If you found your way here, I’m guessing you have a lab… one that is shedding all over your house! I used to have what I call “fur tumbleweeds” everywhere in my house until I found the FURminator.
This thing is genius! I think it is one of the best dog brushes for Labs! It works so well, I even have one for my cats.
Brushing your dog usually results in very little fur, yet somehow they are able to spread fur from one end of the house to the other. How is that even possible?!? When you use the FURminator, you will be amazed at the amount of fur that you get compared to a conventional brush.
Pros
- Well made
- Handle is comfortable
- Makes your dog’s coat very soft
- Can help reduce dandruff
- Reduces shedding by up to 90%
- Guaranteed to reduce shedding better than any brush, rake or comb
Cons
- It’s possible to over-brush – be careful!
Brush… Brush… Brush…
I like to brush Morpheus with the the FURminator deShedding tool to remove excess and loose undercoat fur, and then I give him a good once-over brushing with the slicker brush to make his coat smooth and shiny. The deshedding shampoo helps to reduce shedding, and the occasional spritz of the deodorizing spray between baths keeps him smelling reasonable – for a dog 🙂
Brush daily to detangle and smooth fur; deShed weekly to reduce shedding hair, and bathe monthly to promote healthy skin and coat while reducing shedding.
Below I have linked my other favourite products that I use to keep my house relatively fur-free, and my dog’s coat looking it’s healthy best.
Full-coverage water comb spray for maximum cleaning power and penetration of thick fur; targeted narrow spray for gentle cleaning and sensitive areas.
The Furminator is awesome! I struggled as you did with balls of loose fur floating around like tumble weeds in the house. I’d brush my lab but, as you said, nothing comes out. I think the first time I used it, I got an entire grocery bag full of hair! I liked it so much that I got one for my cat too.
Now, this may sound weird, but I’m a crocheter and I have a friend who spins hair into yarn. I took bags and bags of my cat’s hair to her and she spun enough wool for me to make a little shawl. It makes a great keepsake.
I first heard about this when I was up in Alaska and they put on a little show with a retired sled dog. It was a beautiful, old, Alaskan Malamute. A real sweetheart. Anyway, I got to talking with one of the performers and they told me how they were going to surprise the owner with a sweater made from his fur.
Have you ever thought of doing that?
I have heard of that! I haven’t done it myself, but I know some folks have done it (I’m a weaver but not a spinner). The FURminator is fantastic. Even my cat that doesn’t really like to be brushed comes running when I get out the FURminator 🙂
Hello! I do indeed have a Labrador, my hunting buddy at that. Come every fall it’s not just fur I deal with but mud gunk, twigs, random woodland and field stuff, hitch hiker seeds.. thorns.. and yes ticks. (ew) I liked the Furminator when I had one.. then another one, but with the constant use through my boy’s thick slightly waved coat pulling all the crap out I went through 2 which both ended up breaking pretty quickly. I eventually switched to the Shedmonster by Oster. Doesn’t have an ejector but that also means it doesn’t have something else to break, it also is much sturdier built.
Hi Alex. Thanks for letting me know about the Shedmonster. I will have to look it up!
I don’t have a lab but years ago we had a wire haired fox terrier. Grooming him was very tedious and I expect painful for him as the grooming entailed pulling out all the fine hair under the wire hair. Would this kind of brush remove this type of hair as it is not necessarily loose. If it does I expect many owners would be grateful. Old Nike looked more like a fuzz ball than a wire haired terrier as we didn’t like hurting him!
On the other hand we have cats. My old cat would attack if she saw a brush. The vet had to remove the hair balls. Our next cat loved being vacuumed so no loose hairs. Our current cat loves a brush but mooches around so much it is hard to get everywhere.
I think this brush would solve the problem so I will explore this more deeply.
Good review on a very helpful object.
Ciao
Helen
Hi Helen,
Great question. The FURminator would be perfect for grooming a Wire Haired Fox Terrier. Wire Fox Terriers are hand stripped for show, which helps to retain their colour while thinning their coat. Since the FURminator is designed to thin the undercoat, that is basically what hand stripping does.
I imagine it would be far more comfortable for the terriers too. Nike hated being stripped and I don’t blame him.
The FURminator accomplishes basically the same thing as stripping. The only time that I would recommend hand stripping over the FURminator is if you are planning on showing your dog and you are trying to maintain the colouring in the fur.
I’m so glad I saw this article. I have a dog and her coat is pretty thick, especially as we get into the colder months.
Then spring comes around and her hair is everywhere. We are not 100% on her breed as we adopted her from a rescue but we think she has some Australian cattle dog in her. Her hair is short but gets really thick near her tail.
Would this brush be appropriate for hair like that?
Hi Jeremy!
The great thing is FURminator comes in a variety of sizes and for various different fur types – long and short. The FURminator can be used for all types of animals and fur thicknesses – they even make one for horses!
I don’t have a lab but I do watch dogs in my home on a regular basis, have 4 right now 🙂 I am a bit of a clean freak so I like this brush! My dogs don’t shed, but some that I watch, do. I am sure this would be great for other breeds that shed? How about for a German Shepard? Not really a short haired dog, but pretty close. Anyway, I am glad I found this. My dogs love to be brushed, so I think this would be great for my house guests 🙂
You are correct, Matt’s Mom, this is a perfect brush for German Shepherds! They are known for shedding, especially when it’s time for the winder coat to shed. The FURminator reaches down under the topcoat to get at the loose fur that has already started to shed, This brush will get rid of all of that fur that would otherwise end up swirling around on your floors!
Great to finally see a product for short coated hair pets like Labs. Many people think labs don’t need brushing because they don’t have long coat, but from my experience working in the vet clinic, they can shed like crazy.
A bit of technical question here. What’s the recommended way to disinfect the brush if I were to use it on multiple pets? Thanks.
Hi Cathy. Thanks for stopping by!
What a great question! To clean and disinfect, I would recommend something like ProVetLogic Pet Spray Disinfectant. It is vet approved, and is safe for most hard nonporous surfaces. The thing that I like the best about this product is that it can kill canine parvovirus and it’s EPA registered – so, very pet friendly.