Free Dog Training Article, How To Reduce Your Dog's Shedding

Free Video Newsletter

Subscribe to my free weekly video dog training newsletter

Do You Have A Pet Related Business?

Would you like to be able to offer Amazing Dog Training Man products to your customers...
and be generously compensated?
find out more

FREE STUFF

ABOUT ME

Free Dog Training Articles

How To Reduce Shedding

Dear friend,

It is almost 8:15 AM and the temperature here in Westport, MA is already gone up to almost 70 degrees. It's supposed to get up to 85 by the end of the day.

Just this morning I took my dogs for a long walk on Gooseberry Island here in town. It was a beautiful morning but by the time I got back to my house I could feel the temperature changing.

This is the time of the year that I get all kinds of questions about shedding. Being the nice guy that I am, I have included my report: "How To Reduce Your Dog's Shedding In 3 To 5 Days."

In the report you'll discover:

A little mistake that cost a dog owner $400 a year
Why happy dog owners do this one simple thing every day
The world's #1 shed-reducing diet
How a common vitamin and oil can reduce your dog's shedding
7 ingredients that should never be in your dog's food
A safe, little known technique used by professional dog groomers that will reduce your dog's shedding in 10 minutes or less!
And much, much more...

Feel free to pass this report along to all of your dog loving friends and family.

Enjoy!

"How To Reduce Your Dog's Shedding In 3 To 5 Days"

If you're a dog owner that has a dog with a shedding problem, then this may be the most important letter you'll ever read. Within the next few moments I'm going to share with you some practical tips that will help you with your dog's shedding problem.

But first...

I want to tell you about a friend of mine who had a little Shetland Sheepdog. She would always complain about the amount of hair this little guy would shed. "It's on the carpet, my bed, in the corners of the room, and on my clothes. I can't stand it!" she would tell me.

I gave her some suggestions and I told her that if she did not follow them it would cost her in more ways than one. You see, excessive shedding is not good. It is usually an early sign of a health problem. In this report, I'm going to explain why you need to treat your shedding problem both internally and externally.

When I gave some suggestions to my friend she felt it was too much work to brush her dog on a regular basis, she also didn't believe me that her shedding problem was the result of both external and internal problems. I added that if she didn't take steps to help her dog it would cost them both.

Sure enough, a year later her dog was in worse shape than when she first talked to me about it. The other problem was that she had gone through two vacuums. She had paid $200.00 a piece for them.

Every one knows that brushing is one of the best ways to control shedding. Some dog owners don't want to or have time to give their dog a good brushing everyday. That is why I tell dog owners with shedding problems to buy and use lint rollers on their dogs. If you use a lint roller on your dog every day, you can quickly and easily pick up a lot of the fly away hairs that you would normally have to vacuum or sweep up later. You'll also be amazed at how much hair you can get off him with a lint roller. It's fast, easy, and can save you time.

Your Dog's Diet Has A Direct Effect On The Amount Of Hair That He Sheds

Once we have taken some steps to help our dogs on the outside we need to take some steps to help them on the inside. This is often overlooked by many pet professionals. Here is a section of an article by Susan Moss who writes for a Seattle newspaper:

The Raw Truth About Your Dog's Food
By Susan Moss

One booster of the "evolutionary diet" is Dr. Ian Billinghurst, an Australian veterinarian whose book, "Give Your Dog A Bone," has been a runaway bestseller, sold through dog clubs and professional organizations. He reminds us that dogs evolved primarily as scavengers, finishing up another animal's kill. A dog's strong digestive juices will neutralize any harmful organisms present, while the good bacteria take up residence in the gut to aid in digestion.

Because our food supply is more nutrient-depleted than in ancient times, Billinghurst suggests adding a few supplements to make up the difference--kelp for trace minerals, fish oils for fatty acids, a pinch of enzyme powder for easier absorption, and probiotic cultures as a source of good bacteria.

One of the best things you can do for your dog is to include supplements. Commercial dog food is lacking in many ways. First, dog food is cooked at around 350 to 425 degrees. Many of the vitamins and minerals that your dog needs are sensitive to heat above 110 degrees, especially vitamin C. If your dog is only eating cooked dog food he may need some vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids.

Now before you think this sound like a lot of work, let me tell you that you can improve his skin and coat with two simple supplements. The first is vitamin C, found in just about any store today. The easiest way to include it into your dog's diet is to buy it in powdered form. You don't have to find special vitamins for dogs, you can use the same kind that you and I would take. Vitamin C is vitamin C whether it's for a dog or a human.

The other supplement is probably sitting in your cabinet. Olive oil is a great oil to include into your dog's diet. Even better is cod liver oil. A dash of either of these in his food every day will go a long way to help his skin and coat.

You can maintain your dog's general health and vigor while providing extra beneficial oils and vitamins to help improve his coat, prevent shedding, and condition his skin.

Do you know what happens when your dog lacks essential fatty acids?

Hair and skin are dependent upon one another. Without the essential oils and vitamins necessary to maintain healthy skin and hair, undesirable things begin to occur such as shedding, scratching (which leads to sores, infections, hotspots), dull coat, and flaky skin.

In addition to feeding your dog the proper foods and supplements, you need to make sure that you are not feeding your dog the wrong foods. Listed below are the seven foods you should never feed your dog. How do you know what your dog is eating? Read the dog food label.

