# Vizslas don't shed....



## MikoMN

One of the "facts" about Vizslas that led me and my wife towards one was that they don't shed. We read and heard it on lots of websites. Now, maybe mine is unusual, but this has been going on for two weeks. It did it for a month in the spring too. Everything else seems healthy.






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Is this normal? The first big shed had no changes associated, this one we did change food. So I can't say if it was the food or not. It has been a lot warmer this last couple weeks. Maybe that is it.

Or, maybe, just maybe, Vizslas do shed...But the internet wouldn't have lied to me


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## lyra

This seems to be a common misconception which can only have originated from people who don't own Vizslas! Vizslas shed pretty continuously although there may be periods when it is more pronounced. The hairs are usually quite short though so it isn't as noticeable as a longer haired dog.

You don't mention the age of your dog but your pictures look a bit like what happened with our first Vizsla. She didn't really seem to shed at all for about the first 10-12 months and her coat got quite long. She looked like a bit of a teddy bear! It also became quite blond, presumably bleached by the sun. Then she started to shed and the hair started to come out on clumps revealing the typical shorter darker russet of a Vizsla. For about a month it looked like she had mange with long blonde patches and short redder patches! I'm posting from my phone but will try and find a picture later.

This only happened once with Lyra and since then she has retained the typical Vizsla coat....and yes, she sheds continuously!


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## lyra

Still can't find the pic of Lyra with 'mange' but this post did get me thinking about the topic of shedding generally because all dogs must lose hair (it doesn't last the lifetime of a dog!)

I found this on another site that summarises the topic of shedding quite well:



> All animals with hair shed on a regular basis.
> 
> This is part of the natural life cycle of hair shafts within the follicles. All hair shafts go through phases of growth and shedding. The phases affect the rate of hair growth and will vary by breed, age, hormones, environment and overall health of the dog. These factors also contribute to the length and texture of the hair, though genetics is the predominant factor.
> 
> Dogs with continuously growing hair, like Poodles and Yorkshire Terriers, have hair shafts with longer life spans and shed very little. On the other hand, dogs like Labradors and Huskies have a shorter hair shaft life span and more abundant undercoats, resulting in greater shedding.


Additionally it is common for shedding to be greater in Spring and Autumn in response to changes in temperature.

So there you have it. No such thing as a non-shedding dog - it's just the amount that varies.


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## texasred

I've posted in the past, showing how much hair was removed with a brush.
Vizslas do lightly shed, unless they are blowing their coat. Then they really shed. Mine normally blow their coat about once a year.

I think that rumor was started, because they shed considerably less than other breeds. I notice a big difference in the amount of hair I vacuum, when I have a different breed dog stay a few days with me.


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## MikoMN

Haha. I knew it sounded too good to be true. Actually, it didn't take more than a couple weeks for me to realize they did shed. It appears this is the second blowing of his coat in the first year(ish). One at nine months and one at 13. The first time he looked bad. I may have pictures. Lots of bald spots and darker spots. I even took him to the vet. The Vet wasn't sure, but thought it might be a fungus, even though the culture didn't grow. It just went away after a month and he was a shade darker. I assume he was blowing his puppy coat. This time around it appears to be all lighter hair coming out. None of his dark. So maybe another shade change is coming.


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## tknafox2

I think shedding and smelling get mixed up... It is pretty well know that Vizslas don't have much of a dog odor, and almost none if they are kept really clean. But shedding
they do. I also read somewhere that a dog will shed when it is nervous.
I like that term.. "Blowing their coat"


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## Janders

I haven't been on here in a while but laughed out loud when I read the topic of this discussion! Vizsla's don't shed. hahaha Ours sheds constantly! And the hairs are so small you don't notice them right away. Thankfully we have a leather couch that's the same color as our Vizsla, Gus. Company doesn't know they're leaving with a free fur coat until they're gone. Our vehicles on the other hand drive me crazy. I'm starting to wonder if maybe Gus isn't shedding but the truck is growing fur. It's crazy how much our Vizsla sheds. He doesn't have bare spots or anything like that. Just sheds a lot.


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