Hair gathering in comb when grooming?

[hayesj23]

Hello,

Is it normal when combing a Havanese for hair to build up in the comb? It does not feel like I am brushing hard enough to pull the hair out, and the dog does not seem disturbed at all.

My reasoning was that the hair the dog sheds would just get caught in the coat, and so when combing the hair that was shedded would get caught in the comb and removed before it mats. However, after a bit more reading it seems a Havanese isn't supposed to shed AT ALL.

Any idea what's going on?

[motherslittlehelper]

Oh yes, that is normal. They are low shedding dogs. They don't throw hair all over the house like say a husky or corgi, but you definitely will brush/comb hair out of them. My youngest, Finn, at 14 months, is going through a second session of blowing coat, and he is matting and I am combing large quantities of hair out of him at this time. I seem to be combing quite a bit of hair out of Augie, who is three, right now too. And after combing them, I will look down and see fine hairs all over my shirt. Maybe Augie is just 'sympathy shedding' so Finn won't feel so alone - . Most of the time, now that he is older, I would say the amount of hair I comb out of him is probably like a human would lose in a brush.

I see this is your first post. Welcome...and introduce yourself and your pup! We are a nosy bunch here! Pictures are always welcome too!

[morriscsps]

I always get some hair on the comb, especially after a bath. Compared to Nessie, my Aussie, who filled an entire plastic bag two weeks ago, what Jack sheds is nothing. I actually didn't notice when Jack blew his puppy coat. It must have happened but when you are chasing huge tumbleweeds of hair from an Aussie, a couple of extra combs of hair is missed.

Nessie has a triple coat which she shreds twice a year. It is a nightmare.

[HavaneseSoon]

I collect lots of hair at different times while combing the boys, and it is all over me too.

[AckTivity]

All this talk about collecting hair makes me wonder if I would be able to spin my puppy's hair.

[The Laughing Magpie]

All dogs shed, some more then others and its how they shed, our dogs shed more like we do and this hair gets caught in their coats and can cause matting you will not see much on your carpet, chairs,etc.. Our dogs are low dander dogs, dander is what bothers most people with allergies. You will see hair in the comb and brush this is good, means it will not wrap around other hair and cause a big matt, and sometimes more hair then other times. The undercoat makes a difference also, our dogs undercoat is mixed in with the top coat, my dog Yogi has a cotton type under coat it gives him big hair...makes him look wider and bigger, I get lots of hair on the comb with him. My girl Misty has a very silky top and undercoat, seldom a mat (itching too much and she will get a tiny one) easy coat to care for.

[Suzi]

Originally Posted by AckTivity

All this talk about collecting hair makes me wonder if I would be able to spin my puppy's hair.

I have a bag full and Karen also has a bag full she separates Kodys hair (white and Black) I just have a mix Maybe it would be fun to start a club! You know I'll trade you some black for brown! we could all make a scarf or hat

[AckTivity]

Originally Posted by Suzi

Maybe it would be fun to start a club! You know I'll trade you some black for brown! we could all make a scarf or hat

OMG THAT WOULD BE SO MUCH FUN!

[krandall]

Originally Posted by AckTivity

All this talk about collecting hair makes me wonder if I would be able to spin my puppy's hair.

You can! And if you are not crafty yourself (like me!!!) you can collect it and then send it to one of a number of sites on the web, who will spin it and send the yarn back to you. From what I understand, dog hair doesn't have enough strength and "give" to it to make good yarn on its own, so the mix a certain amount of another type of wool to it.

I've been told that you need about a gallon to get a worthwhile amount of yarn. I've been saving since late last summer, and have about a solid quart of white, and a lot less black. (I want a B&W scarf, of course!)

[AckTivity]

Originally Posted by krandall

You can! And if you are not crafty yourself (like me!!!)

Oh, I'm definitely crafty. I spin and knit. We're hoping to buy a farm in the next five to ten years so we can raise sheep and alpaca and I will have all kinds of fibre to work with.

But I love the idea of spinning and knitting up some of my puppy's hair. I will start collecting immediately.