Do Alaskan Malamutes Shed a Lot?

Alaskan Malamutes are large-sized dogs with dense coats on their body. The fur is there to protect them from the cold weather, but the negative side of the heavy coat is that it sheds a lot. It does not matter unless they are taken as pets when you will see clumps of hair on the floor, carpet, or on furniture. We are here to decipher the various situations and shedding related topics.

How can you stop the shedding of your malamutes?

There is no such way to stop the shedding but yes, you can make it regularized.  Brushing with the use of a slicker brush is a good method which, if practiced daily, at least at the time of the shedding season, will protect the dog from shedding elsewhere in the house. A pin brush will also do a good job for the same purpose.

There is an undercoat on the body of the malamute. This undercoat helps the malamute to stay warm. But to keep the coat in proper shape, you need another rake for managing the shedding of the undercoat.

How does brushing help in the time of shedding of malamutes?

By brushing regularly, not only does the owner gets rid of all the loose strands and clumps scattered everywhere in the house, but also the oil glands under the skin of the malamute get aggravated and the oil secretion from the glands keep the coat shiny and in better condition.

At what age does the malamute start shedding?

Alaskan malamutes do not shed from a very young age, but they suddenly start shedding when they are one and a half years old. It can also be as late as two years. At this age, the Alaskan malamute puppy sheds a lot. This is the baby coat actually, which goes away and the adult hair comes up.

Can you shave the Alaskan malamute?

The double coat on the body of the Alaskan malamute is necessary for them as it keeps them protected from the harsh cold weather. Also, this coat keeps the temperature of their body regulated. If you think of shaving the coat off in the summertime, it may not be a good idea. This is a natural mechanism for the Alaskan malamutes, which should not be tampered with anyway.

Can bathing affect the shedding of the Alaskan malamutes?

As these dogs are originally from the arctic region, there are fewer chances that they will need frequent bathing. They can manage with one-time bathing in a week, and in the time of winter, you can bath them once every two weeks.

As they have a double coat, there is not much problem due to the body odor or bacterial growth. But when you bathe them, you need to take proper time for drying the coat so you can see the dog with a healthy and shiny coat.

Does Alaskan malamute need a haircut?

Like brushing, a haircut is also a part of the grooming session of the Alaskan malamute. There are malamutes with long coats which often creates a problem for the dogs as well as owners when they go to play outside and the coat gets all soiled and dirty. After 6 to 8 weeks you can give it good grooming by cutting the coat hairs short.

To do this, you may need the help of professional groomers. Or else, seeking professional help may also be required.

Unless you give a good cut to keep the shape of the malamute’s coat, you will see the matted coat which means too much oil and dirt accumulation. Also cleaning becomes tough at the time of bathing if the coat is too long and messy. So cutting it short and size is a necessary part of their grooming.

How often should you brush your malamute?

Brushing is an important part of the grooming schedule of the malamute. So you must be extra cautious and make time for the brushing. Also, you need a slicker and pinhead brush to take care of your malamute. But do you ever bother that doing a good thing extensively can be harmful?

The brushing session should not extend after 20 minutes and you should not do it more than thrice a week. Overdoing anything is not good so you must not every day sit with the dog and brush every. Too much brushing can also cause the weakness of the roots of the hair in the coat.

At what time of the year do the malamutes shed a lot?

Spring and winter are two shedding seasons for the dry leaves, but also for the malamute’s fur. This may sound hilarious, but the change of the weather and temperature aggravate the shedding process and thus in these two seasons you need to be careful about managing the shedding of your malamute.

How you can manage the shedding of the undercoat as well as the top coat of the malamute?

With the undercoat rake you can manage the loose strands of the undercoat, and to manage the topcoat you have to use the slicker brush. . First you should concentrate on the undercoat, and then you can start working with the topcoat. Managing the undercoat can take up to 20 minutes and then you can work on the topcoat.

What can be the effect of over bathing on the malamutes?

When the malamutes are shedding too much, like the time of the spring or fall, most of the owners think that it is necessary to give them an extra bath. They think this way the loose hairs will all come out and the shedding problem can be controlled to some extent.

But the actual scenario is much different than that. If the malamute is bathed too many times, then it may cause dryness of the skin, which impacts shedding. They may shed a lot more and it will also damage the self mechanism of body temperature control. So do not overdo the bathing process. You do not have to bathe the dog more than once every two to three weeks.

Does less bathing cause smell problems in the malamute’s coat?

Actually, the hygiene of the malamutes works in a different process. It does not smell the way it would have in the case of other dogs. They lick their coat a lot and that way they keep the coat clean. Only regular brushing is enough for them to keep the coat clean and odor-free.

Which shampoo can help the owner to clean the malamute’s coat and manage the shedding?

Always choose the dog shampoo with natural ingredients. Unless the product is all-natural, it will affect the coat as well as the skin of the malamute. You need to check if the shampoo contains products like alcohol, paraben, or such harsh chemicals in the ingredient list and omit those shampoos from the list of your dog’s essentials.

How does the diet impact the shedding of the malamute?

This is actually the less noticed aspect related to the shedding of the malamute. Unless the malamute is on a proper and healthy diet, it can lose the hair of its coat. Malnutrition causes havoc on the shedding problem. You must not overlook the matter of a proper and nutritious diet so to avoid the heavy shedding of the malamute.

Most of the time the owners take the diet part lightly. This is the cause of the excessive shedding. When the dog is not having enough nutrition from its diet, its health may suffer and the shedding of fur will be an outcome of such disturbance.

How harmful can it be if the two layers of the coat of the malamute are shaved or trimmed?

Shaving the coat of the malamute is a harmful thing for the dog. It is not supposed to be trimmed or shaved and so, if the owner does this, it will disturb the balance of the body mechanism.

The other severe part is, both the coat of the malamute will not grow at the same pace, and that will lead to the matting problem. The coat will lose its shape and it will be messed with forever.

How exercise is beneficial for the improvement of the coat of malamutes?

During exercise, the blood circulation improves and it will also strengthen the roots of the hair of the coat. If you want to see a healthy Alaskan malamute with a shiny coat and less shedding, then take the dog outdoor for a walk a time limit of at least 30 minutes every day.

Also, you should make it work indoors for one hour when it is winter and for less time when it is summer. All these exercises have a good impact on the physical condition of the dog. This is highly important in maintaining the overall health of the dog and it will be reflected in the improvement of the coat of the dog too.

Conclusion:

As we know that malamutes are shed during the spring and winter, there is a slight difference in the two shedding seasons. In spring the undercoat sheds more and this shedding period lasts for 2 to 4 weeks. before winter, the undercoat again grows and it again starts shedding at a rapid pace when the winter approaches. Other than these periods, malamutes shed more or less throughout the year.

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