The "Furminator"??

B

Buffington'sMom

Well-Known Member
Owned by
1 cocker
Hello...

I'm looking for advice. I've been trying to groom Disney myself (he just turned one) and it's going okay - I am by no means really good at it, but I'm trying! My husband has been taking him for walks and using a harness. We take it off as soon as he comes inside but it seems that the harness is causing mats in his fur, right at the skin level. I have tried to comb them out with a regular comb and also a rake type comb but I'm having a hard time getting them out and he's not very patient with me because I'm sure it hurts.

I was in a pet store today asking about what I could use and the store owner showed me the "Furminator". She said she uses it on her dogs but they don't have the fur that Disney does. His fur is so thick and on the wavy side. I went on the "Furminator" website and there's a video demonstration but I'm still not convinced that this is what I should be using on Disney.

I'm wondering if any of you have tried this tool on your cockers. Or, could you suggest something else that I could use? I typically order through Pet Edge and I see that they sell de-matting tools but I'm not sure what would work best.

Thanks so much for your help!
 
I tried the Furminator when it first came out, and I didn't find it particularly useful. On the back it can be used to strip out undercoat, but the Mars Coat King (#20) does a better job.

Harnesses used regularly are always going to cause matting - the harness material rubs against the skin & hair and causes micro-mats. Those tiny mats group together into larger mats.

I have no real advice for you - either brush daily to minimize tangling, don't use a harness or shave him. Maybe Robin has a better solution?
 
I also bought one Susan and ended up giving it to one of my co-workers who owns a golden. I keep my crews back shaved... and I don't keep skirts on them because they get cold and wear jackets thru the winter. To much matting with all the fur. Mine have medium leg feathering.
 
I bought one for my son's dog, Knute, who is a black lab mixed with some kind of herding dog. Knute has the shedding ability of a lab along with the little longer fur of shepard or something. It works marvelously for Knute. We could have built another full sized lab with the fur it removed. I tried it on Dylan and it was no help at all. It did nothing for Dylan's back which was too short and the teeth weren't long enough to really brush out his legs or belly. It didn't even make it all the way through his coat, leaving most of the fur close to his skin unbrushed. I think the furminator just isn't made for a cocker spaniel.
 
Thank you for your responses, Kelly, Polly and Karen. I had my doubts about the Furminator and now I'm glad I didn't just go ahead and buy one. I really need something that will get down to the fur next to his skin. As I said earlier, his fur is so thick and dense that I didn't realize this was happening until I was giving him a nice belly rub and got under his armpits. Now I feel terrible! The mats seem to be forming where the harness rubs as he walks but he does need a harness where my husband walks him. It's a great place that people go to run, people go as families and alone to walk and they bring their dogs. Disney is such a friendly boy that wants to make friends with everyone and he just loves going there.

Kelly, I'll probably look into getting a Mars Coat King #20, as you suggested. Thank you for that!
 
Maybe you could have your groomer sort of "scoop out" or cut the hair really short in Disney's arm pits. It shouldn't show on Disney unless someone had him laying on his back and was rubbing his belly. That might help with the mats and could even be more comfortable with the harness.
 
karenwalksthedogs said:
Maybe you could have your groomer sort of "scoop out" or cut the hair really short in Disney's arm pits. It shouldn't show on Disney unless someone had him laying on his back and was rubbing his belly. That might help with the mats and could even be more comfortable with the harness.
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Exactly what I was thinking Susan.
 
karenwalksthedogs said:
Maybe you could have your groomer sort of "scoop out" or cut the hair really short in Disney's arm pits. It shouldn't show on Disney unless someone had him laying on his back and was rubbing his belly. That might help with the mats and could even be more comfortable with the harness.
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That's what I do with Peekaboo. Please note, I am not even close to being a real groomer!! :D

I keep ker back shaved (and use a coat or sweater too when it's cold and/or raining) her legs medium and armpits "scooped." You can't really see it until she rolls over. Peekaboo is not the best groomed cocker on the block, but it works and I really do try my best :) . We have a had trouble getting someone to groom her b/c she is debarked (see came to us that way). I don't know why that would be an issue. I always tell a groomer when I book appointments (1-3 times a year for "clean ups"), and I've had trouble getting a good groomer that while actually take her in all her debarked glory. We've found one good groomer, but she's almost a 45 minute drive away! Oops...that was more of rant than a helpful post. It sounds like you've found some good solutions to try! Good luck!
 
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I don't like the furminator at all. If used incorectly, it can cause harm. It's like a 10 blade on a stick. For a double coated dog, I recommend a shedding tool, done outside. Much easier and works great. Looks like a saw blade bent into a circle sort of.
 
Hersh'sMom said:
I don't know why it'd be an issue for grooming that she was debarked. Crazy.
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I know, hey! We've ben refused from 5 or 6. The groomer that will take her says she's a dream to cut, and soo sweet. I have zero training and I don't find her difficult (in terms of demeanor). She just stands there and takes it! My grooming skills are another story!
 
That's very weird. Riley has been debarked and so one has every refused to groom him.
 
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Hmmm...it everyone finds it weird, maybe it's me! I always tell them up front, just so that they know. Maybe it's the way I present it. I just want to let them know, it seemed like something you would tell some one that will be in care and control of one's dog. Hmmmm.....maybe I should be more attentive to my tone, or even ask more questions if we are refused again. You've got the wheels turning in my head now....
 
Well, it is something I think they should know. Maybe they're just not sure how to react.
 
If they are just grooming her, why even tell them? If she doesn't bark she doesn't bark. Or does she make the motion too just no sound comes out? Just askin'?
 
I love love love my furminator...................but I use it only on the fat cat.
It works well on thick, heavy, short coats. I can't see it working well on long coats at all.
 
Coco's Mom said:
If they are just grooming her, why even tell them? If she doesn't bark she doesn't bark. Or does she make the motion too just no sound comes out? Just askin'?
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She sounds like she has a sore throat when she barks. I just figured that it's better to tell them then to have them be surprised. It's probably me, I guess. I can groom her to meet our needs, most of the time. I just found it odd...
 
HMM Good luck in your search. Its almost discriminating not taking her because of that. Would not take a dog that has 3 legs?
 
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