# Any owner that has a dog that "blows" their coat



## malamutelove (Dec 6, 2010)

What kind or brand of brushes do you recommend for me to use when maggie first "blows" her coat?


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## Sighthounds4me (Nov 7, 2010)

I like a good rake. My favorite type is one like this. I first detangle the coat with a comb and/or pin brush. Then I remove undercoat with the rake. The type I linked does not detangle well, but has long teeth that literally pulls the loose undercoat out.

As for brands, that depends on a lot of factors. If you have a lot of money to spend, the sky's the limit. But if not, websites like KV Vet supply and Pet Edge are your friends. I'm not that picky about brand, but I like quality. Some pin brushes scratch the skin, and some don't. for example. the cheap ones usually do, because the more expensive ones have pins that have been ground to blunt ends. Greyhound combs (like the one above - I have NO IDEA why they are called "greyhound combs") are usually about the same. Some, however, have coatings to reduce static, some have rotating pins, etc. But I don't find that necessary.

However, I prefer a high velocity dryer. They are expensive, but indispensible. I bathe my guys, then hit 'em with the dryer and watch the hair fly! I do recommend you use it outdoors, of course! The dryer really helps, though, by literally blowing out the shed hair.


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## Shandwill (Jul 23, 2010)

I actually found a pretty decent rake at Wal-Mart last spring. I have also found that misting the coat with water before you start keeps down the flying fuzzles! ;D


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

Spray bottle, greyhound comb & flea comb. I do have a rake that I use but I reach for the flea comb more often.

Spritz coat...helps to contain flying fur, avoid static zaps and limit breakage. Detangle with the greyhound comb. Use the flea comb to remove loose undercoat. 

Even with this, I wouldnt wear dark collars around Buster...


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## Shandwill (Jul 23, 2010)

Yep, I wore gray pants and a black shirt to work today. Just in the time it took to crate the dogs and leave the house, had to use the lint roller multiple times before walking in the office! Ugh. The things we do for love, I guess!

On a related note, got a shop vac yesterday...SO exciting! Fur tumbleweeds, beware!


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

Shandwill said:


> Yep, I wore gray pants and a black shirt to work today. Just in the time it took to crate the dogs and leave the house, had to use the lint roller multiple times before walking in the office! Ugh. The things we do for love, I guess!
> 
> *On a related note, got a shop vac yesterday...SO exciting! Fur tumbleweeds, beware!*


Best used outside. The wild critters will love you for it too.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

I got a rake for Susie's coat, the teeth are straight across and it is so much easier to use on her than a comb. She is a Bernese cross so is just starting to shed. She gets such messy, matted "leggings" on her back legs that I usually take the clippers and just clip them off. She is such a wimp about me trying to comb the mats out as they are so bushy and it pulls. Within the next couple of weeks I will take her to the Doggy Wash, use their raised bathtub, and blow her loose coat all over their grooming room instead of around my house. Well worth the money.


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

i use a greyhound comb on my double coated huskies/malamutes. then a slicker brush when i can't get anything else off.


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## TomN (Jul 1, 2007)

One of the best rake type combs that I've ever seen and used is the "Ferminator". it is especially effective with longer haired breeds, but they have combs for all types of coats.

Watch the little clip titled "Watch the fur fly" at the bottom.: http://www.furminator.com/


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## Charis (Jul 12, 2009)

I use a furminator and a dryer. I don't own the dryer - the groomer does I just go up there and use it. Between the dryer and furminator I can get a ton of hair off. The last time I used the dryer there was a huge white cloud of fur drifting out of the bathing stall we were in it - it made such a mess! But it worked wonders!


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

A god comb , under coat rake and slicker will do best for a mal 9assuming thats the breed)

If you got a shop vac that reverses, taking the dog outside and blowing their coat with it helps a ton too.



TomN said:


> One of the best rake type combs that I've ever seen and used is the "Ferminator". it is especially effective with longer haired breeds, but they have combs for all types of coats.
> 
> Watch the little clip titled "Watch the fur fly" at the bottom.: http://www.furminator.com/


 No its especially bad for long haired breeds. ruins their coats, and breaks the top coat.


