How Much do Labs Shed?

How much do Labs shed? Anyone who has ever owned a Labrador Retriever, or been around one for more than five minutes, knows that the shedding is pretty extreme. Just saying hello to your gorgeous canine buddy can leave you with a wad of hair on your work pants, only to walk into your home to find strands of hair strewn across the living room. But are these just horror stories, or is it the hairy truth?

So, how much do Labs shed? The simple answer is a lot. Labradors are known to be heavy shedders throughout the year. However, they tend to have two major shedding seasons – known as molting – where they will shed even more so in preparation for summer and winter.

If you are considering adding a Lab to the family, then you need to know all about their shedding and how you can help reduce the amount of fur that ends up piled around the house. We are going to discuss how much Labs shed, as well as why they shed so much. We will also be sharing some must-so tips and tricks on how to reduce the number of hairs that may contact with your furniture, floor, and favorite clothing.

How Often to Labs Shed?

If you ask any Labrador Retriever owner how much their beloved furry friend sheds, you might notice their eyes widening and their faces beginning to cringe. This is typically followed with the common answer, ‘Way too much’. It’s true- one of the most popular dogs in the entire country is known to be one of the heaviest shedders, too. 

But is their shedding compacted into specific timeframes, or is it all the time?

Well, the simple fact of the matter is that Labrador Retrievers shed throughout the entire year. It is usually in a pretty large amount, too, so expect to purchase a very good vacuum cleaner that is specifically designed for picking up pet hair.

However, there are also two times throughout the year where shedding increases: when summer and winter are approaching.

Around the end of fall and the end of spring, you can expect your Labrador to shed even more profusely than other times throughout the year. But why?

Your Labrador Retriever needs to make room for his summer and winter coats. During the wintertime, he will need to drop his summer coat and grow his warm, cozy winter coat in to make sure that he is prepared for the drop in temperature.

Remember, Labs love to swim and are known for taking a lap in an ice-cold lake, so they need extra protection.

When it comes time for summer, though, your Lab won’t need all that extra fur to keep him warm.

Around springtime, your Labrador will begin to shed his winter coat, and you can expect to pick up plenty of hair at this time. This shedding, otherwise known as molting, is necessary in order for your Labrador to not overheat during the warmer months.

His summer coat also protects him from sunburns, which can cause major damage to any dog’s skin, including your precious Lab.

Why do Labs Shed so Much?

Don’t be fooled by the Labrador Retriever. Just because his coat appears to be neat and tidy, doesn’t mean you won’t have to worry about his short hair shedding. In fact, you can thank your Labrador’s double coat for the excessive amounts of shedding. 

That’s right- your Lab has two coats of hair to make sure he is well taken care of no matter what temperatures he may run into:

• The outer layer is a bit glossier and acts as a waterproof barrier for his undercoat.
• The undercoat, on the other hand, is designed to keep him warm and snuggly during winter- whether he jumps into the icy waters or not.

These coats are critical for your Labrador to be able to regulate his temperature. However, it isn’t so great for your floors, furniture, and clothes.

As a Labrador pet owner, you can expect your entire home to be covered in hair- and no, we aren’t exaggerating. Does that mean you’re out of luck, though? Of course, not!

Keeping Your Labrador’s Shedding at Bay

We will start off by saying this: there is no magical solution to getting rid of your Lab’s shedding. It’s never going to go away completely but there are two specific things you, as the owner, can do to help cut down on the number of heaps of hair that are left across your living room.

Let’s take a look at the best things to do to cut down on shedding:

1. Groom your Labrador regularly, and
2. Clean your home regularly.

Now, when we say groom your Labrador regularly, we don’t mean once a week. In fact, if you really want to reduce the amount of shedding your Labrador does, you should be grooming him at least once a day. If you are able to do it twice a day, then that will produce even greater results.

Also, keep in mind that a little bit of brushing will do the trick. Your grooming should be a deep, thorough brushing and combing of his entire coat, including the top coat and bottom coat. It could take you up to 10 minutes to complete the job, but it will be worth it to save your home and clothes from a hairy explosion.

You should also make sure you have a good vacuum cleaner to handle the amount of shedding your Labrador does. While this won’t necessarily help the shedding problem to ‘go away’, a good vacuum and a bit of your time will help to lessen the amount of hair that’s found around the home.

Do Yellow Labs Shed More than Black Ones?

Some people might think that one color Lab may be less ‘sheddy’ than the other. However, this simply is not the case.

While there have not been any actual studies conducted to see which Lab color sheds the most, there are multiple Lab owners who have both colors and don’t see an obvious difference in the amount of shedding.

Perhaps the only reason why one would think one color sheds more than the other is simply that some colors may show up more than others.

For instance, if you are living in a home with a white carpet, you will notice black hair more than yellow ones. On the other hand, darker carpet isn’t going to hide yellow hair.

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