The Top Five Dogs That Shed the Most

If you have ever found dog hair in your coffee, on your favorite sweater, or somehow inside a sealed container, congratulations: you may live with a professional shedder.

Some dogs leave behind a little fluff. Others appear to be quietly manufacturing an entirely new dog every Tuesday. Here are five breeds that take shedding to spectacular new levels.

1. Alaskan Malamute

The Alaskan Malamute is basically a majestic fur factory with legs.

Built for brutally cold climates, these dogs come equipped with a seriously thick double coat. When shedding season arrives, the Malamute releases its undercoat with the enthusiasm of someone cleaning out an attic and discovering they have been saving everything since 1987.

Regular brushing is essential. Without it, your home may develop its own weather system consisting entirely of floating dog hair.

The good news is that Malamutes are beautiful, affectionate, and wonderfully goofy. The bad news is that your vacuum cleaner may eventually request workers compensation.

2. Siberian Husky

Siberian Huskies have gorgeous coats, dramatic personalities, and enough loose fur to make you question whether the dog is secretly three dogs wearing a trench coat.

Twice a year, Huskies can go through an impressive coat-blowing period. Fur comes out in clumps, clouds, and mysterious little tumbleweeds that seem to migrate around the house.

Brushing helps enormously. You may even collect enough fur to wonder whether opening a small yarn business is financially viable.

And then your Husky will look at you with those beautiful eyes, and you will forgive everything.

Even the fur in the refrigerator.

3. Golden Retriever

Golden Retrievers are friendly, loyal, enthusiastic, and remarkably generous.

Especially with their hair.

Their lovely golden coats shed throughout the year, with heavier shedding during seasonal changes. This means your home may gradually acquire a second color scheme: whatever color you originally chose, plus golden.

Wear black pants around a Golden Retriever and you are essentially asking the dog to autograph them.

The upside is that every day with a Golden is filled with affection, enthusiasm, and the possibility of being greeted as though you have just returned from a seven-year expedition when you were actually taking out the trash.

4. German Shepherd

German Shepherds are intelligent, athletic, protective, and capable of producing an astonishing amount of fur.

They shed year-round and can become especially enthusiastic about it when changing seasons arrive. Their thick double coats are excellent for outdoor life, but somewhat less excellent for your relationship with the vacuum cleaner.

You may vacuum the living room, admire your beautiful clean floor, and then watch your German Shepherd walk through it.

Within seconds, the floor has entered a new chapter.

The good news is that regular brushing can help keep the situation manageable. The better news is that German Shepherds are wonderful companions who will happily supervise every household chore.

5. Labrador Retriever

Labrador Retrievers may not look as fluffy as Malamutes or Huskies, but never underestimate a Lab.

That short, dense coat can shed with astonishing efficiency. Fur may appear on your couch, clothes, carpet, car seats, and places you were previously unaware could contain dog hair.

Labs also have a remarkable talent for being covered in fur immediately after you have just cleaned.

This is not necessarily a flaw.

It is a lifestyle.

Fortunately, Labs make up for the mess with their cheerful personalities, endless enthusiasm, and ability to turn even a five-minute walk into an expedition of epic proportions.

How to Survive Life With a Professional Shedder

If your dog appears determined to redecorate your house with fur, do not panic. Brush regularly, vacuum often, keep lint rollers strategically positioned, and accept that some dog hair has achieved permanent residency.

Most importantly, remember that shedding is a small price to pay for having a loyal companion who thinks you are the greatest person on Earth.

Besides, there are worse things to find in your coffee.

Probably.