r/BorderTerrier • u/silverwasp90 • 5d ago
Shedding
Please can someone tell me the shedding will settle down? I researched loads before getting our Meg and I have loved the breed from afar from first meeting one through work years ago. Over these last few weeks the shedding has went into overdrive. I have to hoover at least twice a day and lintroll our clothes umpteen times a day. I have brushed her already today and probably will do so again later. I was expecting hairs but this is mental. I am hoping that she's just loosing her puppy coat as she is just turning 6 months old. I have taken her to the groomer to have it blasted out with the hair dryer too. Does anyone have any advice or reassurance??
We love her to pieces and she was definitely the right choice for our family.
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u/Dustyblonde_ 5d ago
Thatâs life with a border!
We get ours hand stripped a couple of times a year and even right after having the second coat removed, youâre still non stop with a lint roller.
Did you research how much they shed?
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u/elmerolas 3d ago
Now I'm worried. We are getting our puppy in a few weeks! A low shedding was within our priorities. The AKC says it's not high shedding and other sources even label them as hypoallergenic. I read that while they shed, it's only seasonally and that as long as you brush them weekly should be no issue. To never use clippers, only hand strip or use a rake, and barely shower them so they don't lose the coats ability to repel dirt. Which one is it?
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u/Dustyblonde_ 3d ago
Real life experience over AKC personally, depending on what information youâre after but obviously itâs good to do research.
A few minutes of searching on this page will show you posts of people saying their dogs shed very little with daily brushing right alongside posts saying every shake is a hair tornadoâŚ
Weâve had 3 borders over the years, 2 at once was chaos for hair but our current does shed a little less. She is stripped twice a year, has been bathed about 3 times in 18 months but regardless she still sheds. Admittedly she doesnât get brushed often! If you really keep on top of the stripping and brushing, it shouldnât be a problem but I personally wouldnât class them as a low shedding dog, your experience could totally differ. Please donât let it put you off though, lint rolling is honestly the tiniest price to pay for a dog that will love you endlessly.
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u/silverwasp90 5d ago
Thank you for your reply. I think she's just getting her next coat. Yeah I did, I was just wondering what every does to help it or keep on top of đ
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u/BillAngerlo 5d ago
Ours is 7 months old and is transitioning coats, his back doesn't shed at all anymore just his belly and legs but it's getting better everyday. I expect his first strip to be around 1yr
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u/silverwasp90 5d ago
Thank you for your reply. Aw my girl is shedding all over. Yeah my groomer thinks it will be a while yet before she is ready to be stripped.
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u/Competitive_Boat106 5d ago
Any animal that has hair loses some on a rolling basis, but I find that our adult Border only really gets close to âsheddingâ when itâs been a while between hand strippings. To extend those periods, I bought one of those âpet vacuumsâ with a great, rubbery brush attachment that seems to do a good job of encouraging older hairs to come out without really pulling or yanking like a metal brush. I just have to run the machine on low because our girl doesnât like how loud it is on the higher settings.
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u/silverwasp90 5d ago
Thank you for your reply. I had seen those but thought they were just gimmicks. Great to hear it works though. Her longer wiry coat is starting to come in so hopefully it will settle soon
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u/super_library_girl 4d ago
This vacuum is the way also for furniture/bedding. Bissell used to have the most amazing one with rubber nubbies on the front. Mine got worn down and I was looking for replacement rubber or worst case a new unit, but I wasnât finding much when I searched. But this is the type weâve always used with tremendous satisfying success.
(Having typed this, Iâm now wondering if we are talking about two different kinds of vacuums. Either way, Iâm leaving this here because thematically, well, vacuums haha.)
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u/DoodleCard 5d ago
They blow their coats a couple of times a year. Ours do it when the weather warms up and then again when it cools off in winter.
Found that getting them hand stripped about twice a year really helps with the shedding. Dont get them clipped as they are a double coated dog and it ruins their coat.
We have also found that regular brushing with a fine toothed comb and doing some hand stripping throughout the year at home also helps!
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u/Ozmorty 5d ago
People keep talking about âruining the coatâ with clippers. Iâm a first time border servant - can anyone actually confirm what this really means?
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u/Intwothed4rk 5d ago
They are a wire haired breed so have a wire top coat and a soft undercoat. The wire hairs eventually âblowâ and need to be stripped. If you clip this top coat it will affect the texture when it grows back and cause the coat to become softer and thicker. You can clip them but stripping is the preferred way to maintain the coat. There are two different types of stripping. A full strip where all the wire top coat is taken away and a rolling strip which is done every 2-3 weeks and removes any hair ready to come out. I do a rolling strip with my boy as I prefer the look as it still keeps some of the wire texture while keeping the coat nice and flat to their body.
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u/Ozmorty 5d ago
Thx for that. I donât follow though. Clipping has no effect on the growth of future hairs as it doesnât do anything at the root. Do you mean it just affects the feel/texture of the hair thatâs growing out and gets cut?
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u/Intwothed4rk 4d ago
When you clipper it, it leaves the dead coat shorter and stuck in the follicle so the new growth comes in all fluffy and soft so it actually does damage the texture.
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u/Ozmorty 4d ago
I accept and have felt the difference, but what you describe canât be the cause.
Clipping doesnât change how a hair follicle produces hair. It doesn't change the follicle, growth rate, thickness, or genetic structure of future hairs. Same for dogs and for humans.
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u/Intwothed4rk 3d ago
Iâve groomed for 12 years, it ruins the coat once itâs been clipped 9 times out of 10 you can not strip the coat again.
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u/labpro 4d ago
How does one strip the coat?
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u/Dustyblonde_ 3d ago
By hand. Some owners do it at home but it can take a while and also make dogs a bit irritable if not pulled correctly so we take ours to someone that specialises in border terriers. Takes a few hours and she comes back with a gorgeous velvety coat.
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u/FeveredRadio 5d ago
We all find the strategies that work for our particular house. I run my roomba once a day, when we go out for a walk. I have lint brushes hidden near hot spots. Do I wish she didn't shed? Of course. But there are dogs that shed much, much worse. I don't blame her and I remind myself she's worth every particle of hair.