13 month old GD now shedding

[Valarie]

We got Sophie 3 weeks ago.  She is a 13 month old goldendoodle we rehomed from a bad situation where she had been an inside dog but unfortunately had been put outside. This was during a very cold part of winter here.   When she first came to our house she had very little shedding.  Now I've noticed quite a lot of shedding in the last week or so.  Is this a reaction to stress, or to moving back inside, or the time of the year or is she just going to be a shedder?  Obviously, non-shedding would be great but I can handle the shedding if she is okay.  I am just worried that maybe it's something we are doing or her change in environment that is causing the shedding.  Can anyone "shed" some light on this??  Couldn't resist that.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

could be a number of different reasons, so you probably just have to be patient and wait and see. Can you tell if the hair underneath looks different? If it does, she may be shedding her baby coat (a little late for that though but still a possibility I think). Other reasons may include diet change and the possibility that her hair grew thicker because she was previously outdoors and is now indoors and doesn't need superthick hair to stay warm...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't think anyone can tell you for sure what's causing the shedding. The fact is that statistically, 70% of first cross doodles do shed to some degree. They also go through a 'coat change' around a year old and a dog who previously didn't shed may now shed, or vice versa. (This does not happen with purebred poodles, BTW)
Stress can cause some hair loss, and illness can also cause breakage or loss of hair, but that's usually confined to particular areas and different from all-over shedding. Dogs who shed also have periods of heavier shedding, usually seasonal.
Going from a colder (outside) temperature to a warmer (indoor) temperature could certainly trigger shedding, but only in a dog that sheds...this would not happen with a true non-shedding dog like a poodle.
So if I had to put money on it, I would say that Sophie is always going to shed, probably more during certain times of the year and less at other times. But only time will tell.

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

My aunt had an outdoor poodle once that grew really thick hair. When he got older, they brought him inside and a lot of his hair fell out. I don't know for sure if it was a coincidence though.

[1xar0x2rcx0li]

What is the source of the 70% number? I agree that a lot of early generation doodles shed, but I have always heard 50/50 as the likelihood of shedding.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's from Wally Conron's statistics from the original breedings in Australia. He kept very detailed records and has published them. Overall, only 3 out of every 10 first-cross dogs were suitable for the program in terms of non-shedding, allergy-friendly under testing, which is partly why he abandoned the project.

[Valarie]

Thanks for the info and advice. I guess time will tell. Does anyone use a Furminator? Does it work well? Any risk to the doodle for skin irritation or anything?

[Natasha]

We do use a Furminator about every three months, but it's not right for most Doodles. It works for Rouser's coat becuase it's wirey but with only slight waves. For most Doodles, it would get stuck and pull too much.

I highly recommend the rubber brush from Kong - the Zoom Groom brush. A groomer introduced it to us and wow - was she right. It's perfect for most Doodles' coats. The trick is to go outside (very important as this will take a lot of hair off but not necessarily in the brush) and start brushing in long strokes from the head to the tail. It takes several strokes to get the hair loosened and then it starts to fly off in big bunches. I'm always surprised at how much hair it lifts.

As you can see, at under $10, it's worth a shot before investing in a Furminator and, frankly, I think it does a better job: http://www.petco.com/product/100491/KONG-Zoom-Groom-Brush.aspx

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I wouldn't use a Furminator on a dog who has wooly or curly coat. They do use it on Jack at the groomer's, but Jack also has a wirey, straighter coat that sheds...kind of like a shaggy Golden Retriever.
You can also buy an undercoat rake at any pet supply store for about $6...they remove a ton of hair and have wide plastic or rubber teeth that don't hurt the dog's skin at all.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

I do use a Furminator but like the others mentioned Hunter has more of the wirey coat - not the curly, softer coat. Hunter did start shedding more about 2 weeks ago and I was really thinking because of the weather. I took her to the groomer and she did say that she see's a lot of heavier shedding in the Spring from all different breeds. I did have her bathed and blown out and it made a huge difference. If I religiously use the Furminator she basically doesn't shed, normally I would say that she is a moderate/medium shedder. Oh and also, I did notice that when I bath her regularly with a moisturizing shampoo that it helps to.

[1xar0x2rcx0li]

Is she spayed? One of our non-shedders does shed significantly with the hormone changes associated with a heat.

[Valarie]

No she isn't spayed. She is scheduled for this on Friday. We had thought about a week ago that she was showing some signs of being in heat. However, we have not yet had a line of neighborhood males at our fence and I have been told that is the definitive symptom.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Only if you live in a neighborhood of irresponsible dog owners who let their dogs run around loose, lol.