Shedding

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by DarkSephiroth

Buster makes about 1/3 of a shopping bag of hair, Corgi makes about 2/3 of a shopping bag of hair.

Yes, I use the Furminator every time. I guess I won't do this from now on?

As I said you should not be getting that much hair off Buster in particular. Puppies do not shed like adult dogs do as they are still in a state of growth.

And no I'd not use the furminator every time. In fact I wouldn't use one at all, but then I don't see them as a great grooming tool.

If you are going to use it do it when they are blowing coat. That means when they are shedding a lot, tufts of fur coming out on thier own.

Peggy

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by gogogiraffes

Peggy, Could you recommend a good slicker brush?

Good brands are Warner and #1 All Systems. Most of them work the same way thought and Warner ones are now hard to find.

I've got one slicker (Groomax® Slicker Brushes with Soft Grip Handle - New Puppy Center - Dog - PetSmart) and it doesn't seem to get a lot of hair out but Gizmo continues to shed.. a lot.[/QUOTE]

Try back brushing him. Meaning brush in the opposite direction from how the hair grows.

Also, if you are brushing the dog reguarly, meaning more than once a week, you are taking out dead hair every time. And unless the dog is blowing coat, you shouldn't be getting out lots of hair every time.

And I mean. I vacuum every day and fill the vacuum up. Maybe he needs a real good brush, bath, blow and brush? I only furminate once a week, if that, I think this last time I did it was the first time I've done it in a month.

Don't ask how many vacuum's I've "killed". Some of mine are starting to blow coat again, so maybe he's blowing? If so a bath will speed up the process.

Peggy

[sofapup]

I've often wondered about that Furminator. If it has a sharp blade, isn't it taking out more than the loose hairs? It seems to leave tracks in the coat, unlike a comb. I use it during the blow-outs, only on the rear end of the doggy. That's where most of the loose hair seems to be. My neighbor with golden retrievers recommended a flea comb. That seemed awfully tiny to me, but it really works well on the shedding fur! And Lilli doesn't mind it, whereas she does complain about the Furminator.

Several years back, there was an infomercial product that my kids referred to as the "suck-cut". I think the cartoon Rug Rats used it to groom their dog. It was a hilarious product. Does anyone else remember that? It attached to the vacuum hose, sucked hair up to a certain length where the hair met with blades of death or something. Remember?

Now, let's put all this together with the SILENT VACUUM, and we can make a fortune!

Julia

(Actually, if we invent the silent vacuum, I could clean my house.)

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by sofapup

I've often wondered about that Furminator. If it has a sharp blade, isn't it taking out more than the loose hairs?

It can. It can cut the hair and take out more than the undercoat you want to take out. And some people have scratched their dog's skin with it.

My neighbor with golden retrievers recommended a flea comb. That seemed awfully tiny to me, but it really works well on the shedding fur! And Lilli doesn't mind it, whereas she does complain about the Furminator.

Well, there are flea combs and there are flea combs. I have a Twinco metal comb called a flea comb, but it's a regular sized comb and not as fine or small as the flea combs you usually see.

Mine is similar to the handled comb in the middle picture. http://tinyurl.com/lcxwps

I think if you get a comb with fairly fine teeth it will work just as well and be safer than the furminator. I've tried various things over the years, shedding blades, undercoat rakes (great for getting corgi hair off the carpet, not so wonderful on the actual dog), and zoom groom. And always went back to my comb. I have decided to stick to my comb and not buy any more "super grooming tools".

As you've guessed I've not actually tried the furminator, but I have used a mat breaker and have been told by groomer friends that it works the same way. I used the mat breaker to take undercoat out of Morgan's ruff when I show him so his neck shows up. (His ruff is so thick it sometimes doesn't look like he's got a neck.) We can get a ton of coat out even when he's not blowing coat, so I KNOW what the furminator is doing to coats when you use it reaguarly.

And yes, I had to practice with the mat breaker to learn NOT to cut the top coat and NOT to injure my dog. Which is why I don't recommend the furminator as an everyday or even regular grooming tool. (And I've yet to find that any of my friends who groom as a profession actually like the furminator.)

Several years back, there was an infomercial product that my kids referred to as the "suck-cut". I think the cartoon Rug Rats used it to groom their dog. It was a hilarious product. Does anyone else remember that? It attached to the vacuum hose, sucked hair up to a certain length where the hair met with blades of death or something. Remember?

I remember it, it was a hair cutting tool that vacuumed up the hair as it cut it off.

Now, let's put all this together with the SILENT VACUUM, and we can make a fortune!

Don't laugh, there is a vacuum that is made for grooming dogs. And/or an attachement for regular vacuums. And yes, vacuuming the dog does work if the dog will go for it. I had one that did, Larkin liked to be vacuumed. Haven't had another one since that has though.

