How to Control Dog Hair in Your House

Co-authored by Lancy Woo and Eric McClure

Last Updated: March 25, 2022 References

Dogs can enrich your life in so many ways, but their shedding tends to create a nuisance in the home. Fortunately, regular grooming and occasional cleaning can keep your home from getting overrun with dog hair. Brush your dog every 1-2 weeks, bathe your dog occasionally, and take them to a groomer when they need a haircut. You can also get slipcovers to protect furniture, or buy a robotic vacuum to remove the hair for you. Keep in mind, excessive shedding can be a symptom of a medical condition, so take your canine friend to a vet if you notice they’re shedding an abnormal mount.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Brushing and Cleaning Your Dog Regularly

1
Brush your dog’s coat once every 1-2 weeks based on their breed.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Lancy Woo
Certified Pet Groomer
Expert Interview. 3 March 2020.} Use your grooming brush to groom your dog regularly. Starting at their neck, gently brush away from their head and towards their tail. Cover each area 3-4 times to ensure that you lift out any loose furs. Gently brush the top of their head and around their hindquarters. If your dog has a thick coat on their belly, gently brush from the base of the neck towards the back of their underbelly.^{[2]
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- Keep a garbage can or plastic bag nearby so that you can empty your brush once it accumulates a large amount of fur.
- If you have a long-haired breed, brush your dog’s coat once every 4-7 days. Short-haired breeds tend to do just fine with a biweekly grooming.
- It may seem like you’re making the shedding problem worse if you brush your dog’s coat and haven’t done it for a while. Stick with it. Over time, you’ll notice less hair floating around in your home.
2
Use a bristle brush on short-haired breeds. The type of brush you use is essential to achieving positive results when you brush your pup. A bristle brush works best to remove thinner hair without sending it flying all over the place. As you brush, the stiff bristles with pick up loose hairs and smaller clumps of hair.^{[3]
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Animal Humane Society
Leading animal welfare nonprofit organization providing medical care, training education, and resources for animal owners
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- Use a bristle brush designed specifically for dogs. A human hair brush tends to be too stiff and the bristles tend to be too short for most dogs.
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3
Opt for a slicker brush for medium or long coats.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Lancy Woo
Certified Pet Groomer
Expert Interview. 3 March 2020.} A slicker brush has thin, flexible bristles with beads at the end for collecting large clumps of hair. This makes it ideal for breeds with longer hair since the beads at the bottom of each bristle massage the roots of the hair as you brush your dog. A slicker brush is also ideal for breeds with wiry or soft hair.^{[5]
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Animal Humane Society
Leading animal welfare nonprofit organization providing medical care, training education, and resources for animal owners
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- For mixed-breed dogs and mutts, assess the hair on your own by running your fingers through it. The length will tell you if your dog has long or short hair. The texture will let you know if it’s wiry, silky, or standard.
- If your wrist gets tired by all of the brushing, get a handheld dog comb with the same type of bristles as your normal brush. These combs wrap around your hand with a strap and make it easier to maintain control while you comb.
4
Bathe your dog once every 2-4 months. A periodic puppy bath does wonders for shedding, since the water and shampoo strengthen the dog’s hair while washing out dead strands. Take your dog to the tub once every 2-4 months and use a dog shampoo to lather their body’s fur. Use warm water to wash your dog by hand or use a sponge. Rinse and dry your dog thoroughly. Once dry, brush their hair to remove any remaining strands of loose fur.^{[6]
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American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.
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- Keep water and shampoo off of the dog’s face and out of their eyes. Not only will water in the face fail to help clean them, it can irritate the most sensitive features on their body.^{[7]
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  Expert Source
  
  Lancy Woo
  Certified Pet Groomer
  Expert Interview. 3 March 2020.}
- If your dog hates baths, reward them with treats for getting into the tub, sitting still, and drying off. Over time, as they get used to baths, slowly taper off your treats until they’re comfortable with baths.
- If you notice your dog’s skin start to dry out, see them scratching more frequently than they normally do, or it feels like their fur is thinner than it should be, cut back on the baths. Excessive bathing can dry a dog’s skin out.
Warning: Do not use human shampoo on a dog. Human shampoo has the wrong pH balance and uses scented chemicals that aren’t safe for dogs. Human shampoo is more likely to cause an allergic reaction or dry your dog’s skin out. Stick with shampoos that are specifically designed for dogs.
5
Take your dog to a groomer for a trim every 3-6 months. If you can afford regular trips to the groomer, taking your dog to get cleaned up, trimmed, and bathed is a great way to ensure that they aren’t shedding a lot at home. A professional groomer will do a phenomenal job of getting rid of excess fur and prevent long hairs from falling out in the near future by trimming them back.^{[8]
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- The price of a dog groomer’s services varies based on their status and the services you request. Larger dogs with thicker hair also cost more to groom than smaller dogs with thinner coats.
- If money is not an issue, taking your dog to get groomed once every 4-6 weeks is the ideal way to avoid shedding in the house.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Removing the Hair Efficiently

