Furminator

[Scottsmum]

Before I start - Yes I know they're not strongly recommended but I was desperate.

We're drowning in hair here. It's so bad. I put it down to the move - You know we had those few 40 degree days in Sydney mid-to late November and a few very warm days before that too - as early as October. Then we arrived in NZ and it was cold - Scottie was wearing a jumper to bed and I even took a snuggle safe with me one night - It didn't warm up til Christmas.

Now it's warm - most days - highs around 30, lows around 15. He also had a few baths in quick succession - three between arriving in NZ on 25/11 and xmas day - he usually gets a lot less - I only really bath him if he's rolled in poo.

And I think it's just played havoc on his coat. He's always dropped a lot - but I was at my witts end. So I looked on youtube, read some reviews, searched here, took none of the advice from you guys* and ordered one on ebay for less than 1/2 what they retail for here.

(*I did see Jumabaar said on one post she'd use it in limited cases eg on geriatric dogs - that was enough for me). It finally arrived today - after a stuff up from NZ post and we gave it a try.

I'm not entirely in love with it - I don't think it's worth what it sells for.

I got similar amounts of hair from him as I do with my $4 rubber curry comb.

The "quick" release button to remove hair doesn't work well - I had to remove the hair from the brush myself.

It does feel nice in the hand.

He seemed to enjoy it - Usually he goes bonkers and silly when I curry comb him - cant keep him still for love nor money. This time he was sedate and offering his neck, chest and ear area - all around the collar area to be brushed and making happy grumble sounds. He even wandered away and came back for more.

I'll keep using it - i mean it cost bloody $50 including post -and I really hope it helps with the amount of hair in the house - but I sure as heck won't be recommending it any time soon.

[Alibi]

I didn't think much of it either! Thought I would give it a go as I loved the Mars coat king that I used on my long coated dog and thought maybe this would be the short haired dog equivalent. Nope it sucks.

[Dogsfevr]

Furminators used correctly can be great tool & the hair building up isn't typical

The biggest issue is people don't release these two heads long/short coat & many order the wrong one .

If the coat has never been clipped then just pull it,buy a slick n easy stone & work over the coat with that .

I will say using the furminator whilst lathered in shampoo works better as does the stone.

I don't use the furminator on my show dogs but they do have a purpose used right & not in a hurry there not a 10 min tool

[Maddy]

I guess it probably depends on what you want it for?

I use mine to strip out kennel coat in greyhounds and I love it. Still have to use fingers/blade for the nooks and crannies, and I do use it alongside the Zoom Groom (for scrubbing out the dead skin, otherwise the Furminator blade gets clogged up with dog dandruff ) but it makes the job so much faster and the dogs enjoy it more.

[Scottsmum]

I didn't think much of it either! Thought I would give it a go as I loved the Mars coat king that I used on my long coated dog and thought maybe this would be the short haired dog equivalent. Nope it sucks.

Hrm - I wouldn't go as far as "it sucks" LOL - but it certianly isn't as good as the awesome youtube videos made it out to be.

Furminators used correctly can be great tool & the hair building up isn't typical The biggest issue is people don't release these two heads long/short coat & many order the wrong one .If the coat has never been clipped then just pull it,buy a slick n easy stone & work over the coat with that .I will say using the furminator whilst lathered in shampoo works better as does the stone.I don't use the furminator on my show dogs but they do have a purpose used right & not in a hurry there not a 10 min tool

I got the short haired one. So I'm ok there.

We used to use a stone thing on the horses to pull winter coats - would this be similar?

I didn't realise the furminator was OK to use on a wet coat. Thanks for the tip. :)

Certainly not showing here - or after a 10 minute tool - it's just that in the past one or two good sessions a few weeks apart with the curry comb was enough. Vigorous brush - ideally in a circular pattern, good bath, run hands opposite direction to coat while still wet, rinse well, towel dry & another curry comb Worked a treat.

This year - just hair every where - like a walking puff ball - you couldn't touch him for a bit there. Covers on everything - being washed weekly, pulling chunks of hair out of the washing machine, vacuuming a mimimum of 3 times a week. It was really insane.

