Last Updated: 5 months ago
Embarking on the journey of owning a Pitbull comes with joys, challenges, and questions. One common inquiry is, “Do Pitbulls shed?”
Whether you’re a new Pitbull parent or a seasoned owner, understanding shedding patterns is key to fostering a happy and healthy bond with your four-legged friend.
Things You Need To Know First
Pitbulls make for fiercely loyal pets. Ask a family with a baby or a young child, and they will tell you how good they are with young kids and how they are so protective of them.
Did you know that Pitbulls are the most adopted pups? You will be hard-pressed to find a more family-oriented dog breed. These highly energetic cuddle buddies are all heart when it comes to their human owners!
Incidentally, the term “Pitbull” is the generic label given to 4 different types of dog breeds:
- American Pitbull Terrier
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- American Bully
All of them have short, glossy coats that are not soft to the touch. Typically, dog coats can be categorized as follows:
- Double Dog coats
- Single-coat or smooth Dog coats
- Wool Dog coats
- Wire coats
- Silky coats
Once you buy a Pitbull pup and bring him home (to the delight of everyone in the family), you will be surprised to see him shedding quite a bit. Just because a Pit has a single coat doesn’t mean he won’t shed!
Coat Type of a Pitbull
Pitbull coats are glossy with short fur and not so soft to the touch. It comes in different colors and a mixture of patterns.
The markings on the skin could be patches or spots. While Pitties can be of the same color, no two Pitbulls will have the same markings.
The different colors of the coats are:
- Blue Pitbull or Blue Nose Pitbull
- Black Pitbull
- Brindle Pitbull
- White Pitbull
- Red Pitbull/Red Nose Pitbull
- Tricolor Pitbull
- Grey Pitbull
Do Pitbulls Shed?
If you have a Pitbull at home, you may already know the answer to this one. Yes, Pitbulls do shed!
If you thought a short coat on the Pitbull means less shedding and therefore less grooming work for you, you could not have been more wrong.
A Pitbull has a single coat of short hair. While the shedding may be a lot less in comparison to dogs with double coats, an undercoat along the top fur, they still do shed to a noticeable extent!
But the good news is that no matter how much fur they leave behind, grooming and taking care of Pitbull’s coats is relatively easier.
How often do Pitbulls Shed?
So now that you know that Pitbulls do shed, you may be wondering how often they shed. Well, unlike double-coated dogs that have layered undercoats and shed more, Pitbulls shed a lot less.
Secondly, Pitbulls are not too much affected by the “blow-coat” event that double-coat dogs experience twice per year. What is that, you ask?
Read on to find out!
Shedding is a natural process that occurs in all dogs to rid themselves of old or damaged hair. Some dogs may shed more than others. However, most dogs would shed more hair twice per year. Pitbulls shed some throughout the year and a little more in these two seasons:
- Late fall going into winter.
- Late winter going into spring.
This seasonal shedding happens so that they can cope with the coming climate changes. The shedding at the onset of winter will give way to a coat that appears to be thicker.
It is mainly to cushion them against the frigid winter temperature and biting cold. After the winter is done, though, all that excess fur needs to go, or your Pitbull may overheat in the warmer weather.
During late fall and early summer, you have to keep your Pitbull well-hydrated and groomed almost every day.
This is because dehydration can cause excess fur shedding. Also, daily grooming will eliminate the excess fur caused because of shedding. So, you won’t have to come home to find dog fur everywhere!
Reasons for shedding
Apart from seasonal changes, there are other reasons why your Pitbull may shed.
These include:
- Stress or Separation anxiety – It is one of the biggest reasons why your Pitbull may shed more than ever. Pitbulls are loving creatures, so staying away from you for extensive periods suddenly may cause stress because of separation anxiety. It will cause them to shed worse than ever!
- Dehydration – If your Pitbull gets dehydrated, his fur cells will start dying to preserve water. So, shedding can occur. It is easily prevented by always keeping a bowl of water to lap up whenever he gets thirsty.
- Diet and Nutrition – If your dog is not getting a proper diet or a sudden change in diet, it may lead to excessive shedding.
- Routine Change – A sudden change in routine will lead to stress. It can end up in hair loss for your Pit. Note that routine change also extends to changes in diet.
- Bathing – If a particular shampoo you use on your Pitbull does not suit him, it will increase the rate of fur loss.
- Parasites – Ticks and fleas are bad news for your Pitbull. Tick and flea bites can cause your dog to lose his fur. When this happens, you may notice bald patches across the body. Take immediate action, or the condition may worsen and result in more fur loss.
Bacterial and fungal infections, mites, and skin trauma can be other reasons why your Pit may undergo excessive shedding.
If your Pitbull is shedding too much, should you worry?
While shedding is a natural process, and some Pitbulls may shed more than others if they shed an unusual amount of fur, it can be a cause of concern, and you may take him to a vet to see if everything is okay. There are other things you can do to take care of it.
- Brushing your Pitbull – Groom your Pit with a brush gently for 2 to 3 times per week.
- Bathing – Pits have sensitive skin. Use only shampoo tailored for Pits. Oatmeal shampoos are great! And give a bath once per month. Over-bathing can strip them of natural oil, so be wary!
- Proper Diet – It is a crucial aspect to take care of a Pit’s overall health, including coat health. Aside from nutritious food, you can also include supplements like Fish oil (containing Omega Fatty Acids) in the diet.
Final Thoughts
Pitbulls are truly special, super affectionate dogs. They deserve all the love and care that you can shower on them. Yes, they do shed, but they are low-maintenance dogs considering the grooming aspects.
There are certain things you can do like sticking to a routine, incorporating a proper brushing/grooming routine, bathing with the right shampoo, giving them high-quality, nutritious food
Also, don’t forget that bowl of water! You don’t want your pup to get dehydrated! We hope that after reading this article, you have more confidence to be at the top of your Pitbull’s shedding moments!
Happy Pet Parenting!
