Minimizing the crazy shedding? - Page 1

We all know that GSD's shed like crazy... my question to everyone is how do you keep your house from becoming overrun with dog fur?

I own two GSD's and an Aussie mix and I feel like I am constantly dusting, sweeping, vaccuming and to no avail. I own two "Furminator" brushes - the expensive brushes that reach all the way to the undercoat - and I still feel so overwhelmed. I have no idea how owners with 3+ indoor GSD's survive! I know there are numerous pills, shampoos, etc, and am curious as to whether anyone has tried them out and gotten results. Thank you, everyone!

I have less shedding on a raw diet but they're still gonna shed.  I swear it's a hobby for this breed.  I just sweep, vacuum, and learn to deal with it.   I love my dogs so what's a little fur between friends? :)

I also wonder if there is something other than the obvious. The dust bunnies here have become large and reproduce out of control. With one white cat, one gsd, and now I have added another gsd. Fortunately my house is on the smaller side, so it is somewhat controllable if I keep at it. Even with the extra time and work, I would not trade them in for anything.  Children are positively alot of work in other ways.

I actually am not convinced Furminators work that well. I mean, yes you end up with a huge pile of hair, but I have one that I use on my rabbit and I'm pretty sure it just scrapes the top hairs off, the teeth don't seem long enough to get right down.

I really like the rakes for loosening hair and then the slicker brushes which seem to get obscene amounts of fur off!

My current female is intact; she sheds very little between the fall and spring seasonal sheds. My spayed female and neutered males shed 24/7.

I'm not too fond of the Furminators either.  They say it doesn't strip the coat.  The hell it doesn't!  Ended up giving mine away.  I'll stick to my undercoat rake and a bristle brush for finishing.  Most of the shedding is only during heat cycles and seasonal coat changes anyway.  I can reach down and tug my girls' coats right now and nothing even comes out.  The boy hasn't quite finished blowing his all over the place but he's almost done thankfully.  I just take the vacuum to him while doing the floors. LOL

When I had mine on a monthly bathing schedule it really kept the hair down to a minimum, and during the summer they swim in our pool so that takes care of a lot of the hair, although I just end up cleaning it out of the pool filter instead of off the floors!

LOL, SummertimeGSD. I am lucky, a friend owns a waterfront lot on the Gulf and I can take my GSD there to swim. No filters to clean .

2 kids, husband, 2 cats and 2 GSDs - I feel your pain...

My solution:

1) raw/home cooked diet. I still have to put up with them blowing their coat twice a year but at least it's not a constant shedding.  I do not know a pill/ supplement that would really work...
 
2.) no wall-to-wall carpeting: only tile and wood/laminate flooring (laminate is better as their nails don't scratch it).  Carpeting doubles the problem, hair gets inside  and is almost impossible to remove.
 
3.) cheap, very light and portable, European style canister vacuum with a bag!!! (i.e. Eureka readyforce - approx. $50 ) keeps your floors hair bunnies free. Bagless will make your house stink like wet dog every time you vac (been there, done that).
 
4.) no dog play allowed inside the house - when they do it - the hair is just flying...
 
On a positive side: my friends have a yellow lab and he sheds constantly ten times more than all my pets put together. I do have dust bunnies on the floors to deal with - but he's got yellow sharp hair stuck into every soft surface - almost irremovable - he is however on kibble... You don't want him to touch you or you will have his pin like hair stuck in your clothes and you will have to pluck them one by one...

Raw food, fish oil and Neato robotic vacuum :)