Furminators for dogs: types, how to choose and use correctly?

Everyone who has dogs constantly living at home is familiar with the situation when animals begin to molt. The consequences of this process are depressing. Dog hair is everywhere: on the floor, on carpets, on furniture, on clothes, in the air, and even worse, it can even get into a plate of food. Households are constantly haunted by the thought of when this will end. The health status of the pet is also worried, because the obsolete undercoat must be removed in a timely manner.

Furminator is a patented invention of professional American groomer Angie Porter, a novelty of the modern pet industry, an irreplaceable assistant in the fight against the ubiquitous wool.

This is a tool for combing out hair that has fallen out of the animal's fur when the pet is actively shedding. It is used for caring for dogs with a dense, pronounced undercoat. Not suitable for smooth-haired (practically without undercoat) pets. Short-haired dogs can be combed out with furminator models specially designed for them, if their undercoat is not removed with a special device - a hard mitten.

It is a special brush with fine durable stainless steel teeth. Replaces several different tools for grooming dog hair (brushes, slickers, combers). Lifeless hairs do not shine, fall into tatters, get tangled. Old wool hangs in clumps, a shaggy, unkempt dog looks like a stray. With the advent of the furminator, it has become much easier to solve the problem of wool in the home and give a dog's fur coat a noble look.

With a furminator it is possible:

• remove old hair quickly and painlessly;
• efficiently combing hair of any length on dogs;
• prevent the appearance of new tangles on the wool;
• evenly distribute natural grease over the coat (a healthy sheen of the coat will appear);
• significantly reduce the duration of shedding (up to 90%) and the time of grooming the dog's coat.

This is a real find for pet owners. A combed dog is not hot on hot summer days, since dead hair does not interfere with intense heat exchange and normal skin respiration. In the winter cold, the dog is not cold, because new high-quality wool grows without hindrance. Choosing a furminator as an assistant, the owner will find a clean home, and his dog will receive full care of healthy shiny coat.

The furminator design is simple and works like a miniature rake. The main element is a strong steel comb with sharp teeth, fixed on a comfortable ergonomic handle that does not slip in the hand. The built-in button above the teeth allows you to instantly clear the combed hair from the device. When combing, the teeth do not cut off the undercoat, but grab the dead hairs and pull them out to the surface, and the guard hairs slip freely between the teeth.

This effect has not been achieved with any of the other adaptations previously used by dog ​​breeders.

The choice of tool size category depends on the breed of dog:

• Category Large - for large long-haired breeds (blade 10-13 cm, weight 23-41 kg, wool more than 5 cm);
• Medium category - for medium breeds (blade 6-7 cm, weight 9-23 kg, wool within 5 cm);
• category Small - for small short-haired breeds (blade 3-4.5 cm, weight up to 9 kg, wool up to 5 cm).

Competing firms offer all kinds of models of devices for different types of wool and animal sizes. Today, the most demanded in the pet industry market are several furminator manufacturers.

• FURminator Ink (America) - the company owns a patent for the invention of the furminator. Produces high quality products. Self-sharpening stainless steel blades for a long service life. There are two categories in the line: Classic - reliable, simple models from the beginning of production, and DeLuxe - modern advanced developments with self-cleaning blades and a comfortable handle. The products are expensive.

• Trixie company (Germany) produces analogs of original products. They differ from the originals in design and in the width of the working area, they have oblique teeth. The cost is cheaper than the originals.

• Foolee and Vivog (France) have established a solid reputation for themselves. Foolee products have 5 options for dogs of different sizes from small decorative breeds to very large dogs. Vivog manufactures 2 lines of tools: classic simple and advanced. The products are relatively inexpensive.

• Furminators Kudi (China). Classic combs are produced under this brand. The novelty of the development is a "two-in-one" blade, which allows you to first prepare the wool for combing (just comb it), and then use the rotary mechanism to change the mode and start combing the undercoat. The set includes 4 blades of different length.

Owners select a furminator brush for dogs for a specific animal, taking into account the size of its teeth. The shorter the coat, the shorter the teeth. Accordingly, the longer the dog's coat, the longer the teeth. The choice of the frequency of the teeth depends on the density of the coat: the thicker the coat, the less frequent the teeth, and for a lighter coat, the comb is chosen with frequent teeth. The width of the comb depends on the size of the dog. Obviously, it would never occur to anyone to handle a small breed dog with a large tool or to scratch a huge dog with a scanty device.

