FURminator is a popular brand that offers a range of brushes to help owners keep on top of grooming.
The FURminator De-Shedding Tool is of particular interest among Australian shepherd owners, but is it actually good for their coat, or should it be avoided?
The FURmintator de-shedding tool can work well with Australian shepherds, but owners must use it carefully to avoid cutting the healthy topcoat. Many owners have mixed reviews about using this tool.
Furminator has other brushes that we think are safer and more effective. We’ll explain below.
What Is The FURminator De-Shedding Tool?
Their De-Shedding tool is the brand’s most well-known brush and is arguably what made them famous.
This brush is designed to reach through the topcoat and remove the dead undercoat with ease. They have a few different styles of this de-shedding tool, depending on your dog’s coat.
As you can imagine, with Aussies shedding like crazy, owners are always looking for the best brush.
Is The FURminator De-Shedding Tool Good or Bad For Aussies?
It absolutely does what it’s supposed to. Remove hair.
But our main concern, is that it can remove healthy topcoat hair easily if used incorrectly. And it’s easy to misuse it.
If it’s used with extreme care, then sure, it does work. And owners do have success with it. After all, it probably wouldn’t have become famous for no reason.
But when we dig deeper and ask owners, we hear many reports of how they “accidentally” cut off topcoat hair. And with how beautiful an Aussie’s coat is, this is something you DO NOT want to happen.
- We’re not knocking this brand. We use their products. But FURminator has different brushes we think are safer and much more effective.
The Brush We Prefer From FURminator
In our complete guide on handling Australia shepherd shedding we run through two brushes that do the ultimate job of all-around grooming.
1. The FURminator Undercoat Rake
Your Aussie will have a much better brushing session if it’s done with their undercoat rake.
This simple rake has long metal rounded prongs that gently detangle and remove loose dead hair from the undercoat without any harsh tugging or cutting.
This brush has outperformed the de-shedding tool consistently. And I’ve been brushing double-coated breeds for decades!
Additionally, your Aussie will actually like getting brushed with it. Trust me, you don’t want to make brushing a nightmare for your dog, or you’ll be chasing after them every time you get the brush out.
Check it out here: FURminator Undercoat Rake
2. The FURminator Slicker Brush
The main “de-shedding” will happen with the undercoat rake, but to finish off the topcoat and leave your Aussie properly groomed, a slicker brush is perfect.
Slicker brushes are made with thin metal wires around 1 inch long. These wires reach down only so far as the topcoat, detangling and removing final dead hair brought to the surface.
These wires are easy on the hair and do not tug, pull, or cut the topcoat. Your Aussie’s coat will be smooth and silky after finishing with the slicker brush.
Check it out here: FURminator Slicker Brush
Use these two brushes together
Over the years, we’ve found the absolute best grooming routine for all long, thick, double-coated breeds involves a 10-minute session with the undercoat rake, followed by 5 minutes with the slicker brush. Nothing has outperformed that so far (tool or routine).
Avoid The De-Shedding Tool?
In our honest opinion, we believe owners will see much greater results with two simpler brushes: The undercoat rake and the slicker brush. (many other brands make these brushes too).
We also have to consider how our pups enjoy these brushing sessions too. Give them a bad experience and it’ll be a nightmare, but make it something they like, it can improve your bond and ultimately lead to more effective grooming sessions.
If owners want to try the de-shedding tool we highly recommend checking out some videos on youtube on using it safely. We’ve heard too many stories of misuse so take a lot of care.
P.S De-shedding tools are also expensive (one de-shedder is still more expensive than an undercoat rake and slicker brush combined)
4 Extra Grooming Tips
Let’s run through a few extra grooming tips while we’re here to help owners best manage their Aussie’s shedding.
1. Brush when your Aussie is calm and relaxed
It’s best to go into every brushing session when your Aussie is already calm, relaxed and willing to just lay or sit still.
By having your Aussie remain still, you can focus on brushing them correctly and hitting every spot. I know, there’s nothing more frustrating than trying to hold a dog still while simultaneously brush them.
Make it a calm and relaxing experience for your Aussie and it’ll be more beneficial for both owner and pooch!
2. Little and often is the key to grooming
To manage your Aussie’s shedding effectively it’s best to brush them little and often.
A 10-15 minute daily brush will control shedding so much better than leaving it to the end of the week and giving one long tedious session.
Make brushing a part of your daily routine and vacuuming your floors for dog hair will be a thing of the past!
3. Start from the head down
Most know this already, but it’s so easy to pick up the brush at start on those juicy thighs where most dead hair usually is.
Instead, start from the head and work your way down methodically. This will ensure you hit every part of your Aussie and ultimately do a better job of removing all the dead hair.
4. Pin & Bristle Brushes For Puppies
Pin & Bristle brushes are gentle and forgiving, perfect for young pups.
For puppies, it’s not necessary to have such a strategy in place. In fact, puppies will not shed all that much, so “de-shedding” isn’t something owners really need to worry bout too much!
However, it remains crucial to start brushing early. This will get your pup accustomed to the brush way before the real brushing needs to happen. And as we explained already, ensuring your Aussie is comfortable with the brush is crucial for stress-free and effective grooming sessions.
Thanks for reading! Back to more Australian Shepherd articles