On another forum I belong to most people have purchsed the "Furminator" and have had great results when brushing their cats and dogs. My son purchased it for his 3 dogs and he also says it works great. Perhaps this would help your problem.

Having said that, I love my Dyson vacuum cleaner and it works wonders on pet hair.

Here is a link that might be useful: Furminator

I have two retrievrs so I know the problem of lots of dog hair! The Furminator is a big help--it's amazing how much hair comes out when you start using it (it seems like shearing a sheep!). I also find the Dyson vacuum very helpful--but it is pricey.

We also have a yellow lab. He just turned 12 and I think the older they are the more they shed. We brush ours every evening. I swear if I keep brushing the dog will soon be bald. Where does it come from? We just bought a Dyson and swear by it. The first day we bought it, AFTER we had already vacuumed with what we thought was a good vacuum, the cannister was full. We now have area rugs and I have to do the floors every evening because you can see the hair on the hardwoods. NO more shedding dogs after this one.

The Dyson vac is well thought of, I know. I'm cheap! Actually I tend to treat vacs as disposable. I buy an inexpensive one and toss it every few years. Yes, there is a reason. I've had better vacs that I felt obligated to take to the repair guy when they acted up. Each visit always cost me a minimum of 40-50 bucks and the repair guys invariably HAVE to tell me what a piece of crap I bought and what I REALLY need is this fancy-schmancy whiz-bang, gold-plated, la-de-da, sign-over-your-first-born priced model right over here. Mostly I get tired of hearing what an idiot (implied, of course) I am for spending my money on a crappy machine. The checker at WalMart won't give me any grief as I set my cheap vacuum on her conveyor belt. Though I might have to think about the Dyson or watch for one on Craigs List.

I'm heading out to PetSmart this afternoon for that Furminator thingie, though!

Please let me know how you like the Furminator. I have a cat that sheds terribly but I haven't yet bought the Furminator to use on him. I don't think he'd stay still for it. The funny thing is that I also have a maltese and he doesn't shed at all.

the repair guys invariably HAVE to tell me what a piece of crap I bought and what I REALLY need is this fancy-schmancy whiz-bang, gold-plated, la-de-da, sign-over-your-first-born priced model right over here.

They say that about the Dyson too, but we dog owners love them. I don't know how long your cheapie vacs last, but I've had my Dyson for over 5 years. I have not spent a penny on bags, repairs or replacements.

If price is an issue, look for the basic yellow DC07 Dyson - that's what I have. You don't need the Animal version or any of the other versions now being sold. You can get so-called reconditioned ones that are often nothing more than machines that people bought and returned after using it a few times. I'm seen them for about $300 - over your budget, but worth it.

I have a pre-owned Electrolux canister and it is fantastic. Not nearly as expensive as the Dyson, but does the job. It has one attachment for cleaning carpet that is awesome. I use it to clean the carpeted cat trees and it does a fabulous job. If you go on line to their web page you can see them and their cost.

barnmom

First, why not see what the problem is with your Altima. Vacuum cleaners usually do not just stop doing what they are suppose to be doing. Are all of the filters(incl. the screen) getting cleaned and/or replaced? The filters not getting cleaned or replaced is usually the problem. The second problem is a stretched belt. Check the belt to make sure that it is not slipping. Clean out all the hair from the brushroll. Remove the brushroll and clean any accumulated hair and treads from the brushroll ends. Also check to see if there are any clogs in the hose or dirt path.

If you feel that you still want a new upright vacuum cleaner, you do have options. Hoover has come out with a new bagless upright vacuum cleaner called the Whisper Cyclonic. It has multiple cyclones, like the Dyson, but only cost $120. The model is only sold at Walmart at this point, but should be available in other stores later on. It will handle the animal hair and there are no filters in the dirt bin to clean. There are filters in other areas of the vacuum though. The upright has a separate motor to run the brushroll. The belt used will last for many years before needing to be changed. It really is a good buy at that price, but do not expect the Whisper to last a lifetime. Afterall, you are only spending around $120.

