lol! - yea we have a furminator... that is how Jen got all that hair off.
We have always thought about making yarn out of all the fur and knitting something... but then I was thinking I bet the undercoat would make a great insulation layer... like stuffed in a jacket like down is used.
I had to laugh at your fur photo! Imagine four Akitas in the house shedding that much and more twice a year. I've burned out countless heavy-duty vacuum cleaners over the years keeping up with it. Now I swear by Dyson ... it really never clogs as advertised.
We can always tell when the girls are about to come into "season" as they drop every ounce of undercoat and grow out a new, glorious coat before so they'll look their most beautiful for the boys.
The dogs in the kennels are not as much as a problem although there is three times as much shedded /brushed-out undercoat there. Donald sweeps/rakes it up every morning and leaves it in a pile behind the runs. The birds and squirrels gather it up and use it for nesting. It's funny to see a little wren flying off with a beak full of Akita undercoat nearly as big as the bird.
I've known of people who actually knit things out of it.
Michael - I thought of you when I took that photo - I even said to Jen "Imaging what it's like at miisan!"... We brushed out another pile today from Hilo - the rest is all over the house. All our dogs are shedding, so it's pretty bad... we have black, red, white and gray fur all over everything.
Its funny you bring up Dyson - I have had one for about 5 years and always been impressed with it... till we moved to Taos. It just doesn't work here on the cement floors, and it doesn't pick up the desert sand that gets dragged into the house. I'm kinda depressed about it - I really loved my Dyson... then today, I went to use the hose on the Dyson and the handle end broke off the tube. So our Dyson dream is over. I dunno if I will get another one - I love it, but it just didn't seem to do the job here (I'm pretty surprised).
For the record tho - we had the very first Dyson model - I know they made some fixes to the way the hose works.
I LOVE my dyson. Chad really wants to get those irobots but I think it would die in about 3 hours here from hair and Niko. The furminator is awesome for the undercoats! I dont prefer it to the curry brush for Sasha but it still works well. We have to take out cat in to get shaved. she is getting such horrendous knots no matter how much we brush her, she is very fine long hair. I will post a pic when we get it. She loves getting groomed!
Brad .. since vacuums are somewhat related to Japanese dogs, I'll tell you that we got a new Dyson that works just great .. even on bare floors. It's amazingly small but even more powerful than the older upright models. It has a true HEPA filter and even sucks up sand from deep in carpeting (we have plenty of sand in Florida). It's pretty amazing. It's a remarkably small canister, and the hose and wand collapse for compact storage. Check out Dyson model DC21 Stowaway (no, I don't own Dyson stock). I couldn't recommend a vacuum more highly.
It's gotten quite a workout during the past couple of months as everyone blew all of their coats at once (three girls in and now out of season). All over with now ... no more loose hair and everyone's coats are in full bloom again. Glad it's over for a few months. We wore out two pin brushes!
On that note, a really great tool to get undercoat out faster than a brush is this gadget for horses. We've used them for years. It works better than a brush for undercoat and is actually more comfortable for the dogs. They can also be bought at most farm/feed stores or places catering to horse owners. It looks like a dangerous instrument, but it's not and does a great job and saves a lot of time and work. It doesn't damage or remove the outer coat. We consider one of these a must, at least for Akitas.
I've never heard of a furminator before, I looked it up and it seems I badly need one :-)
What size would you recommend for an Akita?
Rem is actually having problems with the shedding, I am probably doing something wrong. Whenever I try to comb his back legs on the outside he reacts as if it is painful - and I am being very careful. If I hold a treat at his nose he lets me get on with it for a while, but he definitely doesn't like it... It is the same with the lower part of the front legs, he is fine on the back and the sides of the body.
As for vacuum cleaners -Brad, if you have the space for it you might want to consider a dust extractor, like DeWalt or Makita. I have a DeWalt I use for work, and there is nothing this vacuum will choke on. It might be especially helpful with the sand. It is bagged, but the bags are BIG.
Rakka blew her coat again after the first cold snap ended recently. Little does she know that this is Southern Alberta and it's just going to get cold again, no matter how deceptively warm it is for a few weeks! The furminator and a dyson vacuum are on my wishlist, that's for sure.
The Atlanta weather messes with Niko also. I believe she blew her coat 4x last year. Her winter coat came in about a month ago and is lasting pretty good. She is a cut little furry mess.
Cruseda-On his hind legs are you brushing near the tail or on the legs itself? I tend to leave the legs alone because the lack of fat/muscle and brushing can be more tender. Maybe a soft bristle brush if you must brush there? Furminator is a definite must, but I would not use that at all on the legs IMO, but Michael or Brad may know better.
