How to Deshed a Dog at Home and Stop the Fur Takeover

If you live with a double-coated dog, you know the struggle: fur on the couch, fur on your clothes, fur rolling like tumbleweeds across the kitchen floor. Learning how to deshed a dog at home is the single most effective way to take control of the situation. Professional deshedding treatments are excellent, but they happen every 6–8 weeks. What you do between appointments determines whether you live in a reasonably clean house or a fur factory.

The good news is that deshedding at home doesn't require professional training or expensive equipment. With a quality deshedding brush and 15 minutes a few times per week, you can remove the vast majority of loose undercoat before it ends up on your furniture.

What Does Deshedding a Dog Actually Mean?

Deshedding is different from regular brushing. Standard brushing with a slicker or pin brush works the topcoat — removing surface-level loose hair and distributing natural oils. Deshedding targets the undercoat: the dense, woolly layer beneath the guard hairs that provides insulation.

Double-coated breeds like Huskies, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Australian Shepherds, and Corgis continuously cycle through undercoat growth and release. During spring and fall "coat blowing" season, they shed their entire undercoat over 2–4 weeks. A deshedding tool reaches through the topcoat to grab and remove that loose undercoat before it drops onto your floors and furniture.

You cannot stop shedding — it's a natural, healthy process. But you absolutely can manage where that fur ends up. Deshedding puts you in control.

The Best Tools to Deshed a Dog at Home

Not all brushes are created equal when it comes to deshedding. Here are the tools that actually work:

• Deshedding tool: A specialized blade-style brush that reaches through the topcoat to pull loose undercoat. This is the most effective single tool for heavy shedders. Look for one sized appropriately for your dog — large breeds need a wider head.
• Undercoat rake: A comb with long, rounded teeth that penetrates deep into the coat. Excellent for thick, long double coats like those on Bernese Mountain Dogs and Newfoundlands. Rakes with rotating teeth are gentler and reduce pulling.
• Grooming glove: A rubber-tipped glove that collects loose fur as you pet your dog. Less effective for heavy deshedding, but perfect for short-coated shedders like Labs and Beagles who dislike traditional brushes.
• Deshedding shampoo: A bath-time addition that loosens undercoat fibers so they rinse away. When combined with a thorough blow-dry, a deshedding bath removes significantly more hair than brushing alone.

Step-by-Step: How to Deshed a Dog at Home in 15 Minutes

1. Start with a dry coat: Never deshed a wet or damp coat. The tools work best on dry fur, and wet undercoat clumps together, making removal harder.
2. Work in sections: Part the coat and work through one section at a time. Start at the rear/hindquarters and move forward toward the head.
3. Brush in the direction of hair growth: Use long, gentle strokes with the deshedding tool. Let the tool do the work — pressing too hard can irritate the skin or damage the topcoat.
4. Spend extra time on heavy-shedding areas: The hindquarters, belly, chest, and behind the ears shed the most undercoat. Give these areas additional passes.
5. Follow with a slicker brush: After deshedding, a quick pass with a slicker brush smooths the topcoat and catches any remaining loose hair.
6. Clean the tool frequently: Remove collected fur from the deshedding tool after every few strokes. A clogged tool can't grip the undercoat effectively.

Regular deshedding sessions prevent undercoat buildup and keep shedding under control

How to Deshed a Dog During Blowout Season

Twice a year — typically in early spring and late fall — double-coated dogs "blow" their undercoat. During these 2–4 week periods, the amount of shedding is extraordinary. You may fill an entire garbage bag with fur from a single session on a large breed.

During blowout season, increase your deshedding routine to daily 15-minute sessions. This is also the ideal time for a professional deshedding bath and blow-out, which removes significantly more loose coat than brushing alone. The high-velocity dryer used by groomers blasts loose undercoat out of the coat in a way that home tools can't replicate. If you can, schedule a professional deshedding treatment at the start and midpoint of blowout season through OurPetGroomer.com's groomer directory, with daily at-home deshedding in between.

How Often Should You Deshed Your Dog?

Consistency matters more than marathon sessions. A 10-minute deshedding session three times a week will keep your dog's coat healthier and your home cleaner than an hour-long session once a month. Think of it as maintenance rather than a deep clean.

Products We Recommend

These are the deshedding tools we recommend for managing shedding at home:

Frequently Asked Questions

Deshedding is just one part of managing a shedding dog. Read our full guide on how to stop a dog from shedding so much for additional strategies. And if you're building out your grooming toolkit, our dog grooming kit checklist covers everything you need.