Another multicyclonic bagless would be the Bissell Healthy Home. It runs around $249, but it is usually on sale. I have also seen refurbished HH's for $157. This vacuum does a very good job of picking up animal hair. Plus, like the above Hoover, this vacuum cleaner does not use filters inside the dirtbin. There are two outside the bin.

I would recommend these if you have alot of pet hair to vacuum up and do not have alot of money in your budget for a vacuum cleaner.

I have a Riccar that cost $199. It does a good job on pet hair. I have mostly carpeted floors and one little mini pug that sheds like crazy.

I have a husky that sheds constantly - year yound. I have an inexpensive vaccuum called the hoover empower. It does a great job and has been working well for over 4 years.

We have a black lab so I know what you are going through with the hair. We have almond linoleum and we get what I affectionately call "tumble furs" which tumble into our carpeted rooms and turn our dark blue carpet dingy.

I had looked at vacuum cleaners a few months back when our old one started getting huge holes in the hose that even duct tape couldn't ward off. After identifying my needs - lightweight, attachments, bagless, powerful, easy to use on both carpet and linoleum, can do stairs easily enough - I discovered Dyson makes a canister (Dyson DC21 Stowaway Canister Vacuum.) I originally wanted to go the cheap route but the reviews always seemed mixed on them where Dysons were more consistent. I bought the Dyson canister which was as expensive as Dysons are, however, I looked around and got it ON SALE at Sears for over $60 off. Plus, Sears was the only location I found at that time that had them in store for me to see up close and I didn't have to pay for shipping.

I actually love this vacuum cleaner and enjoy vacuuming for the first time! I can't believe what a difference it has made in our house. The first time I used it, my husband thought I had steam cleaned the carpets. That sold it for me. Our carpets look better and better each time I use it. I was originally thinking of replacing our carpet because it looked so bad but the Dyson, in spite of cost, has saved me from an even larger cost.

The only thing I don't like is the cord could be longer but it is minor compared to what it does.

O.K., I'm done sounding like a Dyson cheerleader but, for anyone who has dogs - especially labs - seriously consider a Dyson. Just do your homework on what your exact needs are and read reviews before you make the investment. Good luck! Oh, just don't shave the dog ;)

I have a cat and a dog, gas forced hot air system, wood floors with area rugs throughout my house and only 2 rooms with wall to wall. The dust the gas forced hot air puts out is worse than the animal hair, I swear.
I have a Eureka Boss SmartVac. It's 3 years old and has done a great job on the pet hair, until just recently. It started making a noise, and of course I had lost the owners manual to trouble shoot. I went to the Eureka site online and they referred me to the closest repair shop, a few miles away. I told the guy on the phone that I thought it was the belt, since the noise I was hearing sounded like a whirring noise, and that the noise didn't stop until a few seconds after I turned the vacuum off. I mentioned that it was not picking up as well as in the past. He assured me that what I was describing did not sound at all like a belt problem and sounded more serious than that. He advised me to bring it over ($20 just to look at it, non-refundable).
That didn't sound right, so I called Eureka cust service who walked me through how to take the back off of the vacuum to see if the belt was worn. Sure enough, the belt was torn and almost severed. They referred me to online directions as to how to remove and replace the belt. I went to another (different) vacuum repair store and bought the belt for $8. Put it in myself, and I am not the handiest person. Vacuum is back to working just fine.
I totally sympathize with you. That repair guy made me feel like an idiot. But I saved myself who knows how much. I also bought a hepa-filter and put that in.
You might want to take a look at Consumers Reports to see what they suggest. I bought the Boss as it was a top pick in CD. I paid about $150 for it at Best Buy.
Negative thing, it is very heavy and it's difficult to drag up and down the stairs. But it does a great job, IMO.

Another vote for the Furminator.

