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Living in an RV/Van - Need help dealing with fur/shedding?

3K views 30 replies 15 participants last post by  David Winners 
#1 ·
Hey all. As some of you know, we've been living in my van, traveling the country for about a week now. Both dogs shed a good bit, but Jax sheds a whole not more and it's a whole lot more noticeable. Other than regularly brushing him, is there anything I can do to cut down on the shedding? Also does anyone have any tips for cleaning the fur? I feel like my van is absolutely covered in it. I cleaned like 2 days ago, and it's already an overwhelming mess again.
 
#8 ·
A vac/blower could be a fast way to clean. Perhaps you could stop by a self-service car wash, with vacuums? Maybe truck stops have vacuums?
I think this sounds like a very practical idea. Such things are usually pretty easy to find and don't take up any extra space in the van. I imagine every inch of storage counts on a road trip like this. :p
 
#9 ·
I have a 12v solar electrical system. I was considering a 12 volt hand vacuum. We may be adding another puppy to the crew. Someone reached out to me, about a cane corso puppy who was the runt of his litter, in need a home. Dude thinks it'd be a good fit, and I'm not opposed to the idea. If that happens, I 100% need a solid solution lol.
 
#11 ·
We may be adding another puppy to the crew. ...cane corso...

:surprise: Wowzers! I'm not sure "Go big or go home" really applies in this case...but that's going awfully big, in any case! More power to ya, if you're sure you can handle that level of challenge!
 
#12 ·
Not sure how practical that would be. I currently have laminate flooring, and wooden paneling for everything in terms of walls and counters, etc. We have pretty constant air flow with our ceiling vent/fan so fur gets everywhere even if we had something covering a good amount of surface area.
 
#13 ·
K-9 Top Coat ---- they run about 90$ US each -- they're like lycra body suits for dogs. But the dogs are supposed to be comfortable in them and not over-heat. They would not eliminate shedding but would keep the fur in greater proximity to the dogs.



At this stage, I wouldn't want to be carting around a new pup, however. Not in already close quarters.
 
#14 ·
I believe food makes a huge difference. Mine has been on raw since I got here at just a couple months old. Everybody keeps complaining about this shedding thing with GSDs? I would find a small amount of hair here and there, but not anything I would complain about. I have a sheet that I use to cover my bed. I wash it a couple times a week. No real problems.

Then Shasta had her first heat. She blew her coat and that was a MESS!!!! I figured, okay, this is what everybody was talking about! Dang! I thought I got a non shedder!

A month later, back to normal. A little hair here and there. I brush her daily of course, but she doesn't even fill the brush with hair. I attribute it to the food.

As for adding a pup, I would say no way I would even consider it! They take so much time and energy to raise them right. I don't think on the road would be fair to the pup, you, or the other 2 dogs. My 2 cents.
 
#17 ·
A duster buster sure can help. A canine corso pup that is a runt - those runts can get awfully big- bigger then even standard size. Kind of tight quarters for a dog that size and three can easily be a crowd. If any issues were to arise it could be a disaster. You have a good thing going. I would pass on the pup that someone is trying to unload on you.
 
#23 ·
You have entirely the wrong attitude and are doomed to failure. Don't ask me how I know. Your best approach is to start a side business of dog hair woven rugs, sweaters, and baby blankets. It is the only reasonable means of dealing with a GSD. Hire a cheap labor crew to brush the dog 24/7. You won't run out of hair. People love the baby blankets. If you decide to open a factory, get a second GSD.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Hello, guys I also have my own RV, I want to thank you all for the advice. That helped me a lot. I never had this kind of problem with my dog, maybe he is more resistant than I thought, or maybe our trips are not so long and he can handle these few days that we are not home. The hardest part for me was making this RV because I didn't buy one already done but I made it on my own. I thought that it's better for me because I could customize the RV as I wanted it to be more comfortable for me and my dog. Fortunately, I found this site 10 Best RV Inverter Reviews 2020 – Expert Buying Guide which helped me choose a good inverter because I am really not very good at these things.
 
#30 ·
When we take our dogs in our RV I sweep twice a day at least. At my stick-n-bricks I sweep every day. I also brush my dogs every day. I still get fur
"tumble weeds" all the time. The struggle is real. I am thinking a stick vac in the RV might work better than a broom.
 
#31 ·
When we take our dogs in our RV I sweep twice a day at least. At my stick-n-bricks I sweep every day. I also brush my dogs every day. I still get fur
"tumble weeds" all the time. The struggle is real. I am thinking a stick vac in the RV might work better than a broom.
I use a rechargeable stick vac and it's really handy.
 
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