I'm reasonably sure he's in good health - he had a full clean bill of health including bloods done in November. Think its just the seasonal stress I outlined in original post.

I guess it probably depends on what you want it for?I use mine to strip out kennel coat in greyhounds and I love it. Still have to use fingers/blade for the nooks and crannies, and I do use it alongside the Zoom Groom (for scrubbing out the dead skin, otherwise the Furminator blade gets clogged up with dog dandruff ) but it makes the job so much faster and the dogs enjoy it more.

He enjoyed it - a lot more than the curry comb. I was just expecting buckets of hair - like I said - I got about the same, maybe less than the curry comb. Oh well. I'll still use it - I was just expecting magic. Glad I didn't pay full retail for it.

[Maddy]

He enjoyed it - a lot more than the curry comb. I was just expecting buckets of hair - like I said - I got about the same, maybe less than the curry comb. Oh well. I'll still use it - I was just expecting magic. Glad I didn't pay full retail for it.

I think it's possibly less physical work than a curry comb or a Zoom Groom on its own (because it does catch loose hair better) but getting out fluff is never going to be quick or easy. The way I do brushing is to scrub everything around with the Zoom Groom (backwards and forwards) and then go over it with the Furminator until there's not much hair coming out, and then scrub again with the Zoom Groom, rinse, repeat. Once the fluffy crap is under control*, a quick weekly going over with the Furminator, finished off with wiping down with the lambswool mitt and hounds look shiny and smooth.

*Which can take weeks, depending on how bad the problem is.

[Scottsmum]

Thanks for the tips.

Wil have to google a zoom groom ...

[tdierikx]

My Labrador hated the one I was given one Christmas... and it wasn't one of the cheap knock-offs, but a real Furminator. She prefers the cheap metal ring thing with teeth... go figure!

Pickles hates any kind of brushing/stripping tool - and don't even talk to me about trying to bath her... she has ultra-sensitive spots that react badly to touch, so we have to just live with her constant shedding... *sigh*

T.

[Maddy]

Thanks for the tips.

Wil have to google a zoom groom ...

Woolworths/Coles sell them down here so that'd be the cheapest place to look. Heaps cheaper than a Furminator (my last Zoom Groom cost around $12) and can also be used in the bath to really scrub the skin.

They're same idea as a curry comb but with fatter teeth that feel a bit more grippy.

[Vehs]

^ Yup, I love to use a zoomgroom in the bath on dogs with coats like Labs both for the shampoo and then for the conditioner soaking time - HEAPS of hair falls out. Then a good blow dry

Aldi were selling cheapie furminators and I thought about getting one for the Lab I regularly mind, but I never thought they did more than a good bath would

[Scottsmum]

Thanks for the tips.

Wil have to google a zoom groom ...

Woolworths/Coles sell them down here so that'd be the cheapest place to look. Heaps cheaper than a Furminator (my last Zoom Groom cost around $12) and can also be used in the bath to really scrub the skin.

They're same idea as a curry comb but with fatter teeth that feel a bit more grippy.

Yep - looked them up - have seen them and never given them much thought. Maybe one day when I have a job again... the furminator was my last splurge for a while

[Dogsfevr]

Actually the long haired is what you should have got

[Scottsmum]

Actually the long haired is what you should have got

Bugger... why is that?

[Dogsfevr]

Actually the long haired is what you should have got

]

Bugger... why is that?

Because the coat isn't short .Im not a fan of the tool but they can have there place but the problem is getting the right one .

[Scottsmum]

Showdog - I think I need a touch more info - I don't get what you're saying directly above.

As for the brush/furminator.

We started using it every night while I was plonked on the couch watching TV - 30-50 minutes every night for a week saw him come good. I just set myself up with a shopping bag for the hair and tried to flip him over about half way through so both sides we're evenly furminated. By the friday I hardly got anything off him at all. So yeah - not a quick win but it's made a noticible difference. I bathed him yesterday after a swim and got basically nothing off him.