Ok, I just realized that it is february now… oops....
Is anyone else experiencing a lot of shedding? I live in MA and with all the cold weather I find it a little odd that my B has decided to shed! This is the first winter that we have spent with him, so I'm not sure if this is normal for him.
Join the club…
I think my B is just about finished, but he has shed a lot so far. Never understood why it was time to shed when it was -10F outside.
Yeah… I guess what my mom said could be true "If he was in Africa, it would be time to shed"
My dogs are shedding too here in France and the weather is not that nice yet.
I'm in Maine, it is freezing, and Brando is shedding like crazy. Ruby is shedding a little bit, but not nearly as much as Brando. I should send my black fleece jacket to the kids' breeder so she can show it to people when they say "I heard they don't shed."
Its crazy…I gave PeeWee a bath the other nite and there was about a pound of hair in the tub!!! I have been brushing her eversince and the hair is still comeing off!! I live in Il and its cold here too!!
Hair everywhere here in Connecticut….
Do your b's sleep next to the heating? Most of the time this causes the shedding..
But Tillo is shedding a bit as well 
(he also sleeps next to the heating)
It's normal. I think it has something to do with indoor heating. Mine haven't started their yearly shed yet but I expect it within the next month or so. When it starts I put the dog in the tub, lather them up with dog shampoo, and use a Zoom Groom to gently scrub the loose hairs out of the coat, and rinse thoroughly. This usually has to be repeated in 3-4 weeks and that is usually all that needs to be done.
Stella is shedding too - but she has this short short hair!! It's almost prickly! I'm afraid if she sheds too much she'll be bald!! Buster has longer hair - I started brushing him with a shedding comb (?) and so much hair was coming out!!! Quick on the subject - any hints in bathing them without having them scratch up your legs?
My B's favorite spot in the house is right in front of the heat vent.
When I bathe my B I put him in the tub, and kneel next to it to bathe him. I have a massaging shower head with the long hose that you can bring down into the tub and turn on and off from the shower head. I usually keep one hand on his chest and only put the water on when I am rinsing him off. It works well for my B who hates water so much we have to drag him outside when its raining. Overall, the less traumatic you can make the experience the better it will be for your dog.
Ugh! Squiggy is "fluffing" everywhere.
I had to tell the BF to quit petting him so vigorously :p
We go outside for our brushings now a few times a day.
I think Kananga is about done with his major shedding. His coat looks a lot less dense now.
I understand they typically blow their coats twice per year, but how long does this process last on average?
I HATE hair in the house. Our rescue from BRAT was outside for a good part of the winter, thru the first of December. There is hair EVERYWHERE! One reason we chose a B is no barking (and he does not bark or even yodel or scream AND because they are not supposed to shed. Well, boy does he SHED!!!! I bought my son a hand vac for his room. I wash everything over and over and then dry it. We brush him and brush him. He takes a shower in our enclosed stall with my son once a week. Man there is a lot of hair!!!! Does anyone have any tips for getting rid of it? Yuck!
But my B is safe, I love him too much to send him packing….just need to clean it out of the house! Thanks.
They usually just shed for a month, or maybe 2 out of the entire year…. but when they shed they loose their ENTIRE coat. There are separate threads here with different opinions on dealing with the shedding. Personally, I brush my B once a day with one of the metal U shaped shedding brushes (not sure what it is called). Bathing does seem to get a lot of the hair out of his coat as well.
I HATE hair in the house. Our rescue from BRAT was outside for a good part of the winter, thru the first of December. There is hair EVERYWHERE! One reason we chose a B is no barking (and he does not bark or even yodel or scream
But my B is safe, I love him too much to send him packing….just need to clean it out of the house! Thanks.
What works best for me is a Zoom Groom (available at petedge-online & petsmart) on a wet dog. I got that tip on this forum and it works great. I've also heard really good things about the "furminator".
Oh, and regarding the "basenjis aren't supposed to shed"…yeah, that is purely a myth...as is that they are hypoallergenic. Oh and relative to the barking...mine won't bark constantly but they can and do bark once or twice every once in a while - especially if they are startled. In fact, my girl Ruby barked at me last night when I came in the house and it was dark (I had been away for a few days).
I think the myth of the "non-shedding" basenji comes from the fact that throughout the year, you won't see very very minimal amounts of hair coming off your B. Normally (when its not shedding season), I only see a few loose pieces of hair a day. As compared to my old room mate's dog who would loose handfulls of hair when you petted her.
The most noise my B makes is a bark-like sound when startled, or to greet someone coming home. And, when he is trying to get my other dog to play with him (he jumps around like a fool and does an imitation growl, imitation bark, and a-roos at her until either he pulls her out of bed or she gets up willingly)
Thanks, Guys!
Any good ideas on the hair that is already on the bed, sheets, pillows, blankets, couch, gloves, coats, pants, car seats, etc.
I am even considering calling in a professional cleaning service…. :0
Some bloodlines shed more then others… and yes, that is the biggest mis-information given about Basenjis, that they do not shed.... because they do. As noted usually only once a year but can take as long a 3 months is they were not in the best condition to begin with. How long have you had him? Depending on his condition when you got him or how long he was with brat and/or foster, could be that he just needs some good food and care.
We got him Jan. 9, 2009. He had great care at foster mom's home. He was an outside dog for 6 months at a home that found him on the highway. He has pretty thick hair around his neck. The black is pretty thin now.His hair is much longer than my brother's r/w pup. He is inside with us except when we have him out for walks or play. He LOVES the rain, water puddles are great. He likes his shower(it is easier than a bath since it has doors). I just need to get the stuff he has dropped cleaned up!! It seems to multiply whenever I turn my back!
