Well, I would be the last person to try to put someone else on a cleaning schedule. I read recently that some dog foods are supposed to help with shedding problems. Does your veterinarian have any recommendations? I use a Pro-Serv vacuum cleaner. I bought the 11-pound one, but the 8-lb. one might have been a better idea. I have two dogs and a cat in the house and I live on a ranch, so there is plenty of flying dirt. I also use a Metrovac for weird areas, like computer keyboards and stuff. One of my dogs is a keeshond, the other a lab. Brushing really does help, but I am not good about it. I read one poster who actually vacuums her dog, but mine would not hold still for that. One thing I am careful to do is change my air filters every month. That seems to make a big difference.

Your schedule sounds good, you may have just noticed the accumulation! OTOH, I have a suspicion that when you say you vacuum daily, you mean just the floors -- well, now you know that hair floats everywhere else, too. Try to get in the habit of vacuuming one room very thoroughly each day, as well as all the walkways and their beds. Thoroughly means starting with the ceiling, then the walls, then drapes, then furniture, then level surfaces (including tabletops, shelves, and tv screens), then the floors including under all the furniture. Pick one corner of the room and always start there, working from top to bottom and then towards the left until you have circled the room. Don't grimace -- I can do a 28x15 living room in 20 minutes and that includes vacuuming under the sofa and chair cushions. It takes far longer to say it, than it does to just do it!!

Daily vacuuming -of the dogs- is a tremendous help, if the dogs will permit it. I found using an extra-long hose was good to keep the motor noise away from them; and a treat to reward them afterwards will speed up training. Try to get in the habit of running a coarse brush over them each time they come in the house - it doesn't have to be a thorough brushing, but a swipe along the neck, back and sides will catch a lot of loose hair.

You probably saw the fur on the walls due to the seasonal change in where the sunlight strikes. If you don't vacuum the walls often, then it's helpful to use a clean, dampish foam mop on the walls and ceiling. Just run it back and forth and then rinse the hairs off. Use a dampish sponge to "dust" all the flat surfaces including those window sills. It is amazing how much hair you will gather! And like the detective says, do change those furnace air filters, but I would check them weekly, at least until you catch most of the stray hairs.

Wow, you guys are a great help! I never even thought of vacuuming the walls, and a damp sponge sounds great! I try and clean (washing machine) the dogs beds once or twice a month. I just read on the internet about vacuuming the dogs, I tried it the other day George was somewhat tolerant and Fenway didn't like it, but I have a feeling that using treats will change that quickly! I have a living air purifier and I don't clean the filter as often as I should, so I should probably start making that more of a priority. Thank you all sooooooo much! I feel so encouraged that I can have a clean house and 2 dogs at the same time! Thanks again. -BT00

BT00
My germand shepard recently passed away but for more than 10 years we fought the battle of having dog hair every where! If you are willing to make the investment a central vacuum is the answer. You can clean everything with it and you will notice that your house is cleaner and smells better. I also have a short haired American Cat who sheds year round but the amount of hair compared to the dog is minimal. I like my house to be very clean, and I have purchased many vacuums and cleaning products over the years. My Electroluxs, Kirbys, and Mieles were good but they smelled like my dog and didnt get everything. My central vac doesnt have a bag and it is exhausted outside the house. You will notice if you install one that you will dust every possible surface with it and you house will be cleaner. My housekeeper loved my Electroluxs, hated the Mieles and is head over heals for my VacuFlo central vac. She always tells us that we should have installed it years ago instead of buying all the other machines we had. It is really the only way to "clean" your home and I love using it almost every day! You will be shocked at the amount of dirt your other machine is missing if you put in a VacuFlo, i thought my house was very clean, but I was disgustingly wrong! Good luck!
BenzKid

I seem to recall being told/reading that running my air purifier with the ionizer on would have that effect. Especially on the walls. Don't remember much about how or why but seems worth a little research time.

The undercoat on labs is a never ending job. We used to actually have to pluck it out by the handful along with lots of brushing. Made them more comfortable too.

Keeping filters clean should help too. Good luck. Sandy

I've been known to vacumn my cats and dogs but then I read somewhere that you need to be careful because if the suction is too strong it could do some damage to their organs. It made sense to me since they are small and it wouldn't take a lot.

