My FURminator Review: The Innovative
New Grooming Tool for Sheltie Owners

By Becky Turner

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The FURminator is a patented grooming tool for dogs with thick double coats - just like Shelties. The unusual design enables it to safely strip away loose undercoat better than any other brush, comb or rake, reducing shedding up to 90%.

We use the FURminator on Howard and Piper when they are shedding to speed up the grooming process and keep the fluff off the furniture. Here's a quick video which shows the brush in action:

Order a FURminator at Amazon

(I really wanted to see the face of that Rough Collie! Also, I don't know why the brushing in this video is quite so aggressive... but you don't need to brush your Sheltie like that; you can be really gentle with the FURminator too.)

Why FURminate?

Your Sheltie has a thick luxurious undercoat which requires frequent grooming, and is at it's worst when he sheds his winter coat (and just after every heat cycle in females). This can easily become a dense mass of loose, dead hair that eventually ends up all over your house, furniture and clothes...

Our Shelties' first FURmination - and they weren't even shedding!

Frequent grooming during shedding season helps keep the dog cool and ensures the fur ends up in one big pile - not all over your house. The FURminator grabs the loose undercoat and easily removes it without damaging the topcoat. It actually brings out your Sheltie's natural oils, leaving a shiny and healthy topcoat.

Howard and Piper don't mind me using the FURminator on them. They sit there while I gently run it in long strokes down the length of the hair on their back (never drag the brush against the fur). It is really amazing on their dense furry haunches too. It's actually kind of ridiculous how much fur you can extract off the behind of a shedding Sheltie!

Incidentally, I don't use it on their sensitive bellies or ears where there is little or no undercoat. Just use your usual pin brush or comb on these parts.

How It Works

So what is different about the design of this brush? I asked Kate Flores, Assistant Product Manager at FURminator Inc, who told me the following:

"The design of the patented edge pushes through the topcoat to remove the undercoat and loose hair. The undercoat is very fluffy and lifts the topcoat from the skin giving the coat a full appearance. Removing the fluffy undercoat with the deShedding tool allows the topcoat to lay closer to the skin and allows the skin to breathe easier.

"Since the topcoat lays flatter the coat doesn't look as full, most people think this is because of some sort of cutting action. However, this is not true. When using the deShedding tool, you can actually see the difference in the coat texture of the undercoat being removed versus the topcoat that is left on the pet."

Which Brush?

FURminator Inc has a popular range of products and grooming tools. The brush featured here is the FURminator deShedding Tool for Dogs, which comes in various sizes (as well as short and long hair versions).

For Shelties, I recommend either the Small (< 20 lbs) or Medium (20-50 lbs) grooming brush for long hair. These retail in the $28-45 range. That may sound a little dear but this is a revolutionary tool in dog grooming and money well spent.

You can buy the FURminator in your local pet store, however if you would like to support Sheltie Planet, please buy yours through Amazon.

Amazon has the cheapest genuine version I've found online. While there are cheaper versions on eBay, beware of inferior counterfeit versions which don't use the same patented technology nor match the same safety standards.

Support Sheltie Planet and get your genuine FURminator at Amazon!