When you first got a Siberian Husky, you may have underestimated the amount of shedding this large cold weather breed can do. But just because Siberian Huskies are known for shedding doesn’t mean that it can’t be managed.
Siberian Huskies shed their coat all at once either once or twice a year as part of a seasonal shed. Their dense undercoat falls out and is replaced with new fur. This process is known as “blowing their coat”. Husky shedding can be managed through cleaning solutions like vacuums and regular grooming.
If you don’t learn how to groom your Siberian Husky during shedding season, you’ll end up with tumbleweeds of hair all over your house. Keep reading to learn more about Siberian Husky shedding and what you can do to keep things tidy.
Do Siberian Huskies Shed a Lot?
It’s a fact of life when you live with a Siberian Husky: these dogs shed a lot.
Luckily, most Huskies do a majority of their shedding all at once, a process known as “blowing coat”. The coat of your Siberian Husky becomes so loose during this shedding season that you can reach into the dog’s coat and pull out clumps of dead hair. Have a look at the video to understand what I mean.
Why Do Huskies Shed?
As in humans, shedding hair for Huskies or any other dog is a natural process where old or damaged hair falls out and is replaced with fresh growing hair. Mammals shed both skin and hair as a way to rejuvenate cells.
Once a dog’s hair has grown to its natural length, it will fall out and be shed. A new hair will then grow in the old hair’s place.
What Is a Double Coat?
Dogs that have a double coat are usually working breeds that have to get wet or work in cold weather.
But it isn’t just dogs like Siberian Huskies that feature this unique double coat.
Many mammals that live in cold weather climates have a double coat as protection against harsh freezing temperatures. Siberian Huskies retain this characteristic from their wolf ancestors. While a Siberian Husky is genetically no closer to a wolf than a poodle, it has been bred to mimic a wolf’s appearance.
Your Siberian Husky’s coat consists of two layers known as a double coat
Topcoat
The topcoat of your Siberian Husky’s coat doesn’t come in until they reach adulthood.
This coat is made up of guard hairs, stiff water-resistant hairs. These hairs help keep cold and moisture from soaking into the hairs underneath to reach the skin. The wiry topcoat is designed to wick away moisture.
Undercoat
The undercoat is a soft, dense layer of fur beneath the outer guard hairs that helps keep your Siberian Husky insulated. It holds in the heat.
Because of the undercoat, it is difficult to see the skin of a double-coated dog like your Siberian Husky.
An undercoat also increases the risk of matting. The part of the coat that is shed is the undercoat, the secondary layer of fur beneath their topcoat that helps keep them warm and dry in cold weather.
When Do Huskies Start Shedding?
When do Huskies shed their puppy coat?
The first major Siberian Husky shedding cycle in your dog’s life occurs when they grow from puppyhood into young adulthood.
When do Huskies get their full coat?
At around ten to fourteen months old, your Siberian Husky will shed its puppy coat and begin to grow in its full adult coat.
When a Siberian Husky puppy is young, its coat will appear soft and uniformly short. Once its adult coat begins to come in, not only will the puppy’s coat grow longer and denser, it will also change colors in many cases.
Husky shedding season
Huskies don’t shed all year around like other dogs: there is a specific Husky shedding season.
Each year, Huskies start to shed before the beginning of a season change—for example, when spring is heating up into summer or when going from fall into winter.
This means that Siberian Husky owners like you can learn to predict when your Husky will begin shedding their coat and plan their yearly grooming schedule accordingly.
Getting your Husky groomed thoroughly when they are blowing coat can help remove the majority of the dead hair all in one go.
Husky shedding in winter
If the weather is getting cold in late fall, the Husky’s undercoat will start to grow a denser, fluffier coat.
As the husky grows in a new winter coat, the old coat will sluff off and fall out in large clumps to make room for new fur.
This will cause your Husky’s coat to appear patchy for several weeks as it grows in. When a Siberian Husky sheds its coat, daily grooming can help shorten the process and can make its coat appear uniform sooner after shedding.
Eventually, the topcoat gets longer and is designed to shield your Husky against the wintery weather like rain, wind, or snow.
The undercoat also fluffs up and insulates your Husky’s body.
Depending on the climate where you live, some Huskies only blow their coat once a year.
Husky shedding in summer
If the weather is getting hot in late spring, your Husky’s undercoat will need to become thinner to compensate for the higher temperatures.
This will lead to their winter coat falling out.
If you run your hand through a husky’s coat in the summer, it will feel noticeably thinner than it would during the cold winter months.
