Do Australian Shepherds Shed? (114 Owners Asked + Tips!)

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Australian shepherds are hands down one of the most beautiful dogs you can get. But something everyone wants to know before adding a dog to their family is how much the breed they’re looking at sheds.

Do Australian Shepherds Shed?

After looking at 114 different australian shepherd owners’ responses to the question of how much their dog sheds, there was a clear pattern. More than 80% said their australian shepherd shed excessively or moderately. Less than 20% said very little shedding and 0 people said they never shed.

In this post you’ll discover:

What real australian shepherd owners had to say about their dogs shedding
8 reasons why australian shepherds shed more than usual
5 tips from australian shepherd owners to reduce shedding as much as possible (Tip #2 is great for busy owners!)
And much more

Let’s jump right in.

Table of Contents

What Real Australian Shepherd Owners Had To Say About Shedding

IHeartDogs did a survey asking 85 australian shepherd owners to pick 1 of 4 options in regards to how much their aussie sheds.

Extreme Shedding
Moderate Shedding
Low Shedding
No Shedding

15% said their aussie was an extreme shedder.

65% said their aussie was a moderate shedder.

20% said their aussie was a low shedder.

And absolutely no one said their aussie didn’t shed.

I wanted to dig a little deeper to see if these results were truthful and accurate.

I found an additional 29 australian shepherd owners through reddit, blog comments, and other forums like quora to see if I would find similar results.

Here’s a list of the usernames of australian shepherd owners who weighed in:

Excessive Shedding	Excessive Shedding	Moderate Shedding	Low Shedding
moose135a	youreadudethisisaman	chipperz14	hetfield151
mst341	wifeoferp	darshini_ii	entire_region_6608
mrmrsxx	no_competition69420	greenbathmat
gangoffluff	muffetbakes	umbreonumbrella
babetmarie	pat-solo	brownyr31
im_awake_now3393	elodieisrad	jef3r
snake_pod	luckydodge21
nwasher1234	cheese_addict69
roux_boo	iprevailx
tylertx2000	danjvd
areyoulive

In my survey I found 72% of people shared that their australian shepherd was shedding excessively.

Many posted pictures of huge clumps of dog fur and said how it seemingly never ended.

21% of people shared that their aussie would moderately shed.

7% said that their aussie hardly ever really shed.

And again, not one person shared that their australian shepherd didn’t shed.

Which is more inline with what I expected as opposed to the IHeartDogs survey results.

In their study, people who said their australian shepherd was a moderate shedder also often mentioned that they were brushing them every day and taking them to the groomers every 4-8 weeks.

This sounded more like they’re on top of grooming which makes it appear like their aussie is a moderate shedder.

But if you have to brush a dog everyday to keep your house from turning into a giant fur ball I wouldn’t consider them a moderate shedder.

All in all, it’s pretty well unanimous.

Over 100 different australian shepherd owners shared their aussie sheds, and they shed a lot.

Not one owner shared that their aussie didn’t shed.

So if you decide to add an australian shepherd to your family, expect them to shed.

Now let’s look at the reasons why they shed more than usual and the best tips to reduce/manage their shedding.

8 Reasons Why Australian Shepherds Shed A Lot More Than Usual

1) Warm Weather

Seasonal shedding is a big factor when it comes to double coated dogs like australian shepherds.

When the weather gets colder, their undercoat naturally grows out to help keep them warm.

And when it gets warmer outside it naturally thins out to help them not overheat.

So if you live in an area where it’s warm year-round, or have seasonal periods of super hot climate, you’ll notice your australian shepherd shed much more.

Plus warmer weather increases the chances of your aussie being dehydrated which dries out their skin.

And contributes to more shedding.

2) Not Enough Brushing

One of the biggest reasons why you’d notice an australian shepherd shedding a lot is if you don’t brush them often enough.

When looking at the IHeartDogs survey and conducting my own, all owners said how important it was to brush your aussie daily or every other day.

It helps you collect loose/dead fur before it finds its way on your floor.

Without making brushing a priority, the only result is having fur balls collecting all over your home.

*Side note: It also helps spread an aussies natural skin oils which help keep their skin and coat as healthy as possible. Which in turn can help with limiting (as much as possible) their shedding.

3) Skin Pests/Parasites

A medical reason for why an australian shepherd may be shedding excessively is due to skin pests or parasites.

The most common being fleas and ticks.

These little critters not only latch on to your aussie but also irritate their skin causing them to scratch/bite more.

Which can lead to hair loss and excessive shedding.

If you think your aussie has fleas or ticks, you’ll have to contact your veterinarian for treatment options.

There are also other skin pests that can cause an australian shepherd to shed excessively.

Such as mites, ringworm, and mange. All of which require medical attention to clear up.

4) Anxiety

Strong negative emotions like stress and anxiety can also cause australian shepherds to shed a lot more.

When an aussie is anxious their body releases cortisol (the stress hormone).

Cortisol signals to the body that it needs to conserve energy which means less blood flow to non-essential areas like skin and fur.

This process can cause an australian shepherd’s coat to thin out and shed excessively.

Times when an australian shepherd might feel overly anxious is when big changes happen to their environment.

