There are various types of dog coats. Some are short, some are long, some are coarse or wiry, while others are silky. Some dogs shed heavily all year long and some shed seasonally with a moderate amount of shedding.
The amount of shedding will determine the amount of hair you have lying around the house, the amount of cleaning you will have to do and the amount of brushing that both the dog and your clothes will need. It is impossible to keep a home completely free of small amounts of dog hair that accumulate under furniture and in corners, or to keep yourself and your furniture free of hair. This is especially true when you live with a heavily shedding dog like a Dalmatian or German Shepherd. There will always be some loose hair in your house no matter how much and how thoroughly you clean. Therefore, the amount of shedding should be considered in light of three personality traits: your desire for personal cleanliness, your desire for a clean living space and your desire to groom your dog.
To find out if you can live with a dog that sheds a lot, write down whether you agree or disagree with the following questions and statements:
1. I do not like it when a dog gets hair all over me and my furnitures.
2. I find it embarrassing if people came to my house clean and left with dog hair on their clothing.
3. I get very uneasy when my house is not meticulously clean.
4. I enjoy being neatly dressed.
5. I feel uncomfortable in casual clothes.
6. It annoys me when I always have to clean up after people.
7. It is hard for me to rest until all the rooms in my house were clean and orderly.
8. I am concerned about what people think and say about me.
9. I do not grow house plants because I do not have time to care for them properly.
10. I usually do not have enough time in my day to get done everything that I want to.
11. I do not enjoy repetitive tasks.
12. There is no convenient area in my living space where I could groom a dog easily.
If you agree to at least 8 of the above12 statements, then it means that you should not get a dog that sheds a lot. The more the breed sheds, the more uncomfortable you will feel. You will only find yourself disliking your dog for making it necessary to clean up after it all the time, brushing it and removing the hairs from your clothing. However, if you disagree with at least 4 out of the 12 questions, chances are you do not mind living with a dog that sheds often.
