We’ve discussed all manner of dog emanations in this blog, from drool (The D word) to pee (Anything vertical) to poop (The other P word).
Let’s talk about dog hair.
No, you can’t train your dog not to shed. However, you can control where your dog sheds. You can restrict access – “No dogs in the living room!” “Dogs not allowed on the couch!” You can groom – frequent baths, brushing and/or trips to the doggy spa – to reduce the amount of shedding hair. Or you can sigh and break out the vacuum cleaner. Early and often.
I recently had an opportunity to try out a vacuum designed specifically for eliminating animal hair and dander. Dander, as you may know, is particularly virulent. It is nearly invisible yet responsible for triggering allergic responses like sneezing, watery eyes and itching, from many humans.
One of my specialties is training dogs not to attack or bark at vacuum cleaners.* Vacuums emit a high pitched whine that is irritating to the canine sense of hearing. Owners of dogs that have a hankering for killing the vacuum cleaner would do well to find one that is as low as possible on the decibel scale. My own dogs politely leave the room when they see a vacuum coming. They know not to wait around to torture their sensitive ear drums.
I’m assuming the worst shedding dogs – Huskies? Labs? Collies? – would put any vacuum to the test. Since not all dogs are crossbred with non-shedding breeds like Poodles, buying an expensive, quiet and effective vacuum might be worth the investment – and what dog isn’t? – to keep your home tidy and dog-friendly at the same time.
*The trick to keeping dogs from barking at the vacuum? Hint: When was the last time you praised your dog for being quiet??