Best bang for the buck under 200 dollars is the Eureka model C2094 that you can buy at Sams for $139. No attachments and nothing fancy about the machine. It has a huge fan that creates a ton of airflow which is great for carpet cleaning. Plus it has a metal roller with replaceable brush strips. And best of all, it will clean circles around any Dyson model on carpet. I use the bags that have the arm and hammer in them to help with the pet odor

After reading here, I became very interested in the Furminator. However, I have long haired (Shelties) dogs. Our local PetsMart had only one left and it was the large one. The way it is packaged, you cannot really see how the product works and the "teeth" are covered by a protector so that you can't see them at all; however, they appear to be short. My dogs shed all the time, but they have beautiful coats. I know the Furminator says it will not damage the outer coat, but I can't see how this can be true with long haired dogs. Can anyone fill me in?

pauline, check with your vet because mine had one to try out. I don't have a long hair dog to compare but they can't have knots in their hair.

My dogs have fairly long hair (not as long as a Sheltie!)--I have golden retrievers and retriever mixes. I use the Furminator, and I don't think it would damage the outer coat. Though you get a lot of hair off when you use it, it is "dead" old hair, not the long glossy hair.

What a wealth of information! I haven't had a chance to shop yet but will be well informed when I do.

Another vote for the Furminator!! Bought one last weekend, and "de-furred" the 2 cats. WOW, what a difference!! It was truly amazing the amount of dead hair that came out of those little girls. Pricey at $37.00, but well worth it! It's only been a week, but I have noticed a huge reduction in the amount of hair in the house. Their coats are now silky smooth, feel and look much better, the dark green bedspread is almost "hairless' this week! I really thought this was another "gimmick", but after doing alot of internet research and reading online testimonials, I went for it and found the Furminator along with my Dyson may have just solved all my pet hair problems!!

dd50,

As a matter of fact, my vet was listed on the Furminator site as carrying their product. Knowing our vet, I found it hard to believe and figured it was a one time deal for him. Guess I better give him a call and see. The large one at PetsMart was $59.50--more than I want to spend without being sure of the product.

Pauline,

I have two Great Pyrenees and a lab/husky mix, so we have A LOT of dog hair here.

My pyrs are double-coated, and I love this (see link below) grooming tool. I've not used the furminator, so I can't compare, but this is a pretty reasonably priced item.

Here is a link that might be useful: Master Grooming Tools Stripper

I have the dyson for pets, and I like the vacume cleaner, but the pet attachment is not all that it's cracked up to be.

It's not necessarily the attachment itself, but the way it attaches to the wand - not ergonomically correct, very uncomfortable and difficult to maneuver.

It works, yes, but I think it was an "afterthought" more or less because the mini turbine attachment has a "clip" on it, to attach to say a handheld vacume cleaner (which I believe is what it was initially designed for, and that's the reason I am calling it an "afterthought" on this vacume cleaner), but there's nothing to "clip" it to on the wand on this vacume cleaner. You just shove it on and hope it holds, and sometimes it pops off. Very annoying.

Anyway, good luck with finding a vacume cleaner. I'd look for one that has a 5 year warranty.

Most vacumes now are cheaply made, but since they are now competing with Dyson and the 5 year warranty, some of them are bumping up the warranties from 1 to 5 years...I think Bissell was one of them, but I've never personally used a Bissell vacume.

I can tell you that I'd NEVER buy a kenmore again (GARBAGE), and my hoover wasn't the greatest either, but by far better than the kenmore. Hoovers in the past for me worked fine, but it seems they last a shorter and shorter amount of time, and these two kicked the bucket JUST AFTER the warranty expired. How convenient for the manufacturer, huh? Then I tried a Dirt Devil, and returned it the NEXT DAY...it was horrible!

Like I said, they don't make things like they used to because if they make a lifetime product that means less profit for them.

I figured if I paid $150/each for the last two and they lasted only two years combined, then I may as well purchase a Dyson for $450 (I got it on sale from Sears, which is RARE), it will pay itself off and I'll be saving money in the long run.

