Shedding is natural and normal for all dogs. Breed, climate, and time of year affect to what degee your dog sheds. Additionally, artificial heating, cooling, and lighting play havoc with your dogs natural rhythm.

Dogs with a pre-determined coat length shed more than dogs with undetermined coat length. Pre-determined means the coat will only grow to a certain length, then fall out to make room for new hair to replace it. The shorter the coat, the more often it replaces itself. Undetermined coat length is much like our own hair, in that it will continue to grow until we cut it. However, this type of coat still does shed, just like human hair does.

We’ve welcomed dogs into our homes, and as such, their shedding seasons which are naturally in tune with seasonal temperatures and hours of sunlight, become diluted as they are subjected to un-natural indoor temperatures and perceived length of daylight hours from indoor lighting, confusing your dogs rhythm as to when shedding season really is.

Brushing your dog daily will help keep his hair on your brush, and off your carpet, as well as stimulating the blood flow to his skin, and helping to spread his natural oils throughout his coat, keeping both skin and coat wonderfully healthy. Also, it’s just good to spend one on one time with your dog. Isn’t that why you have him?

1.      Take your dog to a grooming studio which puts an emphasis on following sustainable business practices and uses environmentally friendly shampoos and conditioners. Carbon offsets, power saving equipment, reclaimed building materials, and a recycling and composting program, all help to lessen Fido’s impact on the planet. Biodegradable organic shampoos and conditioners, while they are the healthiest choice you can make for your beloved fur child, they also create far less impact on our precious water resources than conventional soaps and cleaning agents.

2.      Purchase long lasting, quality made items for your pet from local manufactures and craftspeople. Most consumables these days are made following the planned obsolesence business practice. This makes for wealthy manufacturers, but creates a very large landfill problem for our beautiful planet. Items which are made locally don’t need to travel far, reducing green house gas emissions, our reliance on fossil fuels, as well as  supporting our local community. Choose natural materials harvested sustainably such as a hemp or bamboo dog bed filled with cedar chips, or a leather collar with a brass buckle which will last a lifetime.

3.      Feed your dog people food. Healthy people food, that is, like organic meats, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, eggs and dairy. A diet rich in whole foods as opposed to processed foods will not only mean a healthier dog with a fantastic set of chops, it also means  you are feeding your dog a more nutritionally dense diet. This translates to an efficient use of food, which means less waste for you and the planet. Commercially processed pet food requires you to feed more of it, and thus more calories than your dog needs in order to ensure he gets the amount of nutrients required. (By the way, the nutrient levels stated on the nutritional panel of a bag of kibble, are what is required to keep your dog alive, not thriving.) It also relies on heavy usage of fossil fuels and water in manufacture and transportation, chemical preservatives, and industrial farming practices. Purchasing whole foods from a local market, or specialty diets made by a reputable local company will ensure your dog treads lightly on our planet, and lives a long and healthy life.

4.      Use biodegradable compostable poo bags. Choose carefully when selecting a biodegradable bag, as they are not all created equal. Some bags which are marketed as biodegradable are petroleum based plastics, which break down to microscopic fragments, but still remain plastic in nature. Much of this plastic ends up in landfills, tainting water supplies, becomes carcinogenic pollution in incinerators, or finds it’s way to the Great Pacific Gyre Garbage Patch where it enters the food chain as it is ingested by sea creatures. Oh yes, there’s a garbage patch in the Atlantic Ocean too. BioBag makes dog poop bags which are made from certified 100% GMO free corn grown on marginal agricultural land not suitable to grow food crops, uses soy based inks low in heavy metals, and no chemical additives to speed decomposition. They are 100% bio-degradable and 100% compostable with your kitchen scraps. Remember to compost and not trash the bag, as it needs oxygen to break down, which does not happen in a landfill. If you don’t own your own composter, make sure your city accepts plastic in their compost program.

5.      Protect your dog from fleas naturally. Chemical flea treatments can be deadly, and not just for the fleas. Exposure can produce a number of ill effects in your dog, yourself, and your children. Natural solutions are easy on everyone including the planet. For prevention, essential oils such as Cedarwood, Neem, Lemongrass, and Peppermint all have insect repellant properties and can be made into shampoos and conditioners, or sprayed onto the dogs coat, his bed, collar or bandana. If Fido already has a flea problem, Diatomaceous earth or Borax can be sprinkled on the carpet and vacuumed up to rid the house of flea eggs and larvae, and Nematodes can be spread in the garden to treat your yard. A natural or organic dog groomer can free your dog of fleas without resorting to chemicals, and he’ll smell fantastic as an added benefit.

You don’t ever see wolves soaping up down by the river, do you? Then why would you want to bathe your dog? Well, dogs in the wild tend to move around their territory, avoiding colonies of parasites, unlike our domesticated friends. We’ve also bred our dogs to have long, curly or very fine hair, which can prove too difficult for them to groom with their teeth, paws and tongue.

Plant debris, dirt and mats can collect in their coats, which could lead to irritation. Household dust can contain toxic substances like flame retardant from curtains, carpets and furniture, tiny flakes of paint - possibly lead based, synthetic fibres, and in a city like Vancouver, grime from automobile exhaust and asbestos brake linings. Floor cleaning chemicals and carpet fresheners are poisons your dog picks up on his pads. The last thing you want your dog to do is lick these toxins off his coat and ingest them, but it’s not realistic, nor is it good for your dogs skin and coat, to bathe him every day. Once a month is a good rule of thumb, but more frequently if he’s been walking city streets, or if you suspect he strolled through a garden treated with pesticides or herbicides, even if he’s been laying innocently on a deck made from pressure treated wood, as it contains arsenic. Just be sure to use a mild shampoo.

Choosing a shampoo can be a daunting experience unless you know what to look for. The idea is to wash toxins away from your dogs body to keep him in optimal health, or help him regain it by allowing his immune system to focus on bigger issues. Select one made from organic oils, such as olive, coconut and jojoba, and scented with essential oils, not fragrance. Speak to a groomer who specializes in holistic and organic principles, as these people are a wealthy source of information, and eager to help spread the word.