Posted on 02/02/2013 11:15:00 AM PST by heartwood
A Shepherd-Lab mix, she's blowing her undercoat. I brush her daily, vacuum and sweep daily, and she's confined to the family room and kitchen. But still the little hairs are floating everywhere. When I got the carving board out of the dishwasher and put it on the counter, there were hairs on it. Washed it and put the carrots on it - hairs. Wiped off the hairs, cut the carrots and put the celery on it - more hairs, and on, and on, and on...
The vacuum doesn't pick up most of the hairs - I am reduced to scraping the carpet with a shower squeegee - that works. An hour later it looks like I haven't vacuumed for a month.
Any suggestions as to dog brush, floor cleaning devices, what kind of furniture and flooring (for whatever distant future we make changes in) would be so much appreciated. We like having a dog - we will probably get a second at some point - twice the fun and twice the fur.
LOL. I do that with my cat!
He loves it!
I used to vaccum my previous dog, Lola. I took the hose with a brush. First I brushed her with a dog brush, then followed with vaccuming her.
To get her used to the vacuuming. The first few times I got her used it , I had her sit outside on the back screen porch and began by singing an Aria from Opera very loudly.This distracted her enough that she got used to it.
( of course,the neighbors thought we were nuts..but then they weren’t cleaning my house!)ha.
First all dogs shed but the bother is worth a little trouble.
I have hairy dogs too and have owned lots of them (show dogs).
Tools - good stainless steel comb and high end brush (Christiansen)
Method - 1. bath the dog, this loosens the dead coat
2. towel dry as best you can. This might take 2 or 3 big towels.
3. brush the dog to get the coat loose enough to comb
4. comb the dog. nothing gets dead coat out like a comb.
5. Brush and comb the dog everyday until the coat finishes
shedding.
6. Keep the fed high quality food and given wormer
regularly. They shed less when you do.
What's a meal without a little dog hair in it?
Wash the dog regularly and get a rainbow vacuum.
Read the post - she’s not a miserable dog, she’s a happy dog, she’s in the house and she’s staying in the house with lots of love and attention even if she does shed.
Knowing that a dog sheds is not the same as having experience dealing with the shedding. And she didn’t shed much for the first two months - thought we’d got lucky on that, ha.
And you have a nice day too.
I see you've never owned a Border Collie.
We use our Roomba when the dog isn’t around, either at nighttime (dog sleeps in the bedroom), during walks or by blocking the dog from that room with a door or baby gate.
Collect the dog hairs; weave them into fabrics, make shawls, clothing, upholstery, etc. out of the fabric. Soon you’ll hardly notice anything amiss.
This will provoke attacks, but when I grew up, the dog stayed outside. At some point people stopped having a chain and a doghouse and let the dog inside. One lady I met in the middle of the mountains in Colorado had adopted a wolf... which she allowed into her small log cabin built in 1875... anything that could be chewed up was... it was amazing what people tolerate for companionship.
My old roommate had 2 English Labs... they would shed and shed and shed and I had to vacuum and vacuum and vacuum. Like... dog hair everywhere in the kitchen just like you describe.
I used a furminator and it does a great job... if you can spare an hour of your day once a week grooming throughly.
What worked the best though was keeping the dogs outside... I’d just let them run loose on the farm... go visit the neighbor farm kids and their dog for “playdates”... Cody loved mingling with the people that came every June for U-pick strawberries... but when they came back... They stayed on the sunporch and out of the kitchen.
Compared to the owner, I tended to do a lot more finger snapping and pointing to the doorway when in the kitchen trying to prepare dinner or a Sunday meal. Eliminate the dogsfrom.your kitchen... feed them outside. Remember they are DOGS, not people... well dog, singular, in your case.
I have two spitz breed dogs: American Eskimo and Finnish Spitz. They both shed year ‘round. They shed in big clumps.
I have two spitz breed dogs: American Eskimo and Finnish Spitz. They both shed year ‘round. They shed in big clumps.
The shedding might possibly, just possibly, drive me to shave the dog in June, but I can’t do it to the poor thing in February. Besides, she would go from a sleek black, to a dingy gray, and my children would freak out.
There’s a reason dog people call them German Shedders.
You’re basically screwed.
Enjoy your new hobby of Fur Collecting.
[maybe you could knit sweaters and mittens from it all?]
:)
The problem with Border Collies is getting the muddy paw prints off the ceiling and walls LOL
And then there is the matter of sleep.
They never sleep, and that means You never sleep LOL
Where’s the ball?! Where’s the ball?! Where’s the ball?! Where’s the ball?! Where’s the ball?! Where’s the ball?! Where’s the ball?! Where’s the ball?! Where’s the ball?!
LOL
LOL
I honestly think you can get more hair off the dog with this tool than the dog had before you started.
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