Oh how I can sympathize!!! I have two big shedders, and the battle never ends. Here is what I do: I use the dyson vacuum on all sufaces, it works pretty well. I have carpets, wood floor and tile. Sucks up the fur-tumbleweeds, no problem. Sometimes there is stubborn dog hair on the furniture, I use rubber gloves (like regular kitchen ones) and rub my hands all over the couch/chair, the friction of the rubber (not to be graphic :) usually pulls up the rest of the hair. I wash my wood floors with either white vinegar or Murphy's oil soap. Also, I bought a shedding blade at the pet store. I take the dogs outside on the deck and remove as much hair as possible, then brush them for awhile. They love it, and it helps them to not "drop fur" as much inside. Every few weeks I make a point of moving the couch, tv stand, etc. and clean out the fur underneath. I love the two big goofs, but the fur is a constant problem!

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.

After I logged off last night I went to the laundry room for something and found one more load in the dryer! We had a dog for 14 years. She passed away four years ago. She was a Cairn Terrier which we got because I have allergies and they are one breed (of many) that people with allergies often can tolerate because they don't shed like normal dogs. Lilly was a gift to my DS by his girlfriend who wasn't aware I had allergies so I'm coping as well as I can. I'm shocked that yesterday's cleaning jag didn't put my allergies over the edge. Anyhow...time to get ready for work and I don't have a thing to wear ... but my son has tall piles waiting for him to put away. LOL Jodi-

Actually to do a food trial to determine if you pet has food allergies, you have to 1) choose a food with a single protein and single carbohydrate source that your pet has NEVER eaten before and 2) give that food and that food ONLY (no treats, cheese, peanut butter, raw hide, fruits, veggies, ANYTHING) for 8-10 weeks. It takes that long for the body to stop reacting to the allergens and to start showing signs of improvement in the haircoat and skin. If there was improvement during that time, then you challenge the dog with the original diet to make sure it was the diet that caused the problems. It shouldn't take more than 2-4 weeks to start showing the old problems again. Then you put the pet back on the food that you used for the food trial. If you want to expand the variety of what your pet can eat (like treats etc) then add them one at a time every 2 weeks and carefully watch for signs of problems. Else you won't be able to tell what to avoid in the future. To do a food trial any other way is a total waste of money- you won't get the information you need to avoid your pet's allergens. It is very important to completely read the labels of the diet you are going to use for a food trial. Most foods have mixed ingredients, "animal fat" could be any animal including one that your pet is allergic to, many foods have rice which your dog has probably already eaten, etc. That is the hardest part of choosing the right food trial diet IMHO- most foods have very similar ingredients and it is very difficult to find one that has nothing your pet has ever eaten before. The reason that it is so important to use a food that your pet has never been exposed to before is that you can't have an allergic reaction to something you've never been exposed to before. So you also have to consider what treats and such your pet has had in the past when making your food trial decision. All that said, dry flaky skin in not a typical sign of food allergies. It is more of a sign of not enough fatty acids in the diet for your individual dog, or a result of too-frequent bathing, or a very dry environment, or possible a scaling problem. Food allergies generally manifest as GI upset (vomiting, diarrhea, frequent stools, loose stools), chronic or recurring ear infections, itchiness, infection especially around the lips and face, and sometimes hives. As far as short hair dogs being allergic to chicken, that is a bunch of baloney. An animal can be allergic to anything and it has nothing to do with length of fur. But if your dog has had chicken before and you want to do a food trial, you are going to have to avoid chicken anyway. Or you could choose any of the diets you mentioned except Bil-Jac (too many artificial preservatives, flavors, and colors) and add a fatty acid supplement such as olive oil or fish oil (I use fish oil capsules for my dogs) and see if her coat improves. She may just need a little boost in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Nutro is an OK food, but wellness and canidae in particular are much higher quality. Good luck!