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

TomN said:


> One of the best rake type combs that I've ever seen and used is the "Ferminator". it is especially effective with longer haired breeds, but they have combs for all types of coats.
> 
> Watch the little clip titled "Watch the fur fly" at the bottom.: http://www.furminator.com/


Nope, it's not a rake. As I believe its been explained on this board previously, it's the same as one of the CLIPPER BLADES but attached to a handle. This can damage a long coat due to cutting guard hairs...once cut a long, double coat may never grow back properly. Maybe for a short, double coat but I'd shoot anyone that used one on my rough coated Saint. It's also been said that it's very easy to injure a dog with this tool, it's harsh on the dogs skin and will cause some pretty nasty irritation if used for too long or too often (of course that is going to vary from dog to dog).

I love my shop vac! Ive used it to dry Buster since he was just under 4 months old. At 140lbs it takes 1-2 hours, depending on how heavy his undercoat is at that time, to get him fully dry after a bath. If I use it when before brushing when he's dry it's like setting off a furry snow storm. Someday I'll get a high velocity dryer, until then I'll keep using my shop vac (it has no other uses in my home).


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

LuvMyAngels said:


> Nope, it's not a rake. As I believe its been explained on this board previously, it's the same as one of the CLIPPER BLADES but attached to a handle. This can damage a long coat due to cutting guard hairs...once cut a long, double coat may never grow back properly. Maybe for a short, double coat but I'd shoot anyone that used one on my rough coated Saint. It's also been said that it's very easy to injure a dog with this tool, it's harsh on the dogs skin and will cause some pretty nasty irritation if used for too long or too often (of course that is going to vary from dog to dog).


Honestly, I've used the furminator on Sydney, a shorthaired dog and I still thing it did some damage to her coat. Her undercoat is light grey while her topcoat (on her back) is black and in some areas you can see a bit of grey shining through now. I've stopped using it on her now and reserve it only for the cat!


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

i agree! i would NEVER use a furminator on a long coat. i would cry if someone used it on my sammy. 

i find that a rake works the best to get the fur out. it was suggested to me to use a slicker brush (maybe the brand was master grooming tools?) but i find that all it does is fluff the fur out over the under coat. if you take a lot of time and section the sections to be brushed very small then the slicker will work. but, if you use a rake you can use sections about 2 inches thick instead of 1/2 inch thick. 

i got my rake from walmart. it is green with a black rubber handle. i like it a lot. my slicker brush i had to order online. it is really nice but doesn't work as well as i had hoped it would. i like it for my gsd cross, but his fur is similar to lab fur. the cats also really like it.


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## FlashTheRottwuggle (Dec 28, 2009)

I have a furminator but it doesn't really work well on any of my dogs, short or long haired. It just glides over the hair and won't comb it. I had heard not to use it on the long-haired ones anyway.

I have a rake (I think the same one from Walmart you have Mindy!) and it works well but Timber still has hissy-fits about it pulling his hair. I have an old comb (looks like the greyhound combs mentioned above but with a black handle) that I used on my former dogs that worked better than any brush. Timber tolerates that for 5 minutes at a time. I still need to get ALOT of undercoat off him but he's such a baby about being brushed.


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

iorek is a HUGE baby about being brushed too. it got to the point where i just decided to bring him to the groomer because then i don't have to deal with the frustration of him always trying to escape me. she does great job!


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## CntrlF8 (Apr 22, 2008)

I saw a video somewhere of a woman removing her Samoyed's undercoat.. She was literally pulling the hair off like cotton candy. Just using her fingertips, reach in, grab, and pull strait out.

Has anyone else seen or done this? I'm a new sammy owner, so this is valuable information!!


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## Sighthounds4me (Nov 7, 2010)

CntrlF8 said:


> I saw a video somewhere of a woman removing her Samoyed's undercoat.. She was literally pulling the hair off like cotton candy. Just using her fingertips, reach in, grab, and pull strait out.
> 
> Has anyone else seen or done this? I'm a new sammy owner, so this is valuable information!!