Your Husky will “blow their coat” for around a three week period.
The shedding of hair in the sprint isn’t as much as in the fall.
Medical Conditions That Cause Husky Shedding
Along with their normal shedding seasons, Siberian Huskies can also be prone to certain medical conditions that can cause unnatural shedding.
If a Siberian Husky is showing excessive shedding outside of their normal shedding season to the point that they are developing bald patches, they should be taken to a vet for further examination to determine the cause.
Stress
Many dogs exhibit stress-induced shedding when they are dealing with anxiety.
Anti-anxiety medications and things such as thunder shirts can help reduce a dog’s anxiety and reduce stress-induced shedding.
Skin conditions
Mange and other skin disorders such as eczema can cause a Siberian Husky’s hair to fall out, leading to thin patches or even baldness in some spots.
Skin conditions are usually managed through a combination of antibiotics and steroids.
Pests
Scratching at fleas and ticks can cause a Siberian Husky to take out large chunks out of its coat in an attempt to get at the vermin causing it to itch. Whatever you do, never apply calamine lotion on your Husky’s skin to help stop the scratching.
You can normally detect a flea problem by sighting flea poop on your Husky.
Keeping Siberian Huskies on a preventative regimen of anti-flea medication can prevent this form of shedding.
Skin allergies
Like humans, Siberian Huskies can develop allergies to everything from grass to certain kinds of dog food.
If a dog develops severe allergies, they will usually be given allergy contact tests to determine the origin of the allergy.
This will tell the owner what triggers to avoid to keep the dog from having an allergic reaction in the future.
Husky Shedding Solutions
Husky grooming kit
There’s a few items to include in your Husky grooming kit.
Thankfully, you only have to bring out your kit twice a year when the weather begins to warm up and cool down.
For the three week period when your Husky blows their coat, frequent grooming (daily if you can but 3-4 times per week will do) can speed up the shedding process and prevent your dog’s fur from getting tangled and matted.
What tools should you have in your Husky grooming kit? How do you use the tools? Watch the video below where Kaitlin Primrose, a professional groomer, shares her advice.
Now we will move onto our grooming equipment recommendations. These tools are used without having to blow dry or bathe your dog first.
Step 1 – Brushing spray
Here are two options: Chris Christensen Just Divine Brushing/Detangling spray is the premium choice. Chris Christenson is well known in the dog show world.
Our runner-up is the more affordable Burt’s Bees Natural Detangling spray with lemon and linseed.
Step 2 – Undercoat rake for Husky
Shedding rakes or undercoat rakes pull our dead fur from your Husky and helps shed fur with ease.
Our first choice in the Safari dog undercoat rake, made to tackle thicker and denser coats like that of a Siberian Husky.
A more popular Husky-owner recommended alternative undercoat rake is the Furminator
Grooming Rake for your Husky.
Step 3 – Husky shedding brush
The Chris Christensen Oval Pin Brush is a premium product, made in Germany. So if you want the tool used and recommended by groomers for the Husky’s tougher undercoat, this oval pin brush is the best Husky shedding brush.
The Thunderpaws brush isn’t a brush per se, but a combination deshedding tool and pet grooming brush. It’s more affordable than the Chris Christensen Oval Pin Brush. This tool claims to reduce shedding by 95% which means less clumps of fur around your home. It’s a popular choice on Amazon.com what close to 7,000 ratings from people who have purchased this tool.
Step 4 – Wide-toothed comb
If you are following the steps shared with the groomer in the previous video, the comb is used to pick up fur or get rid of any mats left behind after the brushing and undercoat rake steps.
We recommend the Andis steel grooming comb. It’s a best seller on Amazon.
What is a Husky deshedding blower?
As the seasons transition to get warmer in spring, your Husky will shed their thick winter coat in greater quantities than shedding their lighter coat going into cooler months.
To manage this quantity of hair, professional groomers often use a Husky deshedding blower to remove the Husky’s undercoat before starting the 4 steps grooming process we’ve outlined previously. This blower is a high velocity blow dryer and it saves time loosening all that excess undercoat fur.