Brad-Is your Dyson still under warranty with the company? Our Dyson (2 years old) goes from carpet to floor no problem. Maybe the move was too rough. Is your hand held still working?
Heidi-You forget all about the prices once you realize your life is easier!
Our Dyson is 5 years old - so it's past the warranty....
Thanx everyone for the suggestions - Christmas and travels kinda wiped out our bank account so I will have to deal w/ a broken Dyson for another few weeks before I can purchase a new vacuum.
As for brushing - due to my allergies - Jen handles that - I'll ask her about the brush size and brushing technique. (or maybe she can just answer you...)
Brushing is a constant battle because one of the dogs is always shedding. I have a few different brushes that I use. First, I brush them out with a slicker brush (like http://www.bamboopet.com/all_products/detail.php?ID=1375521843&nID=2z1) to loosen up the hair and then I use the Furminator. I have the medium sized brush because I bought it for Ahi. I will definitely need to upgrade to deal with Hilo's molting. The entire process works the best if I can bathe them first because the combination of the water and shampoo (and stress from hating the bath) really makes their undercoat dump out. I don't like to bathe them too often though because it's not good for the natural oils in their skin and coat. Also, "force dryers" (like http://grooming.petedge.com/Air-Force-Commander-Dryers-AF313.pro?parentCategoryId=190&categoryId=191&subCategoryId=263) that dog groomers use are AWESOME for blowing the hair off after a bath. I don't have one, but I may consider it in the summertime.
Hopefully, the pack will stop shedding eventually.
I have the Dyson DC17 Absolute Animal. Its an awesome vaccuum!!! The only cons is that the bin is kind of small, so we have to empty it quite often and the wand isn't as flexible as i'd like. If I reach too far at a certain direction it falls over. But other than that, the suction is awesome and it really gets the job done.
Yesterday I decided to get the Furminator out and pass it a few times on Kuma's hair. Not that he needs yet or anything, but I wanted to see his reaction and see if I need to work with him to get him used to the brush. Everything went well, he doesn't complaint, and I actually pulled out a bit of undercoat. I brushed him with one of those nylon hair brushes before (to de-knot, i thought) and then used the Furminator, a bit all over him to see if there were any areas he wouldn't be happy to get it on.
Now, at what age did you start the real thing? Or is it just a matter of doing it when we realize his hair is blowing? Also, some people say not to bathe puppies before their vaccination plan is complete, other say "go ahead, just make sure you dry them very well". Where do you stand on that? I'm guessing in won't be a problem to bathe him, but on the other hand, I hope his last vaccine will be on Saturday, and I go back to work tomorrow so I might as well wait a bit. After that first bath, I'm guessing some hair will be loose enough, shall I furminate?
As for vacuum cleaners, my parents have one of those Rainbow things, that work with a water tank. That's pretty powerful, it even manages to vacuum stuff out of mattresses. I wonder how it will do with hair...
Dogs don't particularly require frequent bathing. I bathe the dogs 4 times a year...if that. I can't remember bathing Mika as a pup. Only when she got dirty. To get Kuma used to getting a bath, you can run water over him, no shampoo. Some dogs hate it, others are ok. Mika LOVES bath time...she adores getting dried with the blow dryer and getting brushed afterwards. Keigo doesn't love the bath. He'll sit fairly quietly and shake, but he listens and doesn't try too hard to get out. They'll even turn around when I ask.
If I recall correctly, Mika was at least a year old before she started blowing her coat. Maybe a bit older. If you want to get Kuma to get used to being brushed, use a regular brush that won't take out hair. He won't need the furminator for quite some time and I wouldn't try to make his puppy fur shed. Some things are better left to nature.
PS. I LOVE my Dyson too. I have the canister version. Totally ROCKS!!!
I was thinking of bathing him every 3 months or so, tops. But I was considering bathing him at 3 or 4 months for the first time, even if without shampoo. The furminator thing was just a test, and I wanted your opinions about when is the right time to first do it. Ok, i see I must not do it before the puppy coat starts blowing. Thanks! I have "brushed" him with one of those rubber gloves or the nylon brush, just to keep the hair from tangling up. Think it's a bad thing?
I need a new vacuum but my car needs a new front hub assembely so i think the car is going to win. A half working vacuum is better than a not working car.
