When I first received an offer to take a look at the FURmintor deshedding tool for dogs, I thought, “Well–I have a dog, and she does shed, but I don’t think that I have time to look at and review some sort of doggie comb,” so I never replied.

Later I was looking at my emails, and I decided to look into this product a bit more, so I did what I always do–turned to the amazon community of reviewers–to see what they had to say about the FURminator. I was convinced by the reviews–four and a half to five stars across the board.

Soon I was holding the FURminator in my own hands (as well as some waterless deShedding shampoo and deShedding treats). I liked the feel of it. It was heavy and sturdy in my hands–easy to hold.  With the weather heating up, now was the perfect time to try it.

I called the dog over to a nice shady spot under a tree. Hard to believe that someone as cute as she is can be responsible for so much shedding, isn’t it?

The process was easy, and just as it showed on the package, the hair was coming out without pulling. It was like she was getting a good rub-down. My husband came over, and I said, “Look at this! Look at how much is coming out. It’s so easy.”

He laughed at me and accused me of sounding like an informercial.  However, as he sat and watched, he could have earned a starring role as well.  As he was petting her, he observed (with a little excitement in his voice), “She even feels lighter.”

On the package it showed the amount of hair that was removed from one session. I brushed Shadow for about 10 minutes that day, and about 10 minutes the next day, getting out equal amounts of fur each time.  I could have continued brushing her if I had time. I think that the sturdy grip prevented my hand from cramping up.

With regular use of the tool, shedding can be reduced up to 90%. It also reduces the amount of pet dander, which is what causes allergic reactions.

Terry and I aren’t the only fans of the FURminator. When I mentioned the product to a friend later that day, she said, “We’ve been using it a while. We love it!”

You can find out more info and watch a video of the FURminator in action at their site. Amazon has awesome prices and a nice selection (there are different sizes and a cat and equine version as well).

If you’d like to win one of 5 FURmintors, leave a comment here telling me about your family member that needs some help (and no, it doesn’t work on humans, although I’m a big shedder myself).

We’ll post the winners on July 16.