I was looking for more information about pugs, asking a question do pugs shed? And I have learned a lot about pugs’ lifestyle, pug dog breed information, characteristics, and facts. Every one instantly notices the flat snoot, wrinkled face, and large expressive eyes of a loveable pug. The pug breeds are known to come from imperial china in 700B.C, during the time of Confucius, during that time the breed was known as lo-Sze.
Do pugs shed?
Yes, pugs do shed. Pugs are thought-out to be a heavy shedding breed. Their shedding happens year-round, unlike other breeds of dogs who shed seasonally. Equivalently to most dog breeds, hair takes a three-step process of growth, rest, and fallout. Pugs undergo through this sequence much faster than other small breed dogs.
Why do pugs shed so badly?
There are a small number of reasons why pugs tend to shed a lot more than other small dog breeds. Almost all pugs have a substance called a double coat. This double coat consists of a soft inner layer of hair and a short, thicker outer layer. Due to this double coat, pugs chances of shedding are essentially twice in comparison to dogs with a single coat. Pugs hairs are very tightly packed. A pug has around 600 hairs held within one square inch of its body. This is an extremely higher number when compared to other breeds who have around 100 to 200 hairs per square inch of their bodies. Typically, the more hairs a dog has, the more shedding takes place.
Lastly, as a lot of you may be familiar with, all mammals go through a three-step process when it comes to hair shedding; growth, rest and shed. But when it comes to pugs, this cycle moves very quickly compared to the rate it moves on other dog breeds. Read also post concerning dogs that don’t shed.
How do I stop my pug from shedding?
According to what I was able to find out about pugs, there isn’t a way to stop the shedding; it’s ingrained into their genes. You, however, can use some steps to minimize it. Below are some tips to help you minimize pugs shedding.
- Both fawn and black pugs do shed but black pugs are known to sheds slightly less than the fawn pugs. This is because black pugs got only a single layer of fur coat while fawn pugs have two. So, if you do not want much dog hair in the house, but you love pugs, choose a black pug and enjoy less hair cleaning.
- Brushing your pug’s hair daily will also minimize its shedding. Also, it is a great way for you to bond with your pet. Other people make use of a brushing massaging mitt or a fulminating to lighten their core. The proper way to brush your pug is by starting on its head and slowly extending to its tail area. For this to work, you have to make time every day to brush your pug.
- Regular baths to your pug using a de-shedding shampoo will also help minimize the shedding. This should be done at least twice in every three weeks. Deshedding shampoo comes enriched with Omega 3 and six fatty acids, papaya leaf extract, and calendula extract. These three elements help to minimize shedding while promoting healthier skin and coat.
What else….
- After bathing your pet, dry it off with a towel or a cool blow dryer. It is crucial to note that one should not use the usual blow dryer as it often releases hot air which may cause injuries on your cuddly pet. One should look for special blow dryers which are used by pet grooming specialists.
- Perform brush and massage on your pug outside the house. This is one sure way of reducing shedding stuck into your household possessions. I prefer to use a Doppa Pet Grooming Glove, as it makes de-shedding easy and also allows a pet to relax and enjoy the massage and brushing. Also, it can be used for bathing pets.
- Another major thing is paying extra attention to your pugs feeding. Feeding a pug with a healthy balanced diet of nutritionally dense foods will greatly help in maintain a sleek coat and reduce shedding. While buying commercial pug food, one should consider checking the ingredients and ensure fish oil or fishmeal content is included.
- Add extra supplements to your pug’s diet. By adding omega 3 and 6 or flaxseed oil, or linoleic acid to a pug’s diet, over shedding will be minimized. These supplements help keep your pugs skin underneath healthy and free from seasonal patches, at the same time allowing equal healthier growth of hair.
Elements that can affect your pugs shedding
There are a few factors that can affect the intensity of shedding your pug will undergo. Some of these factors can be controlled while others cannot.
The first factor is the type of coat. Counting on the type of pug you have, the shedding process may be different. Black pugs shed less compared to fawn pugs.
The second factor is your pug’s age. Pugs, in their early stages of life, do not shed very heavily. When they reach to the year and a half age, shedding increases to an intense moderation.
The third factor is the season. During autumn and spring seasons pugs tend to shed heavily.
Lastly, a female pug’s heat cycle may trigger the shedding cycles. Un-spayed female pugs that get into the heat cycle can experience high levels of shedding, mostly as the cycle nears its end.
Tips to control shedding
Below are some tips to control the shedding of your pug;
- Brush the coat often, with a good comfortable tool
Pugs coats are so thick, and due to this, hairs that are shedding off may often get stuck in the coat. By using a soft brush that can get deep into the thick coat, will remove those hairs stuck there. By doing this, you will reduce the amount of hair in your home.
- Control the level of shedding in the house
The more hair that is shed in your house, the more it will seem that your pet is shedding, hence bothering you a lot. By keeping the shed hair under control will give you some peace of mind and keep your stuff neat.
- Add omega fatty acids supplements to your pug’s diet
Taking care of your pug’s coat is crucial to prevent further shedding. A pug with a poor coat quality will shed more than a pug with a healthier good quality coat. Supplements do not instantly stop your pug from shedding, but they help lessen the severity. Omega 3 and 6 and fatty acids are the best supplements when you want to enhance the health and quality of your pug’s coat.
Grooming tools for shedding pugs
There are various tools used for grooming shedding pugs. Stated below are some of them;
This tool works efficiently by pulling out hairs that are stuck deep in the coat of your pug. You will get surprised at how much hair comes out of the coat. A de-shedding tool can reach down through the double coat layer.
After you have used one of the above-mentioned tools, there is one final step, where one uses a bristle finishing brush to add a fine finished look to the coat. It adds shine and gates rid of dandruff caught in the pug’s coat.
