Hello everyone,

I am new here and am getting ready to get a new Siberian Husky puppy (within the next few months) to add to my family.

One concern I am having is about the shedding from these beautiful family members. I know they will shed all year long and will blow their coat typically twice a year, which I am told lasts about 3 weeks. There is a lot of information on this. I am wondering if I can get some questions answered, even though they have all been answered many times I am sure. I am someone who likes to learn for myself and figure out what I think will work best for me and then change it as I learn more of experience a need for change. I believe there is never enough to learn and am constantly seeking to learn things and better myself. I look forward to learning personally from each of you.

Here are my question:

1. I know they shed a lot and am prepared for this. I am wondering if there is a way to keep this to a minimum and what a minimum would look like to you?

2. I am wondering if there are tools that could be recommended for grooming to, first and most importantly, keep the dog's skin and hair healthy and, second, to keep shedding to a minimum? Please recommend brands and sizes if they are important.

3. I have read that a FURminator for long haired breeds is a must by some people and others say that it hurts the dog because it cuts their hair that should not be cut, etc. I would love to hear opinions both ways and what the pros and cons of each method may be. If not the FURminator, is there another recommended method that would yield similar results in a more healthy way?

4. I am wondering if I could be given grooming schedules (what tools to use when and how often to do each) for both normal grooming to be done throughout the year and for when the dogs are blowing their coats.

Thank you again for allowing me to be a part of your community and for all your help.

So my girls both have very different coats and what works on spider dosent do that great with squirt. With squirt a good hard brush works the best and with spider i use a mane comb that has a handle (looks like an undercoat rake but bigger) but mine really dont shed all that much most of the year. The lofesaver for the house though is a carpet rake. I have a full size grandi groom one for the house and a small one for furniture and the truck.

Bissell makes an dog brush attachment for a vacuum if you start early that may be a good way to go.

With Skye she leaks fur she shakes and it falls out of her during her blow lol, but any other time she still maults but not as bad and a rake is the only thing that is strong enough to go through her fur. And with my two pups a comb is best for there fur as the rake is to big for them at the minute I hope all goes well with your new pup! And make sure to post lost of photos!

Thank you very much for your help with this part. I am confused, though. For a puppy what should I get? What is a comb and what is a rake? Any brands or help for me?

I may have to get one of these dogs sooner than anticipated. I just went to look at one to see if the temperament would work well with my family and WOW! I found one I love already. Maybe I should not have gone. I am now 100% convinced and want that one now. I am making sure I am set up for it first, though. Trying to be good.

Thank you for your help.

So this is my mane and tail comb cost 5 dollars at the feed store

Thank you for the information. That is nice to know. We have a feed store about a mile or less from our house. I will check it out.

Can anyone recommend a grooming schedule?

Thank you.

I have a slicker brush



that works well when they aren't blowing coat. during the light sheds the slicker brush grabs the fewer random hairs that will slip through the wider tines of a rake. Best practice is groom at least once a week to keep tumbleweeds of hair to a minimum in the house. You will still develop a fine layer of hair that will collect across the floor about all the time. If you have carpet in your house I'd just tear it out now, put in hard floors, and invest in a swiffer you can swing around every other day.

Healthy skin goes a long way to keeping shedding down. There will always be hair. These are not dogs for people with allergies no matter what you try, but figuring out what food agrees with them the best for healthy skin definitely can make a difference in how often the hair cycles. Quality of dog can also make a difference. All of mine are rescues. One dog is a much higher quality dog than my other. My lower quality dog has a lot of environmental allergies that make keeping his skin and hair healthy a challenge and he sheds a ton more than my better quality female who really only sheds a meager dusting between coat blows.

Thank you very much for the information and pictures. That helps me a lot to determine what I am looking for.

You say healthy skin does a lot to keep shedding down. Can I ask what you do to keep it healthy? I would want that whether it kept the shedding down or not. I always try and do the best for all of my animals. I know a lot of their skin care is due to their diet? Any food in particular that would be good for them? What should I watch for?

Thank you again.

Each dog is different in what food works best for them. Mine get a partially raw diet. One of my dogs is allergic to chicken and another has an intolerance to potatoes. My chicken issue dog would have chewing fits and would just chew his feet and back until they were raw when he would get chicken. My dog that has issues with potatoes would have constant ear infections. They can develop a dog BO smell and if you look close at their skin you may see a buildup of yeast on it if something isn't sitting just right. yeasty skin could also be environmental allergies so that isn't the greatest of tells. Poop will tell you a lot quickly. soft serve poops say something is not quite right. Runny poop says something is very wrong.

Mine get a supplement call Origins 5 n 1. It's done very well to help his skin heal after a problem (he has environmental allergies as well). It acts kinda like a fish oil supplement without the vitamin E issues.

Thank you very much for all your help. That is great information to have.

What Vitamin E issues?

Fish oil depletes vitamin E in the system. If you are giving fish oil you need to also give vitamin E. Or use a supplement that is a fish oil/vitamin E blend already.

Okay. Good to know. Thank you for the information.