Yes – Bulldogs Shed! But they are considered average shedders and with regular grooming, their coats are a breeze to care for. So if you are used to a German shepherd (the plush or short coated ones) that seemingly sheds constantly, this will be an easy task for you!
Fun Fact: English bulldogs are double coated meaning they have a short, soft undercoat and an overcoat (top coat) of guard hairs which are more coarse. It is usually the guard hairs that are left behind when you pet them. The guard hairs are easy to sweep up if you have hardwood, tile or linoleum flooring and easy to vacuum out of any carpets.
When do bulldogs shed? Similar to most breeds, the majority of shedding is when they are puppies and late winter / early spring months. Bulldogs will shed again in the fall as they lose their summer coat and gain their winter coat. If you’re a bulldog breeder, you will also notice that your females “blow” their entire coat of guard hairs while nursing. Not to be alarmed. It will grow back. Proper nutrition helps! You may find some links that show English bulldogs only have a single coat. This is not correct. They do in fact have two coats.
Caring for the bulldog’s coat – regular grooming with a soft brush two to three times a week will help with bulldogs shedding. If you are seeing excessive shedding, the rubber curry brush is the go to brush.
More on brushes – our top 3 recommendations: The best brushes – those with short, dense bristles. There are 3 types we like to use in our home depending upon our bulldog pup and how sensitive their skin is. The shedding brush is great if your dog is not sensitive. The soft bristle brush below combines soft bristles on one side for regular bulldog grooming with a rubber curry style brush on the other side for heaving periods of shedding. The slicker style brush is also for those heavy periods of shedding when you are at a loss for getting their loose hairs loose and in the trash can. Be gentle with this one.
Some dogs prefer the softer brush, some do not mind the slicker style of brush which is easier to clean, and for some, the pet shedding brush – especially in the early spring. Whichever brush you choose to use, be sure to be gentle and always brush from the neck back towards the tail – the direction in which the coat naturally falls. Brushing against that may cause undo stress.
For more on bulldog grooming, see our article on bulldog health as it relates to cleaning their wrinkles – the bulldog cute folds.
Our bulldog’s motto when it comes to their hair on our wood floors: “It’s not hair, it’s my fairy dust!”
Here are the 3 bushes that we use on our English Bulldogs and can be found on Amazon.com:
