So you’ve adopted your adorable Jack Russell Terrier. Everything is cool – except he sheds a lot. You weren’t expecting a Jack Russell shedding problem when you adopted your dog. But now you find you can’t wear black, blue or any other dark colors without getting a lot of dog hair on your clothes.
And when you sit on the couch, you get up with dog hair on you too. You’re embarrassed when guests come over because there’s no place to sit. Don’t worry, I’ll share some Jack Russell shedding solutions with you so that you can start wearing dark colors again and you and your guests can sit on your sofa – free of dog hair.
3 Types of Dog Coats
Coat texture influences shedding. Depending on what type of Jack Russell you’ve adopted, they’re going to have 1 of 3 types of coats: Smooth, Wiry or Broken. Smooth-haired dogs shed a lot more than the wiry or broken coated dogs.
If you have a smooth-coat dog, that means the hair is a short single coat and it lies closely to the body. The coat sheds profusely, so when you get up, you have hair all over your body, clothes and furniture.
The Jack Russell Terrier Dilemma
Most dogs only need to be bathed every 2 to 3 months. But here’s the problem with this breed – he was born to hunt and burrow into the ground to catch his quarry. He also loves to dig in the dirt. So if you have a pooch that stays outdoors, you’re going to have to bathe him and groom him more frequently.
Jack Russell Shedding Tip #1 Bathing
Grooming results are better when you’ve given your dog a bath. This breed doesn’t need daily baths. You’ll dry out their skin if you bathe them too often. At the same time you don’t want a smelly dog cuddling next to you. So if your dog is prone to staying indoors, you can bathe him every 2 or 3 months.
But, if your Jack Russell goes out a lot and rolls around in muck, he’ll need to be bathed once a month.
Baths Help The Shedding Process
If your goal is to eliminate shedding, that’s not going to happen. The smooth-coat breed is a shedder. But you can minimize it. By bathing your dog before using grooming tools on him, you assist in the break down of grease and dirt which makes it easier to comb through the hair. Once you towel dry and start combing, the loose hairs will easily fall off.
Jack Russell Shedding Tip #2 Grooming Equipment
After you’ve bathed your pooch, towel dry him. I don’t recommend using a blow dryer, as blow dryers are used for long-haired dogs. With smooth coat dogs, you run the risk of burning them if the dryer heat is on too high.
Now, once towel dried, you need to brush your cute little canine. Not with any brush either. Use a rubber brush, bristle brush, and chamois. Here’s how to use each one.
Use the rubber brush to take out large matter from your dog and dead hair. Don’t pull or tug on his hair. Then use the bristle brush to remove the finer hairs and dirt. The chamois is used to polish your dog’s coat and give him a shiny look.
Jack Russell Shedding Tip #3 Brush Daily
Although this breed doesn’t need to be groomed often, they do molt, which means they need to be brushed daily. So use a rubber brush and a bristle brush to take fine matter off your dog’s hair.
By using these grooming tips, your Jack Russell shedding problems will be solved. Dog grooming is just a small part of dog health care. For more tips on dog health, read the dog health guide.