hard surfaces of the home. There are tiny hairs that can get lodged into all sorts of fabrics. It is an inevitable part of owning one of these unique dogs, and most dog breeds, for that matter.
Unlike double-coat breeds that have bulk shedding seasons, the small, short hairs of the Dalmatian can be harder to get off surfaces. That is because the hairs embed themselves better into the material.
What Causes So Much Shedding?
Shedding is a normal process for your dog to eliminate unhealthy, damaged, or dead fur that makes up its undercoat. All healthy dogs shed, to some degree. Even dogs labeled hypoallergenic sometimes lose small amounts of fur.
Even though Dalmatians have single-layer coats, they sport hair shafts with extremely short life spans. So, they are constantly shedding the hair that they have and regrowing new hair. Many single-coated breeds share this trait, which is not solely found in the Dalmatian.
Unlike double-coated breeds, single-coated dogs like Dalmatians lose even more fur continually.
How to Reduce Dalmatian Shedding
There are natural ways you can combat a Dalmatian’s shedding. So, if you are hell-bent on the breed but you really don’t like the idea of shedding frequency, here are ways to avoid it.
- Daily Brushing: If you want to reduce your Dalmatian shed as much as possible, pick up the habit of daily brushing. This will help to trap and control any loose shed that might be stuck in the coat.
- Â Timely Baths: Your Dalmatian should have a bath once every 4 to 6 weeks. Keeping up with these bath times will eliminate a lot of loose dander and debris in the fur.
- Â Routine Cleaning: If you want to reduce shedding in the home, try keeping up with cleaning daily. That means keeping up with sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, and laundry. The more you wash your surfaces, the less shedding will build up on your belongings.
-  Wash Bedding: Anytime you bathe your Dalmatian, it’s a good idea to wash their bedding and clean the home as well. This will give you a clean slate, keeping the household and all its items as fresh as possible.
- Ensure a Quality Diet: You might not initially bridge the two, but a proper diet will ensure your Dalmatian has a healthy, sleek coat. If your Dalmatian has a poor diet, it will cause the fur to die quickly, increasing shedding and leading to an overall drab coat appearance.
Grooming Dalmatians
As we mentioned above, you should bathe your Dalmatian every 4 to 6 weeks. It would help to buy a fragrance-free, conditioning shampoo to keep your Dalmatian’s coat looking its best.
But in addition to regular bathing, brushing is an excellent way to get ahead of frequent shedding.
You can find these brushes on sites like Chewy, Amazon, or other online pet shops. You can also get them in-store at your local department shops or pet stores.
Here are some brushing tools to have on hand.
1. Bristle Brushes
Bristle brushes are perfect for even oil distribution and daily maintenance. These brushes are generally made of synthetic or animal hair bristles, penetrating the fur to smooth out the coat. These are not nearly as abrasive as some other brushes, so it won’t irritate the skin either.
Bristle brushes are an excellent tool to have on hand to keep your Dalmatian’s coat looking sleek and beautiful.
2. Slicker Brushes
Slicker brushes are a very popular choice among dog owners for a good reason. It collects your animal’s shed into the bristles, trapping the fur therein. These brushes tend to have slightly curved, even pins that penetrate the skin.
After grooming sessions, slicker brushes have a manual or automatic cleaning mechanism. Automatic cleaning mechanisms have a button you press on the back to retract the bristles, allowing collected hair and debris to fall directly into the trash.
With manual bristle brushes, you remove the hair yourself by pulling it out of the bristles.
3. Deshedding Tools
Deshedding tools are fantastic to have on hand, although you need to be well-versed in using them. They are designed to penetrate to the skin to remove dirt, dander, and dead fur in your Dalmatian’s coat.
Because they can be quite abrasive, it’s best to use them once every 4 to 6 weeks. If you use them regularly, it can cause skin irritation, which is unnecessary.
Do Dalmatians Stink More than Other Breeds?
Dalmatians are no stinkier than any other dog breed. If you maintain proper hygiene, they don’t have any particular smell, such as a hound dog would.
However, some Dalmatians with yeast infections or skin allergies can have stinkier fur than others. When yeast or bacteria grows on the skin, it can cause a foul smell. This is not definitive of the breed itself but rather an underlying health condition.
Ultimately, Dalmatians are excellent at self-grooming, so they take care of a lot of the hard work for you. If anything, they might smell a little less, permitting no skin infection to exist.
Can You Shave Your Dalmatian?
Since Dalmatians have short coats anyway, you might wonder if you can simply shave them to reduce shedding. The answer is absolutely not. Dalmatians in no way need any sort of shaving. Doing so can contribute to sunburn and skin irritation that is completely unnecessary.
Do Dalmatians Have Skin Issues?
Dalmatians are prone to several kinds of skin problems. The most common is sebaceous adenitis. This causes scaly, dry patches on the Dalmatian’s head, neck, and back. It can, and usually does, cause hair loss as well.
Typically, this condition develops between 1 and 5 years of age. The treatment completely depends on your individual dog and what they respond to best. Sometimes your vet will recommend giving fatty acid supplements and specialized shampoos to soothe the issue.
Conclusion
Now you understand that Dalmatians shed regularly. However, this frequent shedding can be easily managed with the tips we discussed in the article. If you were looking for a low-shedding breed, there are certainly better options for you.
Keep in mind that in addition to shedding, some Dalmatians might also have skin conditions that cause hair loss. So, while it’s hard to anticipate potential aspects that influence shedding, staying educated can help you navigate general coat maintenance.
Featured Image Credit: Africa Studio, Shutterstock
