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Help! Basset Hounds Shed... Mess All Over the House

Don't Get Rid of the Dog. Learn How to Minimize the Problem.

A frequently asked question by those who are thinking about getting a Basset Hound is...

Do Basset Hounds shed?

Those of us who are owned by one know... yes, despite the fact that their hair is short, smooth, and not overly thick, this breed of dog does shed.

Fortunately you don't have to get rid of the beloved, family pet if you're the type who is bothered by hair collecting around the house.

Here's my Basset Hound, Hunter, on the couch out back (we let him on the outdoor couch, NOT the indoor furniture)...

Dog Shedding 101

Dogs lose old, dead hair continuously and grow new hair to replace it. This is called shedding. The amount that an individual dog sheds depends on a number of factors including: age, amount of sunlight, outside temperature, breed, sex, hormones, nutrition, etc.

Some dogs shed more heavily in spring and fall due to changes in temperature. In spring, dogs lose their winter undercoat which is replaced by a lighter summer coat. In the fall, the lighter coat is shed and replaced by a thicker, warmer coat for winter. This is called seasonal shedding which is common in dogs that live or spend most of their time outside.

An indoor dog may shed continuously throughout the yearinstead of seasonally because the dog's body / mind does not notice outdoor temperature changes as much. Therefore, seasonal shedding is not triggered.

How Much Do Basset Hounds Shed?

When describing the Basset Hound, most dog breed books say that Basset Hounds shed at a medium to high rate. From my experience, I would agree.

My Basset Hound tends to shed moderately throughout the year. I think he also sheds a bit more in the spring and fall. He's an indoor dog and we live in an area with seasonal temperature changes, i.e darn cold in the winter and hot in the summer.

And yes... since Basset Hounds shed, we get clumps of dog hair (dust bunnies) that collect in uncarpeted areas underneath furniture. The hair also gets all over the carpets. He's not allowed on the furniture but if he was, it would stick to the furniture too.

Thankfully, I've learned that a weekly brushing session with the right tool is all that is needed to reduce the hair in the house to a tolerable level (at least for me).

Here's a photo of Hunter looking guilty. Thinking, "I shouldn't be in trouble. I'm allowed on this lounge chair." ...

How to Minimize the Mess

With a weekly brushing session, a lot of the hair ends up in the trash instead of around the house. But, I don't use any old brush...

Years ago, I tried brushing my Basset Hound with a pin brush and found that this did not work very well. Then I tried a shedding blade which actually works quite well. I used this tool for a while.

Then I found an awesome deShedding Tool and it works great! I've been using it for years and will continue until I find something better. I think it's the best! My Basset Hound likes it too. When he sees me get it out, he gets all excited to be brushed.

Tip: Basset Hounds shed so... Brush regularly with the right tool to minimize the mess. Here's a video demonstrating this deShedder in action:

More tips:

• To avoid scratching / irritating your dog's skin, don't push hard when using this tool. Just use light pressure and you will still remove lots of hair.
• Gently stroke your Basset Hound's coat in the direction of hair growth. Use long, gentle strokes.
• The FURminator comes in different sizes for dogs based upon weight. I use medium which is good for dogs up to 50 pounds. If your dog is bigger, you may want to go for the large.
• FURminator also comes with your choice of a long-hair or short-hair edge. Long hair blades have 1/4" tines ideal for fur longer than 2". Short hair blades have smaller, 1/8" tines for coats less than 2" long. I recommend the short-hair edge for a Basset Hound.

Newer versions of this deShedding tool come with an ejector button that releases hair from the stainless steel edge at the push of a button. I'm sure it's a great feature. I have the older version without the button and of course I just remove hair from the blade by pulling it off. No problem!

Last point...

The nice thing about the FURminator is that it easily removes a lot of hair in one good brushing session. Therefore, you may be able to go more than a week without brushing your Basset Hound. It really depends on how much he's shedding and how much dog hair you're willing to tolerate around the house.

FURminator... available at amazon.com.

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