A quality tool should have rounded teeth without jagging that will not damage the skin if accidentally touched to eliminate the risk of hurting the dog when combing. When choosing, it should be borne in mind that products with a self-cleaning button and a built-in blade change function will last less than monolithic ones, but most buyers choose the undoubted convenience of these functions, agreeing to some losses in the durability.

Some modern furminator models are equipped with a massage device, but dog handlers do not recommend rushing to purchase them, since dogs do not really need massage, and additional effects on the skin and unusual sounds of a vibrating device make animals nervous.

The dog must be prepared for combing with the furminator. In most cases, combing and grooming is not a favorite procedure for dogs, so it is advisable to teach your pet to them from early childhood. This is done gradually in a playful way. To begin with, you need to lightly brush along the growth of the puppy's coat, trying not to cling or pull the hairs.

If the puppy is frightened, you need to caress and calm him down, and if he took the attempt calmly, encourage him with your favorite treat. So the pet will quickly get used to the procedure and, it is quite possible that in the future it will bring him pleasure.

If an adult dog is to be treated for the first time, it is very important to carry out the first combing without traumatic symptoms, so that when the furminator is seen, the animal does not have fear and anxiety. Even if it is a free yard dog with scraps of matted wool and tangles, it is better to start with the device on the wool a few strokes, without proceeding with further actions. So the dog will understand that nothing unpleasant happens with the appearance of the furminator in the hands of the owner.

In advanced cases, you must first select the stuck thorns and plant seeds from the wool, and cut off the heavily matted shreds and tangles with scissors. Carefully examine the animal's skin for abrasions, bites, skin rashes, and unhealed wounds. It is advisable to buy the pet out, let the coat and undercoat dry completely, untangle the hairs with a regular comb, and only then use the furminator.

Furminator is easy to use, it can be used by both a professional groomer and an ordinary amateur dog breeder. Before starting work, you need to correctly set the comb at the level of the undercoat, without touching the skin with the blade. Slowly and smoothly guide the device along the growth of the hair in the direction of the withers - the tail, the center of the back - the lower abdomen, trying to make long continuous movements.

Sharpening sharp blades allows you to remove small matted shreds, but if your hand feels an obstacle to the normal sliding of the tool, it is better to stop and check the wool, cut off the thickened clump with scissors and continue the procedure. Approximately every half a minute, you need to press the reset button of the combed wool so that the efficiency of the device does not decrease.

With extreme caution, you should scratch the dog's sensitive areas - the tail, the abdomen, the inner surface of the hind legs. It is recommended to talk affectionately with the dog, often repeating the name. The owner's calm voice soothes the pet.A helper may be needed to hold the dog, as it can twirl around and try to escape.

Short-haired and medium-coated dogs are combed from the withers to the tail and from top to bottom from the back to the belly. Long-haired dogs are combed in layers in rows starting from the bottom... After passing the next row, grab the next layer above and repeat the procedure. Gradually comb out all the hair to the center of the back from the side on one side, similarly comb the other side of the animal. If the dog is calm and does not resist, then combing out the owner of the richest hair with a correctly selected furminator will be possible in just half an hour. In advanced cases, the procedure will take about an hour.

The speed of processing over time is associated with pleasant sensations in accustomed dogs, they stand calmly during the whole process. It is recommended to scratch the animals once a month for prophylaxis, and during the molting period much more often, 2-3 times a week, daily if necessary. After the procedure, the instrument must be carefully washed with warm water and mild soap, dried well and closed with a protective cover.

Every time an attempt to comb out the dog causes fear in him, he actively resists and tries with all his might to dodge. If your dog turns out to be one of these, you should not force the dog, undermining the psyche of the animal. The solution will be to invite a professional groomer who has permission to use light sedatives. The specialist will calmly tidy up the coat while the dog is sleeping.

Anyway you cannot leave such a dog without care in the hope of molting on its own, the surplus of an uncombed old undercoat will create health problems for both the pet and its owner.

Judging by the reviews on thematic forums, the convenience and efficiency of using furminators for long-haired breeds is beyond doubt. Specially designed models are also effective for short-haired dogs. Buyers note that with the use of furminator, their pets' appearance has become more well-groomed and beautiful, the wool has acquired a lively healthy shine and smoothness, it does not need to be cut.

Even outbred yard dogs, with appropriate care with a furminator, turn into pets of a noble appearance. Home maintenance has become much easier. Some hosts state in their reviews that with the advent of this wonderful device in the house and its correct use in caring for a dog, flying hairs completely disappeared.

How to choose the right furminator, see the video below.