Dog Grooming

Review by fdr:

In our 10-animal household (dogs and cats), fur is everywhere. I thought I had found the holy grail of grooming tools in the Zoom Groom (they make different models for dogs and for cats), which removes a lot of fur without giving the animal an unpleasant experience. Now I think the Zoom Groom is a great little brush, but when it comes to amount of fur removed, it’s got nothin’ on the Furminator. Even my long-hair cat who dislikes being groomed will let me use the Furminator on her for a good long stretch.

How does it work? Excellent question; I still can’t figure it out exactly after extensive use, but I can tell you what it does NOT do. It doesn’t pull or cut the hair; the comb-style “blade” does not have a sharp edge. Also, it doesn’t cause discomfort for the animal; mine all seem to enjoy it very much, like it gives a pleasant scratching sensation. (I ran it along my own arm as a test, and experienced the same.)

If you go to the Furminator website and watch the grooming videos there, you will see tremendous amounts of fur being removed from dogs and cats after they have been groomed using a few different styles of grooming tools. These videos are not faked; I could not believe the piles and piles of fur I removed from my critters with the Furminator, even after using a fine-toothed flea comb on them. Their coats are so soft after I groom them, and the amount of hair shed on my furniture and floors actually seems to have decreased! Plus the critters — especially those with heavy undercoats for winter warmth — are way more comfy in the summer heat.

A downside — the manufacturer does suggest you will need to buy replacement blades to maintain the performance of this tool; I am not sure how one can tell if the blade is “dull” but perhaps it will become clear after more use. All in all, however, the price is well worth the performance of this high-quality tool.

UPDATE: I wanted to add that this tool is designed to be used on clean(ish), dry, tangle-free fur. If the coat has more than a couple of burrs or tangles, use a different kind of tool (scissors or a comb) to remove these first before grooming, as the Furminator will just skim right over these areas. Also, it will not work very effectively on wet or really grubby fur; this is not the tool to reach for right after your dog’s been swimming!

Review by Katy Lake:

And I say it as an expert on just about any product that promises to reduce pet hair shedding, or make the clean up of it easier.

I have a Norwegian Elkhound, one very compact, highly intelligent, gorgeous and HAIRY dog. She has both a long coat and a very prolific downy white undercoat that seemingly sheds 24/7. It’s got a cotton ball texture; tufts of it stick out, and if you pull it, you get a pouf of very soft white down that is guaranteed to stick to you and everything in its path.

My former regimen was to use a rubber curry brush for the long outer coat, and (the part I hate), an undercoat rake. No matter how much I brush her, I’m covered with hair, and there’s a grocery bag FULL of hair. It’s an hour to two hour task, and as much as I love my dog, a huge, hairy nuisance!

When I got the Furminator, I was impressed with the heft of it. I bought the large size with the idea that it’d be that much less effort (generally speaking, the small size is the cheapest, but it’s so small, it would take forever on anything but the smallest or unhairiest dog. And the difference in price between the medium and large is, at most places, only a few bucks. If you’re going to invest in the furminator, go for the size that makes the most out of every pass over the dog’s coat.)

So I tried a few swoops on the dog. And yeah, it resulted in a ton of hair, but if I just run my fingers through her coat, I get pretty much the same result.

I got a grocery bag (to store the hair pulled off the comb) and set to work. On the initial combing, it took a little less than the usual hour it does. What was interesting, though, is that I used only the Furminator, not the undercoat rake and curry comb combo I usually use. In that sense, it was less time and effort.

The bag, as usual, was full. But the thing that really sold me on the Furminator is how good her coat looked. Very professional looking, like she had just gotten back from the groomer’s.

Now it’s a few days later, and lo and behold, one of the promises the maker of the Furminator made seems to actually be true: there is less loose hair on her. Usually I see long hairs and some of those fluffy white tufts peeking up, but that’s not the case after her de-Furmination. NO loose hair, no undercoat tufts!

I can say that, based on me trying just about every comb, method, and grooming device, this is the first time my dog’s been this relatively hairless since I got her.

The Furminator promises that there will be less of a hair problem with its use. All I can say is that based on one thorough use of it, that claim seems to be true. I’d recommend it (and it does have a 30 day money-back guarantee from the manufacturer.)

The only reason why I’m not five-starring this is because of the price. I still don’t see why it’s so expensive, and I got a good price on it w/shipping (I paid and that’s still too much!) I’m also worried about the cost of replacement blades for this. There’s simply no reason it should cost so much!

