The FURminator.....

The FURminator...

Sounds interesting huh? Check this out.

http://www.furminator.com/

I was sitting here at my computer last night and this ad popped up. It looks very eye catching. But then I thought, whats the catch? Im sorry but there is no such thing as making a dog shed-free. Its impossible. I have lived with dogs all my life. They shed. Even the K-9 variety. 'Nuf said.

But I got to thinking. Hmmmm... I might want to give this a try. Now, you do remember that you cant outfox the fox right? Im going to check the listings for some place near by to have this tested on my own ball of fur. The K-9 one. What? I have a cat too.

All of my life I have been around all sorts of animals. I think at one point, my house could have been labeled as a small petting zoo. My brother used to bring home everything from school or strays. We have just about every farm animal and all the wild animals that needed help. So its no surprise that we always had a dog. I dont remember a time when we didnt have one. Or two. Or seven.

Now in my adult life, I wanted a dog of my own. This is where Holly and Caesar came into the picture. I have always loved German Shepherds. If you have ever believed that a dog has no soul, then you have never looked into the eyes of a German Shepherd. The beauty, the loyalty, the courage and the love that these dogs possess are none to be matched. Of course this is true for all dogs but Im playing favorites here. I love all animals equally. But this post is about shedding and let me tell you, these dogs can shed.

Holly was the love of my life. My first born. I treated her as I would have treated my child. And even after my child was born, she was still treated the same. She became my daughters best friend and "sister". Holly went where Cami went. She even slept under her bed. Due to her age, it was difficult for her to get up and down from her bed. So she opted for the best place and it was closest to be with her under the bed.

Holly was a very large dog. She topped out at about 130lbs. She was soft and cuddly. Very huggable. But she was hairy. Not a nice thing to say about a lady but it was true. She could shed. Where ever she went, there was sure to be fur left behind. Thats one of the ways we knew she was sleeping on the couch all day watching cartoons. Yes, when we left the house, the tv was turned on and the cartoons were what she watched. Any other channel and you could tell that she wasnt in the livingroom. She was more human than dog.

One day, I was at a sort of police dog show thing going on at a local park. There was a vender there that sold a special food that was supposed to curb shedding. I could see their dogs and how shiny and beautiful their coats were. I thought I would give it a try. It worked. It actually worked. But Holly wasnt all that thrilled with the food and didnt really like it too much. Plus the cost factor was enormous. I couldnt believe the cost and having a dog of this size meant that you needed a second mortgage just to by this food.

So that option was out and I was looking for a better solution. I personally didnt mind having hair here and there. But it wasnt making a fashion statement with those in the public eye. Wearing a fur coat that wasnt actually yours, wasnt a good thing. And also having to wash the dog constantly wasnt an easy thing to do. My tub was clogged beyond all repair at times. There would be so much hair in the drain that it would have to be snaked out after every washing. And then came the constant brushing. I could stuff a pillow case with it every week.

So for me, the best option was to take her to a groomer. There was a grooming place in town that allowed me to wash and dry her myself at a fraction of the cost. This was great because it was quite expensive to have a pro do this. At this place I could use their specially designed tubs and their products included all in the small price of about $20. That is a $60 savings to me. Washing a dog really isnt all that hard to do. Well at least to her it wasnt. She liked a bath. Most dogs dont.

So that is the way I controlled the shedding to a point. But the hair was still coming. Where it all came from? I have no idea. I very well couldnt shave her. I have never seen a shaved Shepherd before and I wasnt about to do it to my own. So eventually I gave up and just let it be. She was going to shed whether I liked it or not. My burgundy carpet was hairy and I would just simply have to clean it more often. I loved my dog more than the torture it was to keep the hair at bay.

But then came the cat. Although cats tend to clean themselves, the hair and the shedding is still an issue. So now I not only had the dog shedding, but the cat hair was everywhere too. I was sleeping with both animals and the hair was all over me. I had my own fur blanket.

After Holly passed away, a sadness came over me. This was obviously normal in the loss of a loved one. But one thing that I also missed was seeing the hair. Yes, I didnt have to clean the floors from all the hair, or use the vac on the couch. But it was still a loss that I wont get over too soon. So now I have another dog. And yes, she is just as hairy. And yes I need to figure out what to do with her. Especially right now. This time of the year is the worst. I can see thehair just falling off her when she walks by.

Im wondering if this new system will work for her and I am also wondering what the cost is going to be. I washed my bedding last night and the lumps of fur in the washer and the dryer was unbelievable. There was more fur in there than on my cat total. It was like I gained a third pet. Both are lazy so having this huge hair and lint ball on my floor wouldnt have made a difference. No one would know. Sorry but that third pet went into the trash can. At least I hope it was the hair ball.

Right now, my cat and my dog are asleep on the bed behind me. I know I will wake up in the moring with a mouth full of fur. I know that before I go to work, they would be leaning on me and rubbing fur all over me. Its like they put it there so that I wont forget them while I am away all day. A sort of haunting reminder and a guilt trip for leaving them. And yes, they know how to pour on the guilt trips very well. The sad brown eyes. The whining as if to beg me to please not go. Believe me, I really dont want to leave but someone has to make the cash to feed you all.

Oh and just so you know, the new As Seen On TV PediPaws thing does not work. It sucks and the pets are scared shitless of it. I think I will end up using it to grind down some of my jewelry wire that I work on. That way it wont be a total loss of cash.

I think this week I will set things up for next weekend for Mindys bath outside in the back yard. Im glad for the summer months because then the drains dont get clogged up. Nothing like using the garden hose and having some soapy fun. I cant do it this week because the forecast is for thunderstorms. That would not be a fun thing to be out in it while washing your dog and holding a hose in your hand. Yeah the rubber will ground a lightning strike but Im not taking that chance.