Well, sure, you can do that. But it's terribly inefficient. I'd stick with the above-mentioned techniques.


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

brushing is definitely the best route. if the fur isn't free of tangles or mats it won't come out.

i take my sammy to the groomer every 2 months for intense de-furring  she does the hard work and i just brush him in between visits.


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

RBark said:


> i use a greyhound comb on my double coated huskies/malamutes. then a slicker brush when i can't get anything else off.


Seconded! I also tend to do a good wash and blow dry when the hair slows down a bit. I have several "versions" of the greyhound comb, some that look like a rake but work like the comb, some that have handles, some that don't...but in the end, I think that the straight comb works the best (and trust me, I have a TON of different types of brushes)

We have a furminator, but I think it's a waste of money. It damages the fur if you use it too much and it can hurt their skin if you get it too deep or when there's not much of an undercoat left.



CntrlF8 said:


> I saw a video somewhere of a woman removing her Samoyed's undercoat.. She was literally pulling the hair off like cotton candy. Just using her fingertips, reach in, grab, and pull strait out.
> 
> Has anyone else seen or done this? I'm a new sammy owner, so this is valuable information!!


I'm a compulsive "plucker"...when the blowing coat season starts to get heavy, I can't help myself, but that's not going to do it as well as putting a comb/brush to the dog every couple of days.


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## Bones (Sep 11, 2009)

Bones has been blowing his undercoat like crazy the past week (GSD). I've been raking/slicker brushing twice a day. I find it to be the most effective method. I also usually send the dog to the groomer to get bathed and have their coat blown out (blow dry). Bones has a apt for Thursday to get it done.


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## Indigo (Mar 31, 2011)

CntrlF8 said:


> I saw a video somewhere of a woman removing her Samoyed's undercoat.. She was literally pulling the hair off like cotton candy. Just using her fingertips, reach in, grab, and pull strait out.
> Has anyone else seen or done this? I'm a new sammy owner, so this is valuable information!!


When the fur is ripe for picking, you can see it kind of sticking out in a tuft from the rest of the coat...
My old sam used to walk around the table at mealtimes, and if he was blowing coat people would pick off the loose bits as he came by. It was so loose he didn't even notice. You can get quite a bit just with your hands. Using a rake gets all of it however. Once all the undercoat is out they look like a different dog.
In fact, this was all that was left...


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

CntrlF8 said:


> I saw a video somewhere of a woman removing her Samoyed's undercoat.. She was literally pulling the hair off like cotton candy. Just using her fingertips, reach in, grab, and pull strait out.
> 
> Has anyone else seen or done this? I'm a new sammy owner, so this is valuable information!!


When Marsh was blowing coat, I gave him a bath and a bunch of fur came off. After that every now and then I'd find a tuft sticking up through the topcoat (might not be as noticeable on a Sammy, Marsh's undercoat is significantly lighter in color than his topcoat) and I'd pluck it off.


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## Indigo (Mar 31, 2011)

Oh yeah, baths are great to help it come out. Make sure you brush it out first, bathe, then brush again after though. If you don't brush before bathing it can become matted and harder to groom after.


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## amberly (Feb 6, 2011)

Before you make the plunge and buy a furminator try to go to petco or petsmart and see if one of the groomers will let you borrow theirs to see if its the right fit for your dogs fur. it doesn't work on every dog. may work on some sheps and not others ect. But i'd say the metal greyhound comb, a good slucker and a good rake. once you are done brushing you want to take the comb thru and see if it gets snagged if it gets snagged theres still undercoat lodged in there. also if you do the bathing at home a zoom groom works wonders in the tub with the hair as well! i don't know the brands of my brushes, but i can do the job even with crappy petsmart $3 brushes. Also technique is key as well. youtube some videos they may help as well. i have a chow chow and i just use a slicker/metal greyhound comb/rake and a zoom groom when shes soaped up in the tub.

and tripple hair everywhere in the tub and on you! I'd like this if i could lol.


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