7 Ingredients You Should Never Feed Your Dog

Corn - Corn is one of the hardest grains to digest. A human has about 34 feet of intestines. With a long intestinal tract, humans have a difficult time digesting it. A dog only has about six feet of intestines. It is impossible for them to digest it. Corn is a very cheap filler and that is why it is used in many dog foods. Because your dog cannot properly digest corn, he will not get all the nutritional benefits from his food. A better grain source is rice or oatmeal.
BHA - BHA (Butylated hydroxysanisole) - This preservative has been linked to liver and kidney problems, birth defects, slow growth rates, behavioral problems, metabolic stress, increases in cholesterol levels, allergic reactions, baldness, and brain defects in laboratory animals. What could it possibly be doing to our pets?
BHT - (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) - See BHA
Ethoxyquin - The FDA (USA) and some of the large pet food companies say that ethoxyquin is safe for pet food, but some would disagree, blaming this preservative on chronic maladies that have been affecting purebred dogs at alarming frequency. There has been a severe increase in immune related diseases among pets, directly related to pet foods preserved with ethoxyquin. The FDA has also ruled that ethoxyquin is not suitable for human consumption. Why would it be acceptable for our pets?

Other problems that are arising in conjunction with ethoxyquin are itchy skin, lethargy, hair loss, thyroid problems, kidney problems, reproductive disorders, birth defects and cancer. The chemical ethoxyquin was developed by a company as a rubber hardener. It is also used as an herbicide and insecticide (anti-scale agent) for apples and pears. Is it safe? There is no real evidence that ethoxyquin is safe.
Dyes - A prime example of generic labeling is that of "artificial colors." By law, the manufacturer does not have to list these specific ingredients on the bag and often if they are mentioned, the company does so in a manner which tells us little of what is actually in the product!

Coloring often includes the following coal-tar derivative dyes: FD&C RED #40 (a possible carcinogen), RED #3, YELLOW #5 (not fully tested), YELLOW #6, BLUE #1 and #2 (increases dog's sensitivity to fatal viruses such as parvo), and SODIUM NITRITE, widely used as a red coloring and preservative which produces powerful carcinogenic substances known as nitrosamines. People have died from accidental nitrite poisoning. Animals ingest much larger amounts of these carcinogens and other chemicals daily in their diets than is ever allowed for humans!
Salt - An ingredient heavily used to help increase palatability. It has been believed to be the trigger of many diseases. Excessive salt intake (additional to that found naturally in most ingredients), can lead to hypertension, kidney stress, colon irritation, and a host of other aliments. A balance of sodium is vital for cellular health, but excessive amounts can damage these structures.
Sweeteners - Beet pulp sugar (not to be confused with beet pulp fiber), sucrose (table sugar), corn syrup (a derivative of corn starch), and molasses are the most widely used sweeteners in the pet food industry. Corn syrup is also known (and approved!) as an effective "humectant and plasticizer," that is, an ingredient which gives the product dampness and flexibility.

These ingredients cause chaos in your pets. They produce the same highs and lows as table sugar and a great deal of stress on the pancreas and adrenals, a condition that may result in diabetes. Corn syrup is hardly a healthy ingredient especially when you consider how it dilutes other vital nutrients in the diet by providing empty calories devoid of vitamins, minerals, proteins, or fats, and can also over stimulate the production of insulin and acidic digestive juices.

These interfere with the animal's ability to absorb proteins, calcium, and other minerals that are in the food! They also inhibit proper growth of useful intestinal bacteria for assimilation of these nutrients. Sweeteners have also been linked to behavioral problems such as aggression and hyperactivity. Cat food manufacturers rely on sweeteners to help "addict" cats to dry foods, which naturally cats would avoid, preferring fresh kill.

You may be wondering why dog food companies would use these ingredients. Three reasons:

Stops fat from going rancid.
Less expensive to use than all natural products.
Allows longer shelf life.

It is important to remember that excessive shedding may be a health problem. Here is a quick test you can do: pull gently on your pet's hair. You should get some hair, but just a few strands -- not big tufts. "In an excessive shed, a large number of hairs can be removed," says Richard L. Headley, D.V.M., a veterinarian in private practice in Mishawaka, Indiana.

See your vet if...

Your pet is shedding heavily all year
Clumps of fur are appearing on the floor or furniture
He has dry, flaky skin
Your pet is shedding or scratching more than usual
He has scales, bald patches, or a rash
He has severe dandruff or dry skin
His fur is greasy or smelly even after baths
Your pet has broken out in hives and is having trouble breathing
He has a bad sunburn
There has been a significant change in skin color, or the skin seems loose
There is a lump or swelling beneath his skin
Your pet has a sore on the skin that won't heal
The skin of the lips, abdomen, or rectal area is yellow
There are red or purple dots or splotches on his skin

Once it's been established that your dog does not have any medical problems and you have started supplementing his diet, you can start to treat him externally. Remember, your dog's shedding problem is an external and internal problem.

Here are 3 steps you can take to help your dog's skin and coat:

Brushing Brushing him is a pretty obvious step, but brushing a few times a week can help reduce stray hairs and keep shedding in check. Always start at his head and work your way towards the tail. Pay close attention to the high shed areas like the outer thighs and neck.
Grooming Frequency It is important to establish a regular grooming schedule. Bathing your dog in luke-warm water will help loosen and remove dead hairs. Depending on the breed of dog, you should have him groomed every four to six weeks.
Carding This is an extra steps that most groomers can do to remove the excess undercoat that simple brushing can't.

Hope this helped.

All the best from your friend...