I have heard of a grooming slicker/brush called the 'Furminator' which is apparently recommended by both vets and allergy groups as a means of reducing dog coat shedding by 70% (I presume by the fact that by grooming with this kind of brush, you remove more loose hair and so your dog sheds less around the home etc. - iut is also featured in catalogues for grooming equiptment used by professionals). They are quite expensive though (about £40 for the largest size). Has anyone used this and is it worth the price? Is it any better in actuality than a standard slicket brush? Also, what kind of coat does it suit? I ill be getting a long coat german shepherd, and the teeth on the furminator do not actually look deep enough in the pictures I have seen to tackle this thickness of coat, but I have only seen one picture.

Anyway advice would be appreciated.

Thank you.

well you should have seen what came out of my 3 dogs, i could have knitted  myself a jacket, i have a semi long coat gsd and it was very good on her, yes it is pricey but i think well worth it

Can I ask, did you buy the large size for your GSD? I presume that is what I would have to get but I thought I would check first. I thought it seemed an excellent idea to be honest, but I was worried I was just being influenced by advertising, but it is nice to hear feedback from someone who has used it.

Thanks x

i just watched the film  http://www.furminator.com/how_it_works.htm and im a bit concerned it looks as if it cutting out the hair not brushing it

I thought that too.  It has a blade, doesn't it?  I wouldn't put a blade anywhere near my Shep's coat.

no i wouldnt use one it looks too harsh reminds me of those thinning combs men use to use years ago

i should imagine it would ruin the coat if any thing, it would be like taking a pair of clippers to your dog

NannyOgg,

A Shedding Comb would be a useful asset in grooming an adult german shepherd (especially when moulting), it would help to take out the dead hair, leaving new growth intact, no blades :D just alternating teeth of two different lengths   they also come with rubbery handles to reduce static

On your suggestion, I now use a shedding comb and a rubber brush, Dill.  They are terrific for the coat.  They go swimming once a week and I use the blaster also to remove any dead hair.  Works a treat.  I have very little dead hair in the house. My hoover breathes a sigh of relief.  Lol

Glad to have helped Spender :D

Do you also use the shampoo and hair dryer before you use it?

Thanks so much for all your comments. I really appreciate the feedback.

Hi,

I had a look at this at the WSAVA in Dublin and no it doesn't have a blade, it's just a comb, no sharp edges at all... I found the following details on their website, know it's in sales talk but if you remove the promotional aspects it does explain well how the tool works:

At the heart of the FURminator Grooming System is the FURminator deShedding(TM) Tool. The story of how it was developed offers important insight to how and why the FURminator deShedding Tool works better than any brush or comb, as well as why the FURminator Shed-Less Treatment works so much better than ordinary grooming treatments.

For years, a struggling groomer had been attempting to find the best tool to combat the number one complaint of her customers... shedding. After over a decade of using every possible device in the industry, she worked with her husband to develop a new type of tool that didn't cut the pet's coat, but create a unique edge that grabs and removes the loose hair from the undercoat.

Together they experimented with placing this stainless steel deShedding edge in a crude handle. Little by little they experimented with different, more-ergonomic handle designs and more-effective edges. After many modifications they arrived at their most successful design and had it patented.

One thing they discovered in the process was that the grooming tool not only removed hair from loose undercoat, it also brought the pet's own natural oils up from the bottom coat to the top coat, leaving the pet with a more lustrous, naturally shiny coat.

The yellow one is on ebay for £13.99

I have the smallest one for my cats who i show, & it's fantastic!  Keeps my Brits in top condition....you do have to be careful you don't overdo it with a cat though as the coat can get a little thin in places.   

I too have one and have to say it is brill,use it on my goldens, and takes away all the dead hair...

Well worth the money, I've redecorated my garden in black lab on many occasion

I was looking for the Furminator but thought it was a bit expensive.  I managed to find something similar with three different sized heads with it for cheaper at PetPlanet, heres the link to it: http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=731&pf_id=8694  I have a black lab and he is a nightmare for shedding this has helped a lot and theres not so much hair lying about the house anymore!