# this kind of counts as grooming and training.



## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

I want to use the vacuum on Manna. 

Just rolling it into the room makes her nervous, and I don't blame her because it's LOUD! 
But her coat is starting to get out of control, and I saw those attachments that work with a vacuum to get out undercoat. 
Before I buy one though I want to know 2 things.

What would you guys do to desensitize a dog to the vacuum? It will be a frequent thing as her coat is thick. And it would be awesome to take into account that Manna outweighs me by about 20 pounds now. 

and

Do those brush attachments actually work?

You guys are awesome I know you can help me figure out something. 


and for those who will ask, yes I brush everyday, sometimes twice a day and she's on a raw diet.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Haven't used a vacuum but was very surprised that Max liked the force dryer. Food, lots of food. Feed her when it is in the room, turn it on and feed her, with vacuum off pretend to vacuum her, with the vacuum at low suction work on her back and down back legs and so on. I don't know that a vacuum gives as good a scritch as the force dryer on the rear end, that is what Max really liked about getting blown dry.

Brushing? I don't think brushing is what is needed for a Newfie blowing coat. Need to use a shedding rake for the big stuff and a fine tooth comb and line comb her.


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## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

I can't use the vacuum ON Toby, but I can have it running and he doesn't care. 
What I might do with Manna is just put her and the (off) vacuum in a room together, treat her for going near the vacuum, treat her for going passed it, for sniffing it, for laying calmly near it/in the room... do that for a couple of weeks, just get her used to being around it.

Then turn it on. Don't move it anywhere, just have it on. White noise. Treat her for sniffing, for going near it, for walking passed it to get to you, maybe teach her to put her paw on it so she gets used to touching it and having it nearby. Do this for a couple weeks.

Take the hose off and put it on the floor, turn it on, reward for any contact - sniffing, pawing, laying calmly, etc...
Once she's used to it, you can try touching her with it, reward. Try again, reward. Try again, reward... etc

She'll get used to it, but it will take time.


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## doggiepop (Feb 27, 2014)

if i had a Newfie i would use an under coat comb and a pin brush. i would brush
3 to 4 times a week.


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

Kathyy said:


> Haven't used a vacuum but was very surprised that Max liked the force dryer. Food, lots of food. Feed her when it is in the room, turn it on and feed her, with vacuum off pretend to vacuum her, with the vacuum at low suction work on her back and down back legs and so on. I don't know that a vacuum gives as good a scritch as the force dryer on the rear end, that is what Max really liked about getting blown dry.
> 
> Brushing? I don't think brushing is what is needed for a Newfie blowing coat. Need to use a shedding rake for the big stuff and a fine tooth comb and line comb her.





doggiepop said:


> if i had a Newfie i would use an under coat comb and a pin brush. i would brush
> 3 to 4 times a week.



When I say that I brush daily. I mean I work out until my arms are sore and I can make another dog. 

It usually takes close to an hour and if I were to reduce it to 3-4 times a week Manna would end up shaved due to matts.









At this point most dogs would be bald, but Manna is still overheating with undercoat. She doesn't look it but she's all fluff


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## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

Sounds like my cat, she's got an undercoat and is ALL fluff. You have to pin her and brush her DAILY or she gets matted as all hell... I end up shaving her every summer because if I don't she lives behind a toilet or in front of the fan trying to keep cool and since she doesn't like it when I brush her belly, she ends up very, very matted there.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Sounds like a great workout! Can you switch hands so it can count as one??? I was picturing a bristle brush or a short slicker, you have a good looking arsenal there. 

Do you try the line combing thing and she still needs brushing daily? How long are the teeth on those tools, big coated dogs need ones with longer teeth. Does the one with the green on the handle work for you? It looks like the Mars Coat King type of tool and I could not get anything out of Max's coat with fine ones, only the 12-14 blade one worked and boy did it work!

What about getting her groomed professionally? Groomers are better at getting all the hair out than us amateurs.

I was all excited about using a force dryer, supposed to be faster and better at getting out loose hair. Nope, my walking the dogs dry worked just as quickly and was easier on me and the dogs. They look much better though. I'd be looking closely at reviews for just how well the vacuum works. Bet it would be louder and take as much time and effort as what you are doing now.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

Susie, being a Bernese cross, needs lots of brushing. I would love to find somewhere to get her brushed out but there is absolutely no place that does big dogs, lots of places for small dogs but I keep mine clipped off myself. When she starts to really shed, I take her up to the Doggy Day Care and they have a "do it yourself" bathtub and high force dryer which I can use. Always feel badly when I look at all that hair blowing everywhere that they have to clean up but that is what you are paying for. (only $12 so well worth it)


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

No groomers willing to do dogs over 50 pounds. I'd have to drive to Edmonton about 4 hours one way.

Most of those tools are large sized and the green one takes the fur out easy but gets filled and clogged mid stroke. I have to do line brushing with most of those tools. Her coat is just that thick.

We do have a self grooming station here but the time limit is 30 minutes and that's just not long enough for her size. 

I mught be bathing her more often because I find it helps. Though I don't want to over do it. 

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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

You could experiment with wetting her down with warm water.
You could experiment with taking her to the self groom place after wetting her down and letting her partly dry out as most hair comes out when the dog is nearly dry.

I knew it was a good thing when Max didn't have as thick a coat as Sassy! He sort of looked like a mini Newfie but sure didn't have a dense coat. He also didn't blow coat, just shed lots of super fine hair every day of the year. I hope this is blowing coat. Dealing with that all year would be intense.

How much fur do you get out daily? I would get a medium sized guinea pig off 42 pound short haired Sassy a couple times a week when she was blowing coat but only a medium sized rat off Max, counting the fuzz off his feet/feathers/tail/ears that had to be trimmed every couple weeks. Or 2 cups of fur smashed down in a quart yogurt tub. Or 30 grams of fur total.


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## BellsAndBeans (Jun 13, 2013)

Lol, I just have to add that I convinced my cat to allow me to vacuume her once, and all was great till I got to her belly pooch. It sucked up that flap of skin into the hose tube Bwahahahahaha. it didn't hurt her but she about kicked my butt. She never did allowed it again. As good as it sounds, it doesn't go over.


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

I get out one of those small white kitchen garbage bags every 2 days, but those bags are packed dense. Her fur has never been thin which is the reason, she gets FLUFFY at -40°C so I'm assuming that it'll take forever to shed it all. 

and fur balls that size of my 11 pound cat are everywhere in the house daily. I sweep twice a day


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

This is one of those times that I am very glad that one half of my dog is bald and the other half is short wirehaired. I don't envy you at ALL.


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## Flaming (Feb 2, 2013)

Ok so I think I have her half done. 

Her right half to be exact, I think her right is all top coat now.
Her left side is still very fluffy. Might take a few days

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