I’d also recommend you shop around for price. I got the best deal on this (including shipping) from an ebay store (not a regular auction.) Just beware the shipping prices on places that seem to be cheap.

Review by Michelle Nash:

A professional dog trainer recommended this item to us, said it was a must-have. Well I have used this “rake” a few times now and I’m amazed each time I use it because it grabs SO MUCH hair! My german shepherd doesn’t mind it either, the rake is very gentle; the key is to NOT press down and scrape at their skin, just gently pull it along thru the hair and it does what it says it will… grabs the undercoat and holds it till you remove it from the rake. It does not tangle or snag the hair in the tines. it’s super-easy to comb with and remove hair from the rake. Definitely worth the money.

Review by Grace:

This undercoat rake is well-constructed and works well. I bought this for a fluffy cat, so my only wish for improvement is that there be a cat-sized one made.I tried the ‘furminator’ for -30 and it was awful. This is much better priced and works a great deal better.

The rotating teeth more easily through my cat’s thick undercoat. It has some weight to it, so at least for a cat (and I’d think small dog) you have to be aware of the weight and not comb too hard. The teeth rattle when you use it, but my cat doesn’t seem to mind at all. She loves being brushed by it (and ran away from the furminator). This is the only rake I have found works to remove the excess in her downy undercoat.

Review by Richard Park:

I bought this model 7 years ago for over 0 and it is still running strong although I only use it to clip a small family dog. Nevertheless, forget the cheap vibrating ‘magnetic motor’ clippers – not enough power and the buzzing bothers the animal. This clipper uses a superior rotating motor that is more powerful and provides a consistent cutting action. In fact, with the right (replaceable) blade, you could use this to cut kids hair as well. It stays cool, unlike the magnetic motor design. Use with Oster Kool Lube and you will never have problems getting a clean cut. It uses blades by Oster so there is a lot of versatility possible.

Review by Martina A Akeson:

I have been using this clipper for my Standard Poodle for about 6 months now – I do his feet and face at least once a month – and it is great for all our needs. I have never taken him to a groomer, and have had show dog friends and pro groomers tell me he looks great with just the clipping we do with this clipper. All clippers will get hot – it’s simply a law of physics: two pieces of metal rubbing together at high speed causes heat. I have extra blades and a damp cloth nearby when the blade gets hot. If you find the clipper “drags through the coat” it may be the same thing that happened to me when I first got it – the blade wasn’t snapped down into position correctly and it wasn’t clipping at all. For my Poodle, this clipper is fabulous, and the price can’t be beat!

Review by Goldengate:

I was a little concerned when I ordered these as they are much less expensive than many of the other clippers I had been looking at. The clippers seem to be of good quality. They are heavy and substantial-feeling, indicating to me there’s a good sized motor inside powering them. The blade of the clippers is easily adjustable so you can decide how close you want them to trim, and there are also clipper combs which allow you to cut to a preset length of hair. I haven’t used the combs. The set comes with a nice little black plastic box for storage. Also included are trimming scissors (no sharp end, perfect for pets), oil to lubricate the trimmers, and a DVD. I didn’t watch the DVD.

We used these clippers on our Ragdoll (that’s a breed) cat to remove mats from his fur where he doesn’t seem to be able to reach. Between the scissors and the clippers, we were able to take care of him over a few sessions and he’s in good shape. The noise of the clipper is a typical “hum” like you’d hear at a grooming salon… when you first turn them on there’s a bit of a loud click as the motor engages so I would turn them on, then go get our cat so he wouldn’t be frightened by the click.

These appear to be of good quality and are a good value from what I saw shopping around. Hope this helps!

Review by J. Crawley:

I too, read the reviews before buying. I read the instructions and watched the DVD before I even grabbed my dog. I have a Lhasa Apso who gets very matted, and I was tired of paying 50 bucks every few months to have her groomed. These clippers work very well. They have already paid for themselves. She did get a little scared at the initial clack when I turned them on, but was an angel while I was grooming her. Keep the clippers oiled, calibrate them before use, groom in the direction of the hair growth, and you shouldn’t have any problems. She may not look as good as she does when she gets back from the groomer, but with practice I’m sure she’ll look better and better!

Review by GWOW:

These small scissors work well for clipping around the dog’s eyes, the blunt tips minimize danger to the eyes. Good value for the price.

Review by Polly B:

The tip of the scissors is a wonderful safety addition. Unfortunately, the rest of the items isn’t terrific. The scissor action overlaps whenever the blades are brought together. It’s not very sharp where it should be sharp but it’s perfect for where it isn’t supposed to be sharp – the tip.