Why is my dog shedding so heavily all of a sudden? Is it normal?

I understand how excessive shedding can be difficult to manage! Different breeds inherently have differences in their hair coats and can experience different degrees of shedding. Springtime is generally the time of year where dogs shed the heaviest, as they are ridding themselves of the additional hair grown to stay warmer through the winter months. Other factors, such as stress or endocrine/metabolic diseases (such as hypothyroidism or Cushing's disease) can also cause excessive shedding. However, at 1 year old, Popcorn is quite young to have developed these conditions. Last spring, Popcorn likely would have still had his more downy puppy coat and would have been less prone to a heavy degree of shedding.

To more effectively manage shedding around the house, try to bathe Popcorn every 1-2 weeks and brush him daily. Some shedding tools, such as shedding blades or Furminators, can be helpful to remove excess undercoat, but use caution with these tools as they can cause bald areas or skin irritation if used too vigorously! I hope this helps! :-)