Gosh, I remember my Mom had a vacume cleaner that she used for years!

All this technology and life just doesn't get any easier!

p.s. I forgot to mention that I have both dogs and cats, and the Dyson really does pick up so much more hair than any other vacume I've owned.

I just bought a Dyson Animal DC07 on clearance (not a rebuilt, in factory packaging) at Target for $249. I had to go to 3 different stores to find one. I love it. Two large dogs here, a Rot and a Lab. I test drove My son's DC07 Yellow Dyson first.

We have golden retrievers, but because we have hardwood and tile floors (no carpet), our plain old Kenmore canister vacuum (bought on sale for $39) gets up all the dog hair with no problem.

My sil, who does have carpet throughout her house, and has five Labs, swears by her Panasonic upright vacuum.

My mother has owned an Electrolux vacuum since the mid-'60s and it's still going strong. Her house is all carpet except for the kitchen and baths, and I'm not kidding when I say the floors still look as good as new!

pyrmom,

Thanks for the link. I think I'll pass on the Furminator for now as there are a lot of tools that do the same job. I have my Shelties professionally groomed every other month. I just need to groom them myself more often in between.

Along another line, my dogs are allowed to get up on our bed. The duvet is dark colored (the lesser of two evils) so, of course, it shows a lot of hair. PetsMart sells a large (about 10") adhesive roller that works wonders for getting the hair off. It looks just like the clothers rollers, only larger. I use it on the front of my sofas and chairs where the dogs brush against them. It's easier than getting out the vacuum attachments.

I have a 9 YO yellow Lab. The Furminator is amazing. Come over to the dark side of solid flooring! I have wood, laminate, and tile. And I love it! I also have a cheap Hoover vac, and it seems to work fine. It's a Windtunnel canister. I Swiffer the kitchen and living room a couple times a week, and vaccuum the area rugs weekly.

My dog goes on my bed too, and the only thing that gets the fur off the comforter are those sticky tape rollers.

But a little bit of fur is a minor inconvenience for the joy she brings us!

I finally changed the belt in my vacuum cleaner. The filters are good but the belt hadn't been changed in a while. It was all stretched out. It made a huge difference. I'd still like a better vacuum but this one will do for a while longer.

I haven't shaved the dog. Yet. I didn't get the Furminator because it is rather expensive for the large one. I use a shedding blade, then a slicker brush, and finish with a rubber curry brush. She loves it and it helps a little. I do it outside and hope that birds take the hair for nests. Do you think they really do that?

That was strange. I posted a follow up and it didn't bring this post to the top.

One more try to bring this up top.

I had a yellow Lab :( but she passed away last July at 12 years...(sniff)
The furminator worked great on her.
Watch out for bumps and moles though. You can also try to tackle the shedding from the "inside" by giving him Omega-3's and better dog food. That's one of the best ways! (Flax seed oil in the food and sea meal helps)
Most of the stuff at pet stores is not good and has all kinds of bad fillers.
Try Life Abundance!

I have a Golden Retriever a yellow cat and Miele vaccum. We're all very happy! Never once in 15 years have I had to service the Miele but I did recently buy a new cleaning head attachment. Adding Linatone to the dog food greatly reduces shedding. Your shedding problem may be largely dietary. If you give it a try keep in mind it will take a few weeks before you start to see the improvement. Good luck!

We have a 95lb German Shepherd dog that masquerades as a third-world wool factory. Fortunately we also have tile and wood floors. The majority of the hair follows a path to the intake duct on the air conditioner/heater and we've learned to interrupt this.
The best innovation, however, was buying about 12 feet of clear plastic tubing sized to fit into the end of the vacuum cleaners "hose". She doesn't want the machine anywhere near her, but with the hose I leave the machine out of sight and vacuum her. She loves it. I will also use the strippers and brushes etc, but in conjunction with the vacuum tube. Bye hair!

old_dave