Peggy

[LaRogue]

Don't laugh, there is a vacuum that is made for grooming dogs. And/or an attachement for regular vacuums.

Peggy's right! One of the places I worked years ago had a silent vacuum. It had a really long hose, attachments, and we plugged it into a vacuum outlet in the wall. Not a sound!
I use a flea comb, but it is very time consuming, so I don't use it each time. It does seem to get alot of extra hair out!

Since Peggy linked Cherrybrook... For years I had heard people go on and on about Chris Christensen brushes (very, pricey). After I got Pip, I splurged with my birthday money and bought a pin brush and finishing brush. I love them and hope they last forever!!

[sofapup]

Wow, you guys have created a new dream for me: a whole house fan! Lilli is truly insane about the vacuum, even the closet it's kept in, even the room that the closet is in. If a whole house fan is silent....I could vacuum my house!

The irony is killing me. Lilliput is the reason I NEED to vacuum, and she is the one who prevents me from vacuuming But if it were silent....

and, btw, I use a little plastic flea comb with no ID on it whatsoever. Works.

Julia

[K9skennel]

Originally Posted by Peggy

. Carrying, giving birth and feeding those babies takes a lot out of a mom.
By the way, human moms have a period of losing more hair than normal too after giving birth. It's a hormone thing.

i can actually explain this, in human parts anyway, when you are pregnant you make a hormone called- appropriately, Human Growth Hormone- as you are growing a human. it also makes your hair grow. it causes the hair to 'arrest in the growth phase' when all that is done, amazingly about 4mo, the hair you would normally have lost in the past year, all comes out at once. it seems like tuftfulls, but its not really that bad.
at least not as bad as in a dog!

Between 2 corgi's and a Husky- we always have fur. lots and lots of fur. thats why its called 'FURniture' and why i wanted the shirt that said ' no outfit is complete without corgi fuzz' amazingly, with only one corgi now, theres not a noticeable LACK of fur..
our Husky is blowing his coat now and the furminator is the only thing he will tolerate. could be the difference in the fur, or just him.
Sanka actually likes to be brushed...we just need to do it. ( the story of my life...)

[gogogiraffes]

How long does the hairless-ness phase last in a corgi after birth?

In the mom, in case that confuses anyone?

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by gogogiraffes

How long does the hairless-ness phase last in a corgi after birth?

It's like a real bad coat blow. So about the same time it takes a dog to come back into coat after blowing. Maybe a little longer as they tend to lose a bit more than a normal coat blow. Within two months they should be looking pretty normal.

They lose the hair when they wean the puppies. By the time the puppies are old enough to go to new homes mom is usually darn near bald.

Peggy

[gogogiraffes]

Originally Posted by Peggy

It's like a real bad coat blow. So about the same time it takes a dog to come back into coat after blowing. Maybe a little longer as they tend to lose a bit more than a normal coat blow. Within two months they should be looking pretty normal.

They lose the hair when they wean the puppies. By the time the puppies are old enough to go to new homes mom is usually darn near bald.

Peggy

Yeah Gizmo's mom was, and she explained it to me. but I was to darn excited to get my puppy, and I've been curious about that since then.

[gogogiraffes]

Peggy, I saw a person brushing a dog on TV today, talking about shedding with this brush



What's this brush used for? Would it be good for a corgi?

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by gogogiraffes

Peggy, I saw a person brushing a dog on TV today, talking about shedding with this brush



What's this brush used for? Would it be good for a corgi?

It's a comb and yes, it would be good for getting undercoat out. Do you happen to have "The New Complete Pembroke Welsh Corgi" book? If so it has pictures in it of how to come out undercoat.

You start at the pants, hold the fur back with your hand and comb from the roots out. You go over the whole dog this way and you can get out most of the dead hair when the dog is blowing coat. You'll be amazed.

Peggy

[gogogiraffes]

It looked like a flea comb at petsmart so we got that to try. I kept thinking of the .99 cent flea comb.

I'll look in to getting that book. We have class monday, so we'll see if they have it at Barnes and Noble. Thanks for that reference.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by gogogiraffes

It looked like a flea comb at petsmart so we got that to try. I kept thinking of the .99 cent flea comb.

This will be better than a the 99 cent flea comb.

I'll look in to getting that book. We have class monday, so we'll see if they have it at Barnes and Noble. Thanks for that reference.

Barnes and Noble won't have it. It's out of print, but can be found at Amazon.com

Peggy

[gogogiraffes]

Originally Posted by Peggy

Barnes and Noble won't have it. It's out of print, but can be found at Amazon.com

Peggy

We just ordered it off amazon. Forgot I had a 25 dollar giftcard.