Spring & fall shedding: a 10-minute weekly routine
Check the coat, brush the whole body, deshed the thick spots, tidy the paws and clean up: that 10-minute routine catches loose fur before it reaches your floor and sofa. Do it two or three times a week while your pet is shedding heavily, and once a week the rest of the year.
Many dogs and cats shed more as the days get longer or shorter. You can’t stop it, but you can catch the loose fur on your schedule instead of finding it on the sofa.
When is shedding season for dogs and cats?
For many pets it’s spring, when the thick winter coat comes out, and fall, when the summer coat makes way for a new undercoat. Pets that live mostly indoors, with steady light and heating, may shed more evenly through the year instead.
Double-coated dogs, such as Golden Retrievers, Huskies and German Shepherds, usually shed the most at once. Short, single-coated pets shed less at a time, but they still shed.
What do you need for the routine?
- A grooming brush for every coat type.
- A deshedding tool for double and long coats.
- A small clipper for long fur between the paw pads.
- A fabric tool or a lint roller for the sofa and bedding.
- Treats, kept within reach.
What does the 10-minute routine look like?
- Minutes 0–1: coat check. Look for mats, burrs and anything unusual on the skin.
- Minutes 1–5: brush the whole body. Grooming brush, in the direction the hair grows.
- Minutes 5–8: deshed the thick spots. Deshedding tool on the neck, back of the thighs and base of the tail. Short-haired, single-coated pets often don’t need this step.
- Minutes 8–9: paws. Tidy long fur between the paw pads with the clipper, only if it needs it.
- Minutes 9–10: clean up. Empty the fur, clean the brush heads, and run the fabric tool over your pet’s favorite spot.
For a double-coated dog, our guide on how to deshed a Golden Retriever at home shows which tool goes where.
How often should you groom in shedding season?
Use this as a starting point, and adjust it to your pet’s coat and how much fur you find at home.
| Coat | In shedding season | Rest of the year |
|---|---|---|
| Double coat | 2–3 sessions a week, with the deshedding tool | Once a week |
| Long coat | 2–3 sessions a week; brush first, deshed lightly | Once or twice a week |
| Short, single coat | 1–2 sessions a week, often brush only | Once a week or less |
| Curly coat | Little seasonal shedding; brush regularly to prevent mats | Haircuts at a professional groomer |
Does the routine work for cats?
Yes, with two changes. Many cats prefer shorter sessions, so if your cat gets restless, split the 10 minutes into two 5-minute sessions on different days. And check the spots where long-haired cats tend to mat first: behind the ears, under the front legs and on the back of the hind legs.
Short-haired cats rarely need the deshedding step. A few minutes with the grooming brush along the back, sides and cheeks is usually enough.
What else should you do once a week?
- Wash the pet bed and throws.
- Vacuum the floor where your pet sleeps.
- Go over the sofa, car seats and your pet’s blanket with a fabric tool or a lint roller.
How do you make the routine stick?
Same day, same time, a treat at the end, and stop while it’s still fun. A short session your pet enjoys is easier to repeat than a long one they put up with. Keep the tools together in one place and groom on a hard floor or a washable mat, so setup and cleanup take seconds.
If your pet is new to grooming tools or worried by motor sounds, start with the steps in our guide to introducing a grooming vacuum to a nervous cat. They work for nervous dogs too.
Can one kit cover the whole routine?
Yes, if the tools share a vacuum. With the PetCraft grooming vacuum kit, you brush and deshed while the loose fur goes up the hose into a clear 2.5 L cup, so step 5 is mostly emptying the cup. The cordless clipper handles the paws, and the fabric-care tool does the sofa.
If you’re weighing that against a brush and your own vacuum, or regular groomer visits, our guide on whether a pet grooming vacuum is worth it compares all three.
When should you ask your vet?
Shedding with bald patches, scabs or constant scratching, or a sudden change in how much your pet sheds, is worth a vet visit. For mats close to the skin, ask a professional groomer.
