In comparing the Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair with the Scotch FurFighter Hair Remover, I find that both are comfortable to use, and work quite well on flat surfaces of furniture upholstery and cotton blend furniture covers for both long-haired and short-haired dogs. The Fur Fighter works best on curves, creases, and corners.

The Pledge Fabric Sweeper has rollers at the bottom and a non-removable compartment at the top to hold the fur. You brush one way with small passes, which pulls the fur up, then brush the other way to pull fur into the storage compartment. When the compartment is full and the rollers don’t work satisfactorily anymore, it is time to throw it away and purchase a new one. It cannot be used on vinyl, leather, or wet surfaces. A single Pledge Fabric Sweeper costs about $5.

The Scotch FurFighter Hair Remover (indoor upholstery) is a curved plastic base and handle with a pad that adheres to it. The pad curves up around the base so that it can pull hair from corners. It has little rubber teeth that grab on to the fur and hold it to the pad. When the pad is full, it is pulled off and discarded, then replaced with a new one. There is also one for automotive upholstery–the main difference being the shape of the base and handle which have bristles and a storage compartment for the pads. The initial Scotch Fur Fighter Hair Remover with 5 refill pads costs about $8 and refill pads (8 to a package) are around $6.

My personal preference is the Scotch FurFighter. I find that it gets into corners and small places better, and that the pad fills on one usage and I can throw it away and put away a fur-free device. Keep in mind that I have really big dogs that have an abundance of fur that they leave behind. If I had a small dog that didn’t fill the Scotch pad in one use, I would possibly prefer the Pledge Fabric Sweeper since the fur is tucked safely away in the storage compartment.

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Life can get hairy when you are the owner of two Golden Retrievers and a Carolina Dog.  Needless to say, I am always looking for a new wonder product that will make it easy to remove dog hair from clothes and furniture. Last night, my husband and I were wandering through CostPlus World Market when we stumbled upon the “Pet Hair Lifter” which promised to remove hair with ease. It wasn’t very expensive, so I thought it would be worth trying out.

How It Works: The Pet Hair Lifter looks like a kitchen sponge and is rubbery to the touch. To pick-up pet hair you wipe the surface repeatly in one direction which makes the hair collect up in one spot and partially on the Pet Hair Lifter.

Review – Neutral: Although I cannot say that this product does not perform as advertised, I did not find it to be a wonder product for hair removal. I tested the Pet Hair Lifter on our couch and my clothes.

• Couch: The Pet Hair Lifter did help me collect the hair in one area of the couch but ultimately I found it difficult to dispose of the hair from the centralized location. I ended up getting the vacuum out to clean-up the pile and clean off the Pet Hair Lifter.
• Clothing: Generally, it worked well for brushing hair off of my clothing as I was headed out the door – it was easier to use that the sticky rollers that require you to peel a layer of masking tape. However, you end up with a hairy Pet Hair Lifter that has to rinsed or vacuumed.

Given that the Pet Hair Lifter is relatively inexpensive, this product would be suitable if you just need a quick clothing touch-up before you leave the house, but don’t expect this product to magically remove dog hair throughout the house.

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February is National Pet Dental Health Month! Taking care of your pet’s pearly whites is just as important as good nutrition and grooming.

Why is your pet’s dental health so important? Just like people, pets can suffer from gingivitis and periodontal disease which can result in tooth decay, bad breath, and tooth loss. In addition, the inflammation and infection associated with periodontal disease may even damage other internal organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys. If you want to learn more pet dental health facts check out Pet Dental’s Dental Health Facts.

What’s the best way to avoid periodontal disease? The American Veterinary Dental Society recommends that pet owners follow three basic steps:

1. Schedule a dental exam for your pet.
2. After consulting with your veterinarian, establish a dental care routine at home which will likely include regularly brushing your pet’s teeth as well as appropriate dental toys (check out the Online Dog Coach Store for a selection of dental toys).
3. Make sure your pet has a dental exam as a part of their yearly check-up.

How do I brush my pet’s teeth? Check out the American Veterinary Medical Association’s video on how to brush your pet’s teeth. There are a variety of pet dental care kits available. Make sure you get a dental care kit that is specifically designed for pets because human toothpaste can be dangerous for pets plus pet toothpaste comes in great flavors like peanut butter and beef.

If you are the proud owner of a pet with pearly whites, share your pictures with the American Veterinary Medical Association on their Pearly White Pets Flickr group.

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“Awe the trash can… so many wonderful things that could be further enjoyed but for some reason my human throws them away. I try to retrieve them, but my human scolds me and tells me NO.” Sound familiar, I remember my mother and father constantly scolding the dogs for getting into the trash. They never really tried to train our dogs that the trash can was off-limits, it was always an angry reaction when the used tissues were shredded throughout the house or last night’s leftovers were smeared on the kitchen floor.

Granted, you can train your dog to not get into the trash can, but I believe that removing the temptation saves everyone frustration and stress. Can you imagine your dog sitting by the trash can all day long thinking to himself “I know she trained me to stay out of the trash, but the aromas are calling to me!”

At our house all trash cans and diaper pails have lids. We have 4 dogs and we never have issues with dumpster diving. Plus, the house stays fresh because the trash is covered! You can get covered trash cans in a variety of sizes and styles. Personally, I like the SimpleHuman brand. Keep it simple, stop Dumpster Diving by putting a lid on it!

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For the past three years I have been recommending the Easy Walk™ harness, a product of Gentle Leader, manufactured by Premier to all my puppy and obedience classes. I started using the harness when I got my youngest Australian Shepherd three years ago. Walking both my Aussies was challenging, but with the harnesses they are both under control. Those of my students who have purchased it have been very pleased and now enjoy walking their dog.

The Easy Walk™ harness is different from other harnesses in that the clip to the leash is on the chest area instead of on the shoulder area. Think of this, the dog’s power and strength is in the shoulders. With the clip on the chest when the dog pulls it puts pressure on the chest which stops the pulling. So when they pull out in front of the handler and they reach the end of the leash the tension on the leash turns the dog back to be face to face with the handler. At that moment the handler acknowledges the dog and shows the dog the correct place to walk is next to his leg.

As associate of mine is a professional dog walker and recently sent me this testimonial – (more…)

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