For example, if their daily schedule changes, moving to a new home, being taken care of by someone other than their owner, etc.

Anything that changes up their daily routine/structure can make them feel very uneasy.

Which results in them shedding more.

5) Poor Digestion/Nutrition

Like humans, what goes in an australian shepherd’s body affects their skin and hair/fur.

If they’re not digesting their food properly or not getting the right nutrients, it can lead to shedding more than usual.

This can happen if they’re allergic to one of their food’s ingredients, if they’re eating low quality dog food, or if they’re getting too many treats/snacks.

An easy way to see if your aussie’s food is agreeing with them is by looking at their poop.

If more often than not it’s runny or diarrhea then that’s a sign they’re not digesting their food properly.

And you’ll want to look into switching up their diet.

Another indication of poor nutrition is if their coat is dull, dry, and/or shedding excessively.

If that’s the case then you’ll want to talk to your vet about what food changes need to be made.

6) Airborne Allergens

Another possible reason for why your australian shepherd is shedding excessively is due to airborne allergens.

These are tiny particles that float around in the air and can be breathed in by you and your aussie.

The most common airborne allergens are pollen, mold, and dust.

When an aussie has airborne allergies, they have the same reaction as people, they’ll itch much more frequently.

And when your pup itches more frequently they’ll unintentionally be scratching out more of their fur.

Which to you might simply look like they’re shedding more than usual.

7) Bathing Schedule

An aussie’s bathing schedule can also play a role in how much they’re shedding.

If they’re not bathed often enough their skin and coat will become dry.

And when that happens, it can lead to excessive shedding.

But on the flip side, if an australian shepherd is bathed too frequently that can also cause them to shed more.

This is because when you bathe your pup you’re also stripping away their natural oils.

And those oils are what help keep their skin and coat healthy.

Too much bathing will also dry out their skin which then leads to excessive shedding.

The sweet spot for how often to bathe an australian shepherd is about every three to five weeks.

Any more or less than that and you might start seeing an increase in shedding.

8) Hormonal/Health Condition

There are also some health conditions and hormonal imbalances that can cause an australian shepherd to shed excessively.

One example is Cushing’s disease which is when the body produces too much cortisol (the stress hormone).

Cushing’s disease will not only make an aussie shed more but they’ll also have other symptoms like weight gain, excessive thirst, and urination.

If you think your australian shepherd might have Cushing’s disease or any other health condition, the best thing to do is to take them to the vet.

5 Tips To Help Australian Shepherds Shed Less

1) Daily Brushing

One of the best ways to reduce shedding is by brushing your australian shepherd daily.

This will help to remove any loose hair before it has a chance to fall out on its own and end up on your furniture or clothing.

Not to mention, it’s a great bonding activity for you and your pup.

There are all sorts of different brushes you can use depending on your aussie’s coat type.

But a good slicker brush is usually a good option for most australian shepherds.

2) Robot Vacuum

If you’re someone who hates vacuuming or simply doesn’t have the time for it, then getting a robot vacuum is a great way to help reduce shedding.

These nifty little devices will automatically vacuum your floors for you and can really help to cut down on the amount of hair that’s left behind.

While this doesn’t actually help your australian shepherd shed less, it helps make it less noticable.

Many australian shepherd owners on Reddit said how helpful having the robo-vacuum has been with keeping their house clean.

It doesn’t collect all of it, but it makes their job much easier than when they didn’t have it.

3) Monthly Groomer Visit

Another thing aussie owners on Reddit said was how helpful taking their pup to the groomers every 6 weeks was.

In my experience frequent visits to the groomers really is helpful in reducing shedding.

It just makes sure their coat doesn’t ever get too long, matted or dried out which makes for more shedding than necessary.

If you can, frequent groomer visits can really help make an australian shepherds shedding manageable.

4) Food/Supplements

Making sure your australian shepherd is eating a nutritious diet and getting enough of the right nutrients can also help reduce shedding.

There are certain vitamins and minerals that are essential for healthy skin and coat.

And when an aussie doesn’t get enough of those things in their diet it can lead to excessive shedding.

Which is why it’s important to feed an aussie a high quality meat-based dog food.

One that has an animal based protein as one of its main ingredients, is highly digestible and doesn’t contain preservatives.

Also, supplementing omega-3 & 6 fatty acids are also really helpful in keeping their skin and coat in tip top shape.

The healthier their skin is, the healthier their coat will be.

Which results in less shedding.

5) Vet Visit

If you’ve tried all of the above and your australian shepherd is still shedding a lot then it’s time to take them to the vet.

There could be an underlying health condition that’s causing the excessive shedding and only a professional will be able to diagnose that.

So if you’re at your wit’s end, make an appointment with your vet and have them take a look at your pup.

Other posts you might find interesting:

8 Best Dog Beds for Australian Shepherds | Beds That Last

Do Australian Shepherds Bark A Lot? (36 Owners Asked!)

Australian Shepherds Good With Kids? (14 Owners Asked!)

Australian Shepherds Good With Cats? (21 Owners Asked!)

Sources:

How bad does your Australian Shepherd shed?

How to Prevent Dog Shedding Through Diet