# Furminator?



## achan0225 (Sep 24, 2009)

Has anyone used the Furminator? I've read mostly rave reviews about it but some say it rips and tears the hair.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Lots of threads about it here. 

I use it on Sassy, a short and densely double coated lab mix. Love it for her as she sheds easily and it gets out lots of hair. It doesn't work as well on Max, spaniel mix with a medium length thinner double coat. His coat doesn't shed but somehow the hair sure gets all over everything! To pull out his dead undercoat a cheap metal flea comb works best. That flea comb is nearly impossible to get through Sassy's coat. It works but first I have to comb her with a coarse then a medium comb.


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## MoosMom (Sep 15, 2009)

Depends on the breed of dog. Its not a tool you want to use on your dog daily because you will cause damage to the coat. What kind of dog


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

Yeah, it depends on the dog...I would only use it on a dog with a double coat, as the comb is a little sharp and can scratch the dog pretty bad. And its not for daily use, as MoosMom said (I hope that is the name for your husky(?), thats a great name for our noisey dogs, lol).

I have known someone to use it on their older husky, and it pulled out all of the hair on her butt...its over a year since that happened and it hasn't grown back. I don't know if it was her age, or maybe the condition of her coat...but it happened, none the less.

I use it on my husky from time to time, but now I prefer to just use a flat comb...it doesn't get as much off, but we both enjoy the experience a little more.


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## achan0225 (Sep 24, 2009)

MoosMom said:


> Depends on the breed of dog. Its not a tool you want to use on your dog daily because you will cause damage to the coat. What kind of dog


It is a chihuahua/toy fox terrier mix. Does not have double coat, but he is shedding more now than when I first got him. He is five months old now. Could it be the season?


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## Siberian Husky Lover (Mar 31, 2009)

Yes, the season do have affect on dogs. If it's hotter than it'll shed a little bit more. Winter doesn't as much.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

achan0225 said:


> It is a chihuahua/toy fox terrier mix. Does not have double coat, but he is shedding more now than when I first got him. He is five months old now. Could it be the season?


I would not recommend a Furminator on either a chi or a fox terrier...so wouldn't recommend it on a mix of the two breeds either..I would recommend a rubber curry brush. They are oval, and you can pick one up for less than $4 at your local horse supply store.


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## Megalodon (Aug 7, 2009)

I work at a grooming salon that offers the Furminator. I use it on my lab mix and it does an awesome job. At her worst, a single swipe of the hand down her back will pull up a ton of hair. After using the Furminator, she hardly sheds for weeks. It really is amazing. It is, however, more powerful than it looks, and overuse really can damage the coat and skin. The salon I work for only recommends it every 4-6 weeks.

I occasionally will get chihuahuas in for the treatment. I prefer a rubber brush for them, personally. It's less harsh on the skin, can be used everyday, and does a really great job. The Kong Zoom Groom is the one I use, as it's a little tougher than most rubber brushes. You can get them at Petsmart and other stores for under $10.


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## apoirier594 (Aug 30, 2009)

They are GREAT!!! I bought the version that cost $60 at PetsMart off of amazon for $30. 
I use it on my golden retriever my short and long hair cats. It gets lots of hairs out, and I see know cons with it. I would say get one, its the real deal, don't buy a tool like it but cheap b/c its a different brand, buy the real one, on amazon they cost as much as the cheaper ones, so thats why I got it.
I have seen less shedding and it gets the under coat out, so its not like you see a difference or his hair looks shorter, just gets the old coat out. 
out of a 10 I would say its a 9. I use it about 3 times a week


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## DogPaw (Jan 11, 2009)

I would agree that the Zoom Groom would be a better choice for your dog. I use it on my EBD and she loves it.


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## katie_lady (Sep 25, 2009)

The Kennel that I worked at who had professional dog groomers there used it. They only recommended that you used it on dogs who "blow" their coats. They usually tend to do this twice a year. I would not recommend using it on a poodle or bichon or anything else that either doesnt shed or has very fine hair because yes it will "tear" the coat.


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## libbyanddarci (Jan 2, 2009)

I use it on my papillion and I love it. (she does not have long thick hair on her body). and I do not use it on her fringe or the long hair. As far as shedding, it helps soooo much. I can't stand touching her and hair goes flying. I only use it once maybe twice a week and her fur does not seem to be breaking or anything. You do need to be careful of the pressure you apply to it because it can hurt. A gentle hand is best. I recommend it all the time!


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## ina1032 (Jul 4, 2009)

Furminators are HELL on Pomeranians!! First (and only) time I used it on my Poms, they yelped and yipped and tried to bite the brush. It'd have been a huge waste of money except it works WONDERFULLY on my Siamese cats...and they LOVVVVVVVVVVVE getting brushed!


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

achan0225 said:


> It is a chihuahua/toy fox terrier mix. Does not have double coat, but he is shedding more now than when I first got him. He is five months old now. Could it be the season?


It could be the season, but if he's shedding mostly guard hairs a good bath with the rubber zoom groom mentioned would probably do much, much more than the furminator. Excessive shedding can also be nutritional/health related, what kind of food is he on? (When Auz was getting over being sick, he shed guard hairs like it was going out of style...once his nutrition and health was back on track, so were his shedding patterns).


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## Paula_in_Oregon (Feb 13, 2010)

I LOVE my Furminator. I'd recommend it for sure.


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## apoirier594 (Aug 30, 2009)

paula_in_oregon said:


> i love my furminator. I'd recommend it for sure.


 +!00
..


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## Sarayu14 (Apr 26, 2010)

achan0225 said:


> Has anyone used the Furminator? I've read mostly rave reviews about it but some say it rips and tears the hair.


Good product but as mentioned from others it depends on the breed, I used it with my Golden Retriever and will use it again but not until next spring. It really helped cut down on her after winter shedding.


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## My Dog Bishop (Sep 27, 2009)

I just got a Furminator yesterday! And I actually wanted to come here and ask how often I am supposed to use it with my dogs. 

My husky/malamute/shepherd mix has a double coat. She's still not used to being brushed, so I brush her in segments. It has gotten rid of handfuls and handfuls of undercoat. 

My ACD/AS mix loves it. I wonder, though, if I have to be more careful using it on him, though.


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

Its not going to be the brush you want to use every day, or even every week...because it does damage the hair. I use it in the shedding seasons, and only probably about once a month...so in a year, it gets used probably about 4-5 times per dog. Younger dogs seem to be able to have it done more often with little effect, but the older they get, the less useful the comb gets, really.


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## Lonewolfblue (Oct 28, 2007)

This will give you an idea of how it's used. I used mine when I had my Cattle Dog, and now currently use it on my red Border Collie. He's shedding like mad now that it's getting hot. I've even used it on my Sheltie, it works very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPyVWbYwAUw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBtbVlUjeMo

As for how often I use it, I use it maybe twice a year. And it really helps in the shedding season.


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## My Dog Bishop (Sep 27, 2009)

I definitely think the Furminator has been a worthwhile purchase, and I've only used it once per dog! With my allergies and all, I'd like to do as much as reasonably possible to keep my allergies under control. I just have to be careful not to use it too often, because I think the dang thing is cool.


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## Namrah (Jul 15, 2008)

Elka has been blowing her coat so I furminated her, bringing her back to her normal shine and beauty.

I love the furminator - but as others have said, definitely don't use over-use it.

Oh, and the birds love it. I furminated her in the back yard and already see a lot of her fur in the nests.


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