The full spa treatment
If you want to give your Husky the full spa treatment at home with a brush-blow dry-wash-brush, try this 7 step process.
| Step | Step Name | Description |
| 1 | Blowing the belly | Start the blowout on your dog’s belly, moving upward and out. You could use the blow dryer you have at home on a cool setting or use a high velocity blow dryer. |
| 2 | Blowing one side of the body | Belly done? Now go to the hindquarters. Move the dryer from the bottom of the leg to their upper thigh. |
| 3 | Blowing the other side of the body | Repeat Step 2 on the other side. |
| 4 | Blowing the side and back of the body | Go from the bottom of your Husky’s ribs to his back. Professional tip: move in the opposite direction to the way the fur grows as this should accelerate your Husky’s undercoat flying off their body. |
| 5 | Blowing the chest, neck and face | Finish off with the chest, neck and face, being careful not to blow fur into your Husky’s eyes. |
| 6 | Bath | Now it’s bath time. We recommend the FURminator deShedding Ultra Premium Dog Shampoo. It’s made in the USA and contains natural soothing calendula extract, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, and papaya leaf extract. |
| 7 | Brush | This final brush should release the last of the knots and smooth your Husky’s coat. |
Husky Shedding Tips
Owning a Siberian Husky means accepting that you’ll be doing a little more dog-related maintenance than you would be if you’d chosen a different breed. But having a well-groomed Siberian Husky is worth the effort of keeping them brushed and cared for properly.
Groom your Siberian Husky daily
Grooming your Siberian Husky each day during the blowing season with the brush-rake-comb process (mentioned above) can help collect excess dead hair before it has a chance to be spread across your carpets, furniture, clothing, and car seats.
Giving your Siberian Husky regular baths can also help remove dead hair from the undercoat. Only bathe when your Husky’s coat is starting to mat/knot (or they are getting a bit smelly). Be sure to rinse their coat thoroughly as their super thick coat can trap shampoo.
Vacuum your house often and use air purifiers
The combination of air purifiers and regular vacuuming can help reduce a lot of the dead hair that is left floating around when a Siberian Husky begins to blow its coat.
If regular homeowners only need to vacuum around once a week, Siberian Husky owners should think about vacuuming 3-5 times a week instead, especially when it’s shedding season
We recommend the best vacuum cleaners and air purifiers later in this article.
Use anti-shedding products like shampoos, conditioners, and supplements
Supplementing a Siberian Husky’s diet with fish-derived Omega-3 oil can prevent excessive dryness in the coat that can lead to excess shedding.
Anti-shedding shampoos and conditioners can be used to help reduce shedding as well.
How To Get Rid of Husky Hair?
Why is your Husky shedding?
There are natural and medical reasons why your Husky may be shedding their fur.
If any of the health-related reasons apply to your Husky, you need to address it to minimise shedding.
Vacuum frequently
It’s pretty obvious. When your Husky is shedding, you will need to vacuum your home more often – like 3-5 times during shedding season.
Your average vacuum cleaner won’t do a proper job. Invest in a strong powered pet hair vacuum to get all the fur. So here’s our recommendations.
| Best Category | Brand/Model | Buy |
| Best overall | Dyson Ball Animal 2 Upright | Check latest price on Amazon |
| Best Canister Vacuum Cleaner | Miele Classic C1 Cat and Dog Canister | Check latest price on Amazon and reviews |
| Best Upright/Best For Heavy Hair Shedders/Best For Hard Floors | Shark APEX AZ1002 DuoClean with Self-Cleaning Brushroll Lift-Away Upright | Check latest price on Amazon and reviews |
| Best Cordless Stick (great for hard floors too) | Dyson V8 Animal Cord-free Stick | Check latest price on Amazon and reviews |
| Best Handheld For Big Jobs (stairs, car, couches and other big pieces of furniture) | Shark Rocket Corded Handheld | Check latest price on Amazon and reviews |
| Best Handheld (runner up) For Small Jobs (dog beds, chairs) | Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Handheld | Check latest price on Amazon and reviews |
Use carpet rakes
Ever heard of a carpet rake? This is terrific if you want to remove Husky fur from carpets or shag rugs in your home. A carpet rake combs deep through your carpets and rugs to pick up Husky fur. They also fluff up your carpets as you use them which is great for high traffic areas like hallways and stairs.
Not all carpet rakes are great for pet hair so that’s why we’ve made the small selection below.
- For low pile carpets – The Universal Pet Hair Remover. It’s ergonomic handle extends 4 feet which allows you to get into those challenging areas to clean like under furniture, corners and stairs.
- For all carpet types and shag rugs – The Grandi Groom Rake.
Use lint rollers
What can you do about Husky fur all over your clothes and furniture? Easy! Purchase a pack of lint rollers and keep them around the house or in your car.
The ChomChom Dog Hair Remover is the number one best selling lint roller for pet hair on Amazon.com. You can use this rollow to remove your Husky’s fur from comforters, beds, blankets, and couches.
