Living With Dog Hair? Here's A Few Things You Can Do

By Justin Mountford

It's endless
I've got two Labradors that literally cover the floor with hair, it's never ending. Some months you can pull this hair out in clumps. During a sunny day you can even see the hair floating through the air. You know you've got a problem when the vacuum cleaner gives up.



Regular Grooming

The best way to keep fur to a minimum is to regularly brush and groom your dog. Ideally your dog should be brushed daily. Not many of us have the time to dedicate to brushing our dogs so I attempt to do it weekly. Brushing weekly makes a big difference it's like a cumulative effect, the more you brush the less fur you end up brushing out.

Keeping the fur at a minimum
Did you know brushing does a lot more than keeping the fur to a manageable level? Brushing helps stimulate your dog's circulation and it distributes their natural oils for a healthy shiny coat. Brushing also removes dirt, grass, pollen, and other unknown substances that somehow manages to collect on their coats. This keeps your dog cleaner longer. Brushing and grooming tools also help prevent those nasty tangles, mats and knots from even forming to begin with.

Tools of the trade
Of course like everything, there is an amazing amount of different grooming tools available. A good tip is to always brush your dog out before bathing. Mats and tangles tighten when they get wet making them much harder to get them out.

Brushes

(c) ZooFari

There is an almost endless amount of dog brushes available. Some are self cleaning, some have steel pins, some are traditional wooden handle type. Basically the bristle type brush works well for most dog hair types. Use a longer bristle brush on long-haired dogs and use a shorter, firmer bristle brush on short-haired dogs. The steel pin type is best for medium to long hair and curly coats. Finally the slicker type brush is used to break up tangles and mats in medium to long-haired breeds.

Combs
Fine-toothed dog combs are used for soft, thin or silky coats whereas medium-toothed combs are used for normal coats. If your dog has very heavy or thick coat, use a wide-toothed comb. Combs are best suited for medium to large breeds with medium / coarse coats. Another option is the Furminator which strips excess fur from the undercoat.

Clippers
If you are buying dog clippers for the first time buying a kit is great idea. Clipper kits usually come with the actual clippers, guards, combs and scissors some even have instructions with grooming tips. Check as many customer reviews as possible.

I'm not brave enough to attempt clipping so I cheat and get the professionals to take on that.

Grooming is important for all dogs with a lot of hair. Dogs like German Shepherds have a double coat and shed a lot so need to be groomed regularly. Grooming is also a great bonding time and generally most dogs love the attention.

About the author
Justin's got two Labrador's and loves checking out new and interesting dog stuff. See what's happening in the dog world at 2woofs.com where you'll find things like fulminator reviews, dog news and cool stuff!

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