Deshedding & Blowing Coat Seasons

Dogs with undercoats shed year-round, but twice a year they shed the dense seasonal undercoat in bulk — typically spring (losing the winter coat) and fall (losing the summer coat), though Memphis's mild climate and indoor living blur the calendar. During a blow, the undercoat releases in clumps and tufts; you'll see it poking out in tufts along the back and coming out in handfuls when you pet them. This isn't a problem to fix — it's the coat doing its job. The goal isn't stopping the shed (impossible) but managing it: getting the dead coat out efficiently so it doesn't mat into the live coat or take over your house.

In the MidSouth, the spring blow typically runs March through May as temperatures climb, and the fall blow September through November. But indoor dogs with constant light and temperature exposure may blow coat in rolling waves all year, and some breeds (Labs, Pugs, Beagles) shed heavily without a distinct season at all. Watch your individual dog rather than the calendar: when tufts start appearing and brushing fills the brush in minutes, the blow has started. That's your cue to book — early in the blow, not at the peak of the mess.

A real deshedding service is a process.

A real deshedding service is a process. It starts with a bath in a deshedding or clarifying shampoo that loosens dead undercoat. Then the high-velocity dryer — the workhorse of deshedding — blasts loose coat out in clouds before the brush ever touches the dog. Then systematic work with an undercoat rake and slicker, section by section, down to the skin. Then a finishing brush-out and often a second blow. The difference after a proper deshed is dramatic: the dog looks the same but feels pounds lighter, the coat lies flat and clean, and home shedding drops enormously for weeks. Our Deshed treatment (+$20/30/40 by size) follows exactly this process.

What works: an undercoat rake for deep coat removal, a slicker brush for finishing, a rubber curry for short smooth coats, and regular baths. What doesn't: the infamous bladed "deshedding" tools used aggressively — they cut healthy topcoat and damage the coat when overused, despite the satisfying pile of hair they produce. Furminator-style tools have their place but should be used gently and sparingly, never on wet coat, never with pressure. The unglamorous truth: consistent brushing with basic tools beats occasional sessions with fancy ones. During a blow, brush every day or two — ten minutes prevents the impacted undercoat that turns into a dematting bill.

Normal seasonal shedding is heavy but patterned.

Normal seasonal shedding is heavy but patterned. Shedding that's sudden, patchy, year-round-excessive, or accompanied by bald spots, flaking, itching, or dull coat isn't seasonal — it's worth a vet visit. Diet matters: dogs on quality nutrition with adequate fatty acids generally shed less excessively and have healthier coats. Stress, hormonal changes, and skin conditions all increase shedding. A groomer sees hundreds of coats and knows what normal looks like for your breed — if we flag something, it's worth listening.