Dyson Groom Tool

I recently bought a Dyson Big Ball Animal Canister Vacuum to tackle the copious amounts of dog hair and dander that has managed to cling to every surface in my house. Rather than waiting for the hair and dirt to collect on my furniture and floors, I bought this little grooming tool to control the amount of hair that ends up in the house. The groomer has a brush on its face that is made up of rows of metal wires. They aren't sharp, but don't flex, so it's important to be gentle, especially with dogs with sensitive skin. In the center of the brush's face, there is a hole where the vacuum takes its suction. As you brush the dog some hair gets sucked directly into the vacuum, but much of it gets caught in the brush. The brush is self-cleaning by holding then releasing a bar on the back of the tool. The bristles retract and the remaining hair gets pulled into the vac. Ingenious. About 5-10 minutes a couple times a week much of the loose hair that would be shed is vacuumed before it gets a chance to float around and land everywhere. I don't imagine that many dogs will eagerly allow themselves to be groomed without 'priming' them, first and getting them used to the noise and sensation of the groomer. You don't want every grooming session to be a battle or traumatize your dog (or cat). A little time and patience will help your dog get used to the grooming tool and maybe even enjoy it rather than dread it and become fearful. My dog is an 8th month old Golden Retriever who has a fairly laid back disposition, but is somewhat cautious of new, novel things--especially ones that make a lot of noise and tug on his coat. Here's what I did to make my dog cooperative and relaxed for grooming sessions: I let him check out the vacuum, hose, and tool before I even considered turning the thing on. He looked and sniffed then pretty much ignored it while it sat on the floor. A while later, I sat with him and praised him while I stroked his fur with the plastic edge of the tool (brushes retracted, vacuum off). Next step (a day later) was turning the vacuum on and letting him approach it at his comfort level. When he became accustomed to the sound, I took the tool (attached to the hose) and held it in one hand while I talked to him and fed him treats with the other. The next day, I took the next baby step (which took a bit of juggling). I sat with him, turned the vacuum on, and very gently stroked his front legs, again, with the brushes retracted and using mostly the edge rather than the face of the tool so he wasn't feeling this monster sucking his hair and skin: he could see exactly what I was doing which added to his comfort level. I'd hand him training treats while this continued so we paired positives (treats and verbal praise) with something very new, different and potentially frightening. (Another way to offer food rewards is to smear peanut butter or canned dog food on highly textured dog toys. It takes some concentration and work to get the food so less attention is devoted to worrying about the suction and noise of the grooming tool.) We progressed to more contact with the face of the tool and less with the edge. A couple more sessions like this got him used to the noise, the sensation, and the idea of this strange thing pulling through his fur. It took a week of patience, gentleness, and careful assessment of his anxiety level as we progressed (if he did become even the least bit hesitant or fearful, I'd go back a step--or two--and concentrate on an step that he was comfortable with, then try the next step again). This painstaking process of acclimating him to the groomer really paid off. Now, my dog actually looks forward to being groomed (and getting praised and eating treats). You really have to be careful that you don't overdo brushing if your dog has sensitive skin. Also, if he or she becomes reluctant to be groomed examine your dog's skin and make sure it's not damaged, red, or scratched by this or other combs or brushes. These pairing techniques also work for nail clipping, teeth brushing, and helping small kids get over their fear of ants and spiders ;-)