If you are looking for a lint roller for more personal use, like removing hair on your clothes, we recommend the Flint Retractable Lint Roller that comes with refills.
Put covers on your furniture
Our next suggestion of more of a way to prevent Husky hair getting all over your furniture: cover your furniture. Start with old towels and throws that you can whip off when you have guests visit.
For the fussier homemaker (like me), buy a cover for your couch and armchairs. These covers fit your furniture very snugly, keeping out your Husky’s fur when they shed on the furniture.
These furniture covers also protect your furniture from wear and tear over time, especially if you have a family.
The most popular options for furniture covers are the:
- Sofa Shield Original Reversible Sofa Slipcover (best budget option); and
- RHF Reversible Couch Cover.
Since all you Husky lovers out there have different decorating preferences, decor and couch styles, configurations and colors, we have an extensive list of recommendations of covers to keep out dog and cat hair. Note some are waterproof and others are water resistant.
- Tewene Sofa Cover (Velvet Couch Cover Anti-Slip Sectional Couch Cover)
- Mighty MonkeyPremium Reversible Large Sofa Protector (for seat width up to 70 inches)
- Easy-Going Sofa Slipcover Reversible Sofa Cover (water resistant)
- SureFit Deluxe Pet Cover (with arms).
Get an air purifier
Some dog owners consider high volumes of Husky hair and dander floating through the air in your house as an environmental pollutant. One of the ways you can remove excess hair in the air and general dog smell is getting an air purifier.
But your average air purifier won’t do a good job. You will need one with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to trap larger-sized particles in the air such as Husky hair and dander, as well as pollen.
You will need to buy the most effective air purifier to suit your living space. That’s why we’ve made a couple of recommendations below.
| Category | Brand/Model | Buy |
| Best overall | Levoit Air Purifier with H13-Grade True HEPA filter | Check latest price on Amazon and reviews |
| Runner up | Honeywell HPA300 with True HEPA filter | Check latest price on Amazon and reviews |
| Most affordable option | Germ Guardian with pet pure filter | Check latest price on Amazon and reviews |
Related Questions
Are Husky coats hypoallergenic?
Husky coats are not hypoallergenic. Double-coated breeds like Siberian Huskies are bad for allergies since they result in more dander and loose hair throughout the environment that can trigger an allergic reaction. The large amount of shedding that huskies do makes them a poor match for people with allergies to dog hair or dander.
How much to groom a Husky?
If you don’t want to groom your Husky yourself during their shedding seasons, you will be looking to pay between $80-$100 for a professional groomer.
Should You Shave Your Husky?
Huskies should not be shaved. The dog’s undercoat acts as insulation in both hot and cool weather, and shaving removes this insulation against both extremes.
While many people may mistakenly shave their husky in an attempt to cool the dog down in hot weather, this only results in the dog’s sensitive skin being exposed to sunburn and insect bites. In cold weather, the coat will not grow back properly to keep the dog warm.
Huskies are adaptable dogs and many live comfortably in warmer climates than the breed originated in. However, in hot summer months, it is more humane to keep Siberian Huskies indoors where they can remain cool even in a thick fluffy coat.
Do Huskies shed in the winter?
No, they shed in the fall and during spring They are losing their light summer coat and replacing it with a thicker coat for winter.
My husky is shedding like crazy, what do I do?
Is your Husky shedding excessively compared to the last fall/spring cycle? Does your Husky have bald patches? Chances are, there’s a medical reason behind you Husky shedding like crazy. Speak with your vet as soon as you can about diagnosing the problem and improving your Husky’s health.
With Huskies, Shedding Is Part of the Package
Living with a Siberian Husky comes with lots of shedding—it’s just part of maintaining the breed. Huskies may require a little more grooming than some dogs, but this labor is rewarded with the Siberian Husky’s winning personality and gorgeous looks.
We’re Crazy About Huskies! I Bet You Are Too!
Huskies are one of the most popular outdoor breeds. And that’s why we’ve written many articles about the Husky that you may be interested in reading.
- What’s the best weight for your Husky?
- How big will your Husky get?
- Want to know why your Husky howls?
- Our tips on how to bring up a Husky from a puppy
- Huskies and their different eye colors
- Blue eyes: why do Huskies have them?
- Are Huskies descended from wolves?
- The best breeds for a companion dog to your Husky
- Enjoying the outdoors: how to get your Husky to pull a bike (bikejoring)
- How to help your Husky cope with hot weather (and their heavy coats)
- Are Huskies naturally suited to the outdoors vs indoors?
- Do Huskies make great running companions?