More often than not, some of our favorite buys are small, how-didn’t-I-know-about-this products that solve an everyday problem. That’s what we’re highlighting in our Little Lifesavers series: cheap, simple purchases that you’ll use on the daily. Hit “Add to Cart” and thank us later!
Problem: My German shepherd and husky shed their brown and white hair everywhere year-round.
Solution: The FURminator Undercoat De-shedding Tool helps keep my dogs’ shedding under control, and significantly reduces the amount of time spent vacuuming and lint rolling.
Pet ownership comes with a lot of downsides. Maybe your dog drools, maybe your cat has really bad gas, or maybe your pup has the occasional accident in the house. Despite these annoying and oftentimes gross characteristics, most would agree that the good outweighs the bad. So, we unconditionally love our pets — just as they do us.
Speaking as a dog dad to a German shepherd and husky, without a doubt, my least favorite thing about my dogs is their endless shedding. No lie: I could probably create an entire fashion line out of my husky’s hair! He consistently leaves behind hair clumps anywhere he sits. My German shepherd Mika isn’t innocent, either — her brown hair just isn’t as noticeable against my hardwood floors.
I bonded with a woman at the dog park who has a Samoyed that also endlessly sheds. I told her how helpful my robot vacuum is to keep those hair dust bunnies to a minimum, and she raved about her FURminator, which I had never heard of. She called it an absolute game-changer, and honestly, she was shocked I didn’t have one.
As soon as I got home from the dog park, I looked it up. Basically, the FURminator is a metal, rake-like comb with a rubber handle and long teeth that reaches through your pet’s topcoat to remove loose undercoat hair. The brush also has a convenient ejector button that quickly releases the collected hair.
I immediately scrolled to the customer reviews on Amazon. At the time of publishing, the tool has nearly 20,000 5-star reviews. What really sold me, though, was the customer photos of heaps of loose dog hair that was piled up like raked leaves. When I first brushed my husky, Ghost, I took a photo of my own. See for yourself!
Although the FURminator won’t put an end to shedding, it does lessen the severity of it. If I brush my dogs once or twice a week with it, I can get away without lint rolling my clothes — something I previously had to do any time I'd leave the house. I still have to regularly vacuum, but the dust bunnies that would gather underneath my dining room table definitely aren’t as severe anymore.
It’s worth mentioning that the FURminator works best on pets that are cleaned, conditioned, and dry. Although experts recommend using the FURminator de-shedding tool once or twice a week for 10-20 minutes each session, I probably use mine once a month — and it still makes a significant difference.
Just a pro-tip: You should always use the brush in the direction of your pet’s hair growth. I start at the base of my dogs’ neck, and then brush all the way to the tail. Make sure you don’t press too hard, either — just glide it across the fur, and it will get the job done without damaging your pet’s coat. You also should not attempt to use the brush to remove tangles or mats from your pet’s hair. Although you can use it to brush your pet’s stomach, ears, and tail, both of my dogs won’t let me. So, your mileage may vary.
FURminator has a convenient list of dog breeds and cat breeds that can benefit from the de-shedding tool. If your pet is known to have sensitive skin, bruises, or sores, you should also consider consulting your veterinarian before investing in a FURminator brush.
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