Nancy

It would have to be a pretty powerful one to damage a dog's organs unless you are talking about a very tiny dog.

I think you can train dogs to be vac'ed. I had horses and we always did them. They loved it and would lean into it.

I used to vacuum my cat with the dust buster. She liked it, also liked being blown with the hair dryer even if she wasn't wet!

If/when you brush the dogs, don't do it in the house.

Try an IRobot Pet vac for 30 days and I bet you will want to keep it.

Next time get a poodle! They come in all sizes from huge to teeny tiny....and never shed.
Linda C

I have 2 Golden Retrievers and I brush them everyday. I have no major fur problems and they are allowed through my entire house. NJ
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I just noticed fur on my bathroom walls, and in the sunlight I can see pet hair on the lower half of my stainless appliances in the kitchen. Yuk.

I have three cats and two dogs, and I can definitely relate to your dilemma.

I have a Hoover Windtunnel upright with a special attachment for pet owners. It attaches to the end of the hose, has a brush that spins on the end to pick up hair and works great for stairs, pillows, bedding and places that you wouldn't normally use the vacume cleaner on. I used to do it by hand with the standard brush attachment at the end of the hose, a lot of work, so this invention is a lifesaver.

I purposely use bedding and throw pillows that will not attract animal hair. Satin or silk is great, but you can get 350 thread count cotton that won't attract animal fur like a fluffy cotton blanket. I buy bedding for the animals that is all machine washable with removable covers. Nothing furry or fuzzy.

One of my dogs is an Australian Cattle dog mix - blows his coat a couple times a year. I found that adding a spoonful of olive oil to their dry food (I mix it in whenever I fill the bowl), helps alleviate skin problems, aids in digestion, and keeps their coat shiny. They are less likely to shed as much. I do this for all my pets.

I also give a thorough washing, and then most importantly I condition his fur. I don't use cheap store bought products that are high in perfume content - this is bad for their skin, and could make them shed worse. Get a product from your vet or local pet store. I use Vet Solutions Aloe & Oatmeal Skin & Coat Shampoo & Conditioner. Believe me, the use of the conditioner REALLY helps cut down on the shedding, and keeps their skin from drying out. I do this once every couple of weeks at the beginning of summer, or when I notice that he's blowing his coat, and then it's managable for the rest of the season. I then only bathe maybe once a month or when he starts to get that dog smell again. I never brush him except after a bath. I don't think bathing them every 2-3 weeks is bad for them, as long as you aren't using harsh shampoos with heavy perfumes.

Using good quality dog food can make a big difference as well because their coat has a lot to do with their diet. Eukanuba is really good, but our dog prefers Nutro. Both are very good quality products. They are sold at most local pet stores - Pet World, Pet Supplies Plus, Petco, etc.

Hope this helps!

Washing the dogs every few weeks isn't going to help much, especially during shedding season. I find that if we brush our dogs every day or two (outside is best, or if you don't have that option try it in a closed bathroom) it makes a huge difference. It's a lot easier to get the hair straight from the dogs than it is to gather it up all over the house.

Make sure to get an appropriate brush though. Most traditional brushes make the dog look pretty, but don't collect much hair because they clog immediately. We've had great luck with "slicker" brushes, which look more like a metal strap with serrations. They look weird, but work great. You can find them at most pet stores.

Washing the dogs during shedding season isn't going to help much? Well that's a new one to me. Sounds perfectly logical to not rid them of their dander and shedding hair with a good bathing. Do you know how much more hair I can get off the dog with a bath as opposed to brushing him? My driveway is full of chunks of hair when I'm done.

I have to share this one with our local pet groomer.

We used to have three dogs and a cat and I threatened to just spray the floor with glue every day and build a pet-hair rug! I wear navy blue pants festooned with dog/cat hair a lot, and have wished for a navy blue dog and cat. I've even heard of people who save up the hair and have sweaters made of it. That's a bit much IMHO, so for those of us who love animals and don't care to wear them, lots of brushing (the pets and the pants) and vaccuuming (pets and floors) and washing (pets, pants, floors, and walls) are the order of the day.