I haven't bathed Nemo in like a year and he still doesn't stink. He is kind of dirty looking in spots though. Once it stops raining and gets a bit dryer I'll bathe him. Too much bathing is bad for the skin, and the double coated dogs don't get all oily and stinky like labs anyhow.
I think I've already said this but I don't remember Gen ever getting a bath. He lived outdoors too. He made himself a den in my grandma's shed. Floor was dirt so he dug a deep hole in it to climb into.
Comments
Oooo! A Hilo sweater, I want one!
lol! - yea we have a furminator... that is how Jen got all that hair off.
We have always thought about making yarn out of all the fur and knitting something... but then I was thinking I bet the undercoat would make a great insulation layer... like stuffed in a jacket like down is used.
I had to laugh at your fur photo! Imagine four Akitas in the house shedding that much and more twice a year. I've burned out countless heavy-duty vacuum cleaners over the years keeping up with it. Now I swear by Dyson ... it really never clogs as advertised.
We can always tell when the girls are about to come into "season" as they drop every ounce of undercoat and grow out a new, glorious coat before so they'll look their most beautiful for the boys.
The dogs in the kennels are not as much as a problem although there is three times as much shedded /brushed-out undercoat there. Donald sweeps/rakes it up every morning and leaves it in a pile behind the runs. The birds and squirrels gather it up and use it for nesting. It's funny to see a little wren flying off with a beak full of Akita undercoat nearly as big as the bird.
I've known of people who actually knit things out of it.
Michael
Michael - I thought of you when I took that photo - I even said to Jen "Imaging what it's like at miisan!"... We brushed out another pile today from Hilo - the rest is all over the house. All our dogs are shedding, so it's pretty bad... we have black, red, white and gray fur all over everything.
Its funny you bring up Dyson - I have had one for about 5 years and always been impressed with it... till we moved to Taos. It just doesn't work here on the cement floors, and it doesn't pick up the desert sand that gets dragged into the house. I'm kinda depressed about it - I really loved my Dyson... then today, I went to use the hose on the Dyson and the handle end broke off the tube. So our Dyson dream is over. I dunno if I will get another one - I love it, but it just didn't seem to do the job here (I'm pretty surprised).
For the record tho - we had the very first Dyson model - I know they made some fixes to the way the hose works.
Happy New Year!
~Brad
Brad .. since vacuums are somewhat related to Japanese dogs, I'll tell you that we got a new Dyson that works just great .. even on bare floors. It's amazingly small but even more powerful than the older upright models. It has a true HEPA filter and even sucks up sand from deep in carpeting (we have plenty of sand in Florida). It's pretty amazing. It's a remarkably small canister, and the hose and wand collapse for compact storage. Check out Dyson model DC21 Stowaway (no, I don't own Dyson stock). I couldn't recommend a vacuum more highly.
It's gotten quite a workout during the past couple of months as everyone blew all of their coats at once (three girls in and now out of season). All over with now ... no more loose hair and everyone's coats are in full bloom again. Glad it's over for a few months. We wore out two pin brushes!
On that note, a really great tool to get undercoat out faster than a brush is this gadget for horses. We've used them for years. It works better than a brush for undercoat and is actually more comfortable for the dogs. They can also be bought at most farm/feed stores or places catering to horse owners. It looks like a dangerous instrument, but it's not and does a great job and saves a lot of time and work. It doesn't damage or remove the outer coat. We consider one of these a must, at least for Akitas.
謹賀新年, kinga shinnen
Happy New Year
Michael
I've never heard of a furminator before, I looked it up and it seems I badly need one :-)
What size would you recommend for an Akita?
Rem is actually having problems with the shedding, I am probably doing something wrong. Whenever I try to comb his back legs on the outside he reacts as if it is painful - and I am being very careful. If I hold a treat at his nose he lets me get on with it for a while, but he definitely doesn't like it... It is the same with the lower part of the front legs, he is fine on the back and the sides of the body.
As for vacuum cleaners -Brad, if you have the space for it you might want to consider a dust extractor, like DeWalt or Makita. I have a DeWalt I use for work, and there is nothing this vacuum will choke on. It might be especially helpful with the sand. It is bagged, but the bags are BIG.
The Atlanta weather messes with Niko also. I believe she blew her coat 4x last year. Her winter coat came in about a month ago and is lasting pretty good. She is a cut little furry mess.
Cruseda-On his hind legs are you brushing near the tail or on the legs itself? I tend to leave the legs alone because the lack of fat/muscle and brushing can be more tender. Maybe a soft bristle brush if you must brush there? Furminator is a definite must, but I would not use that at all on the legs IMO, but Michael or Brad may know better.