1
Remove hair from furniture and clothing with a lint roller. As soon as you see dog hair stuck to your furniture or clothing, use a lint roller to pull it up. To use a lint roller, peel off the old sheet by ripping it from the perforated edge. Then, roll the cylinder at the end of the handle into the dirty surface by dragging it back and forth like you’re vacuuming.^{[9]
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- The shedding situation in your home will quickly get out of hand if you let the hair pile up over time.
- There are oversized rollers with larger pads on them for bigger surfaces. Get one of these if you frequently use the roller on large sofas or heavy jackets.
Tip: Lint rollers aren’t particularly expensive. Buy them in bulk and store them in your entryway or closet so that you always have a spare ready to go.
2
Sweep regularly and opt for a specialized fur broom if you need one. Sweeping your floors prevents large piles of hair from gathering in corners and under furniture. Use a broom to sweep your floors at least once a week.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Jon Gholian
Cleaning Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 December 2020.} If the shedding is getting out of hand even with regular sweeping, purchase a special fur broom. These brooms have rubber bristles that naturally capture dog fur, and will make it easier for you to keep stray furs from falling out of the bristles when you sweep.^{[11]
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3
Vacuum your carpeting regularly with a strong vacuum cleaner. Even if you don’t see any pet hair on your carpeting, there is probably a large amount of fur embedded in your carpet’s fibers if you don’t vacuum frequently.^{[12]
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Expert Source

Jon Gholian
Cleaning Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 December 2020.} Get a high-quality vacuum and clean your carpets thoroughly at least once a week to ensure that you remove any hair trapped in your carpets.^{[13]
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- Move furniture around as needed to ensure that you remove the hair that has been building up under any tables or chairs.
4
Cover furniture in washable slipcovers to protect it from hair. A slipcover is a fabric pad that covers furniture to protect it from wear and tear. Purchase custom slipcovers for your furniture from a furniture store or buy some general slipcovers from a big box store. Cover the furniture that your dog likes to hang out on and wash the slipcover once a week to keep it fur-free.^{[14]
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- The general slipcovers that you buy from a big box store drape over a large portion of your furniture, but they won’t cover it completely. They’re basically designed to keep the furniture safe from pets.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Getting Creative

1
Keep washable blankets over your dog’s popular nap spots. If your dog has a favorite nap spot in your home, put a small blanket or towel over the spot. After every 2-3 napping sessions, toss the blanket or towel in the washer and replace it with a new blanket or towel.^{[15]
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Expert Source

Jon Gholian
Cleaning Specialist
Expert Interview. 15 December 2020.} This is a good way to cut down on the amount of loose hair in a particular section of your home.^{[16]
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- There are specialized pet hair blankets on the market that attract loose hairs and keep them captured in the blanket. These are a great option if you don’t mind buying one.
2
Buy a robotic vacuum to remove dog hair without much effort. A robotic vacuum is a motorized disc with a sensor that automatically cleans your floors for you. They’re an excellent tool for cleaning dog hair and you can simply turn it on while you work, watch TV, or take a nap and let the robot clear your floors. Purchase a robotic vacuum from a home supply store or online.^{[17]
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Tip: Your dog may have an overly-enthusiastic or adverse reaction to a small disc moving around on the ground and making noise. If your pup can’t control themselves around the vacuum, crate them or take them on a walk while the robot cleans your home.
3
Change the dog’s diet to see if it curtails their shedding. A healthy coat requires a healthy diet. Inspect your dog food to see if it contains 16-20% protein and 10-15% fat. If your food is higher or lower than that in protein and fat, try changing your brand of dog food to see if your dog stops shedding as much. For breeds that naturally shed a lot, changing the diet won’t really help, but if your dog is shedding more than they should be, this is a great solution. ^{[18]
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- When changing your dog’s diet, get your pet used to the new food by slowly introducing it over time. Start by making the new food 10% of each food bowl you give them. Then, move up to 20% the next day. Continue moving up until you’ve completely replaced their food.

Expert Q&A

Question

Can I clean my dog's bed?

Jon Gholian
Cleaning Specialist
Jon Gholian is a Cleaning Specialist and the Founder of Cleany, a home and office cleaning concierge service based in New York City, New Jersey & Miami. Cleany specializes in providing quality cleaning and handyman services to all their customers. All Cleany employees are insured, bonded, and professionally trained. Cleany has been featured in the New York Times, Bravo & Redfin.

Jon Gholian

Cleaning Specialist

Expert Answer

It depends on the kind of bed. There are definitely washable beds out there. If you don't have one, you can get a washable cover for it. This way, you can take it off and wash it whenever it gets overloaded with fur.
Question

How can I get the smell out of my home?

Jon Gholian
Cleaning Specialist
Jon Gholian is a Cleaning Specialist and the Founder of Cleany, a home and office cleaning concierge service based in New York City, New Jersey & Miami. Cleany specializes in providing quality cleaning and handyman services to all their customers. All Cleany employees are insured, bonded, and professionally trained. Cleany has been featured in the New York Times, Bravo & Redfin.

Jon Gholian

Cleaning Specialist

Expert Answer

Get an air cleaner and change the filter out regularly. This will soak up all of the pet dander and fur that's floating around in your home and make the air smell much cleaner.
Question

How can I get pet fur off of furniture if I don't have one of those rollers?

Jon Gholian
Cleaning Specialist
Jon Gholian is a Cleaning Specialist and the Founder of Cleany, a home and office cleaning concierge service based in New York City, New Jersey & Miami. Cleany specializes in providing quality cleaning and handyman services to all their customers. All Cleany employees are insured, bonded, and professionally trained. Cleany has been featured in the New York Times, Bravo & Redfin.

Jon Gholian

Cleaning Specialist

Expert Answer

Rubber gloves are actually perfect. They tend to attract fur and pull it up off of furniture. Just put the gloves on and run your fingers over the surface.

Warnings

Take your dog to a licensed veterinarian if they’re shedding an abnormal amount. Excess shedding can be a sign of thyroid disorders, malnutrition, and diabetes.

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