Why Dogs Shed More in Early Fall

Your dog’s coat responds to daylight, not temperature. As days get shorter after the summer solstice, the endocrine system kicks the coat into turnover mode: the lighter summer undercoat loosens and falls away to make room for a denser winter layer. September and October are peak months for most breeds. That fur collecting on your couch and car seats has a biological purpose.

The shedding itself is healthy. But loose hair trapped against the skin causes problems fast. Matting and hot spots become more likely when dead undercoat sits for days without being removed. Getting ahead of it now, in early September, saves you weeks of cleanup and keeps your dog comfortable through the transition.

Double-Coated Breeds Shed Differently Than Single-Coated Breeds

The amount of fur your dog drops this month depends on coat structure. Double-coated breeds carry both a soft, dense undercoat and a coarser outer guard coat. Golden Retrievers, Huskies, German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, and Australian Shepherds all fall into this group. Fall triggers a “coat blow” that lasts two to four weeks and produces startling amounts of loose fur.

Single-coated breeds (Poodles, Maltese, Yorkies, Shih Tzus) don’t have that undercoat layer. They shed less volume, but fall brings a different grooming challenge for them: matting. Their hair grows without pause and tangles more in humid weather. Late-summer humidity across metro Atlanta tightens knots that were manageable a month ago.

Your grooming routine for the next eight weeks should match your dog’s coat type, and most owners don’t make that distinction.

Three Mistakes That Make Seasonal Shedding Worse

Shaving a Double-Coated Dog

The instinct makes sense: the fur is everywhere, so remove it at the source. For double-coated breeds, though, shaving damages the undercoat’s growth cycle. The guard hairs and undercoat grow at different rates. A close shave disrupts that balance, and the result is often a patchy coat that can’t insulate the way it should. Worse, the shedding problem comes back harder the next cycle because the undercoat regrows in uneven patches. A professional deshedding treatment removes the dead coat without touching the healthy structure underneath.

Waiting Until the Shedding Peaks

By the time you notice fur tumbleweeds rolling across the kitchen floor, the dead undercoat has been sitting against your dog’s skin for days. That trapped fur creates a warm, damp layer where mats form and bacteria thrive. Starting your fall grooming routine in early September, before the peak, prevents the buildup that causes skin problems. Reactive grooming costs more and takes longer than a preventive deshedding appointment booked ahead of the rush.

Brushing Only the Topcoat

A quick pass with a bristle brush smooths the outer coat and looks nice. It doesn’t reach the undercoat where the dead fur collects. For double-coated breeds during shedding season, you need a tool that penetrates the guard coat: an undercoat rake or a slicker brush with long, flexible pins. Surface-level brushing during a coat blow misses the fur that’s causing the problem.

What a Professional Deshedding Treatment Does

A deshedding session at a grooming salon goes beyond what a brush and 20 minutes at home can accomplish. At Robin’s Groomingdales, the process starts with a specialized deshedding shampoo that loosens dead undercoat at the follicle level. After a thorough rinse, a high-velocity dryer blows out the loosened fur in a step that removes more dead coat than a full week of home brushing.

Then comes the hands-on work. A professional groomer uses an undercoat rake to pull through the coat section by section, followed by a finishing brush to catch anything the dryer missed. A full deshedding session on a heavy-coated breed removes several handfuls of loose undercoat in a single visit. The difference shows up right away. The coat lies flatter, moves with less resistance, and your dog stops scratching at their sides.

How Often Should You Groom During Fall Shedding Season?

For double-coated breeds in active shed, professional grooming every four to six weeks keeps the dead coat from building up faster than you can manage at home. If your dog is one of the heaviest shedders (Huskies, Malamutes, Samoyeds, Great Pyrenees), the shorter end of that range works better during September and October.

Single-coated breeds prone to matting benefit from grooming every six to eight weeks year-round. Fall humidity in the Dunwoody area can tighten that window. If you’re finding tangles behind the ears or under the legs between appointments, come in sooner rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit.

Watch for these signs that your dog needs a groom now: persistent scratching at the sides or belly (trapped fur irritates the skin), a coat that feels dense or packed when you run your hand through it, or visible mats forming near the armpits, behind the ears, or around the collar area.

At-Home Brushing Between Professional Grooms

Professional grooming handles the heavy lifting. Your brushing routine between appointments determines how long those results last. For double-coated breeds, brush two to three times per week during peak shedding with an undercoat rake. Work in sections: part the coat and brush from the skin outward rather than skimming the surface. Ten to fifteen minutes per session is enough if you stay consistent.

For single-coated breeds that mat, a slicker brush with light pressure two to three times per week keeps tangles from turning into solid mats. Pay extra attention to friction areas: where the collar sits, behind the ears, under the front legs, and around the tail base.

Two rules worth remembering. Brush before baths, not after, because water tightens existing tangles into solid mats. And stop if you hit a mat you can’t work through with your fingers. Pulling a slicker brush through a tight mat hurts your dog and can damage the skin. That’s a job for a professional groomer who has the right tools and technique to remove it without hurting your dog.

Robin’s Groomingdales has been serving Dunwoody pet owners since 1980. If your dog’s fall shedding is getting ahead of you, book a deshedding appointment and we’ll get them comfortable for the season ahead.