Brad-Is your Dyson still under warranty with the company? Our Dyson (2 years old) goes from carpet to floor no problem. Maybe the move was too rough. Is your hand held still working?
Heidi-You forget all about the prices once you realize your life is easier!
Our Dyson is 5 years old - so it's past the warranty....
Thanx everyone for the suggestions - Christmas and travels kinda wiped out our bank account so I will have to deal w/ a broken Dyson for another few weeks before I can purchase a new vacuum.
As for brushing - due to my allergies - Jen handles that - I'll ask her about the brush size and brushing technique. (or maybe she can just answer you...)
Hi Everybody!
Brushing is a constant battle because one of the dogs is always shedding. I have a few different brushes that I use. First, I brush them out with a slicker brush (like http://www.bamboopet.com/all_products/detail.php?ID=1375521843&nID=2z1) to loosen up the hair and then I use the Furminator. I have the medium sized brush because I bought it for Ahi. I will definitely need to upgrade to deal with Hilo's molting. The entire process works the best if I can bathe them first because the combination of the water and shampoo (and stress from hating the bath) really makes their undercoat dump out. I don't like to bathe them too often though because it's not good for the natural oils in their skin and coat. Also, "force dryers" (like http://grooming.petedge.com/Air-Force-Commander-Dryers-AF313.pro?parentCategoryId=190&categoryId=191&subCategoryId=263) that dog groomers use are AWESOME for blowing the hair off after a bath. I don't have one, but I may consider it in the summertime.
Hopefully, the pack will stop shedding eventually.
ok - we just got our new Dyson model DC21 Stowaway! I'll let you guys know how it works for picking up all the pups hair.
Michael - If it doesn't end up working to well I will just send you a bill for the cost of it.
Yesterday I decided to get the Furminator out and pass it a few times on Kuma's hair. Not that he needs yet or anything, but I wanted to see his reaction and see if I need to work with him to get him used to the brush. Everything went well, he doesn't complaint, and I actually pulled out a bit of undercoat. I brushed him with one of those nylon hair brushes before (to de-knot, i thought) and then used the Furminator, a bit all over him to see if there were any areas he wouldn't be happy to get it on.
Now, at what age did you start the real thing? Or is it just a matter of doing it when we realize his hair is blowing? Also, some people say not to bathe puppies before their vaccination plan is complete, other say "go ahead, just make sure you dry them very well". Where do you stand on that? I'm guessing in won't be a problem to bathe him, but on the other hand, I hope his last vaccine will be on Saturday, and I go back to work tomorrow so I might as well wait a bit. After that first bath, I'm guessing some hair will be loose enough, shall I furminate?
As for vacuum cleaners, my parents have one of those Rainbow things, that work with a water tank. That's pretty powerful, it even manages to vacuum stuff out of mattresses. I wonder how it will do with hair...
Dogs don't particularly require frequent bathing. I bathe the dogs 4 times a year...if that. I can't remember bathing Mika as a pup. Only when she got dirty. To get Kuma used to getting a bath, you can run water over him, no shampoo. Some dogs hate it, others are ok. Mika LOVES bath time...she adores getting dried with the blow dryer and getting brushed afterwards. Keigo doesn't love the bath. He'll sit fairly quietly and shake, but he listens and doesn't try too hard to get out. They'll even turn around when I ask.
If I recall correctly, Mika was at least a year old before she started blowing her coat. Maybe a bit older. If you want to get Kuma to get used to being brushed, use a regular brush that won't take out hair. He won't need the furminator for quite some time and I wouldn't try to make his puppy fur shed. Some things are better left to nature.
PS. I LOVE my Dyson too. I have the canister version. Totally ROCKS!!!
I was thinking of bathing him every 3 months or so, tops. But I was considering bathing him at 3 or 4 months for the first time, even if without shampoo. The furminator thing was just a test, and I wanted your opinions about when is the right time to first do it. Ok, i see I must not do it before the puppy coat starts blowing. Thanks! I have "brushed" him with one of those rubber gloves or the nylon brush, just to keep the hair from tangling up. Think it's a bad thing?
I need a new vacuum but my car needs a new front hub assembely so i think the car is going to win. A half working vacuum is better than a not working car.
I haven't bathed Nemo in like a year and he still doesn't stink. He is kind of dirty looking in spots though. Once it stops raining and gets a bit dryer I'll bathe him. Too much bathing is bad for the skin, and the double coated dogs don't get all oily and stinky like labs anyhow.