If your sofa, clothes, car seats, and floors are constantly covered in dog hair, this is the deshedding tool I recommend most.
Some dogs seem to shed enough fur to build an entire spare dog. Bear is definitely in that category. If you live with a heavy shedder, you’ll know how quickly loose hair can take over your home, especially during seasonal coat changes.
The right tool, used gently and regularly, can make a huge difference. Not just to how much hair ends up around the house, but also to your dog’s comfort, skin health, and coat condition.
The Deshedding Tool I Recommend
The tool I recommend is the Furminator Deshedding Tool.
This is a genuine game-changer if your dog sheds anything like Bear. A couple of short sessions each week can massively reduce the amount of loose hair around your home, without needing to spend ages brushing.
Shop the Furminator Deshedding Tool here if you want the one I use and recommend.
- Reduces loose hair around the house
- Removes dead undercoat effectively
- Supports healthy skin and coat condition
- Improves airflow to the skin, especially in warmer weather
- Helps you spot lumps, bumps, skin changes, or sore areas early
- Can make seasonal shedding much easier to manage
This is especially useful for dogs with an undercoat, such as Labradors, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Huskies, Collies, and similar heavy-shedding breeds or crosses.
How to Reduce Dog Hair Around Your Home
If your main problem is dog hair everywhere, a deshedding tool is one of the quickest practical changes you can make. It removes loose undercoat before it ends up on your sofa, carpets, bedding, clothes, or in the car.
It will not stop your dog shedding completely, because shedding is normal. But used regularly, it can dramatically reduce the loose hair that would otherwise float around your home.
For best results, combine gentle deshedding with a good overall grooming routine. My dog grooming routine tips explain how grooming also gives you a chance to check your dog’s skin, coat, paws, ears, nails, and body condition properly.
How to Use a Deshedding Tool Properly
The key is gentle, controlled use. You are not scrubbing, scraping, or digging into the coat. Think light strokes, not elbow grease.
- Use short, light strokes
- Do not apply pressure into the skin
- Work in the direction of the coat
- Focus on areas where undercoat naturally builds up
- Stop after a few minutes rather than overdoing it
Even after just a couple of minutes, the amount of loose hair removed can be surprising. That hair would otherwise end up around your home or trapped in the coat.
Short, regular sessions are much better than one long session where the skin becomes irritated. If your dog’s skin looks red, sore, flaky, or sensitive, stop and speak to your vet or a qualified groomer.
When Not to Use a Deshedding Tool
A deshedding tool is brilliant for the right coat type, but it is not the right tool for every dog.
It is usually best suited to dogs with an undercoat. Smooth-coated, single-coated, wool-coated, curly-coated, or clipped breeds may need a different grooming approach. If you are unsure, check with a professional groomer before using it regularly.
Avoid using a deshedding tool on sore skin, wounds, bald patches, irritated areas, or anywhere your dog is clearly uncomfortable. Grooming should never be a battle, and it should never leave your dog sore afterwards.
If your dog is licking their paws, chewing at their skin, losing hair, or showing signs of irritation, have a look at our guide on why dogs lick their paws, and contact your vet if you are concerned.
What If Your Dog Wriggles During Grooming?
Bear is very accepting of grooming, but not all dogs find it easy to stand still. If your dog wriggles, pulls away, lip licks, freezes, avoids the brush, or leaves the area, listen to that information.
Our guide on how to read dog body language can help you spot the subtle signs that your dog is uncomfortable before they feel the need to escalate.
For dogs who need help staying still, the LickiMat UFO is one of my favourite grooming hacks. It sticks to smooth surfaces and gives your dog something calm and positive to focus on while you groom, bath, or trim nails.
You can smear a small amount of dog-safe peanut butter, wet food, or another dog-safe soft food onto a LickiMat to make grooming feel less like something being done to your dog and more like a positive routine.
You can also teach a simple chin rest. This is a brilliant husbandry behaviour because it gives your dog a clear, calm position for handling and helps you build cooperation rather than restraint.
Grooming Is a Health Check Too
Regular grooming is not just about keeping your home cleaner. It gives you a regular opportunity to check your dog over properly.
As you brush and handle your dog, you can look and feel for:
- Lumps and bumps
- Sore or sensitive areas
- Redness, flakes, scabs, or irritation
- Ticks, fleas, or skin changes
- Matting or trapped debris
- Paw soreness or excessive licking
- Changes in body shape or weight
This links closely with our pre-training health checklist, because health should always come first. If your dog is sore, itchy, uncomfortable, or suddenly less tolerant of being handled, that information matters.
Grooming is also a great time to check body condition. Some coats can make weight changes hard to see, so feeling your dog properly is important. Our guide on how to tell if your dog is a healthy weight explains what to look and feel for.
Blue Cross also highlights that grooming is a useful chance to check for lumps, bumps, and general health changes while caring for your dog’s coat.
Read Blue Cross guidance on how to groom a dog
Skin, Coat, Food, and Supplements
If your dog’s coat is dull, flaky, greasy, itchy, or shedding more than expected, grooming is only one part of the picture. Skin and coat condition can also be influenced by health, allergies, parasites, hormones, stress, and nutrition.
Food quality matters. Our guide to the best dog food for healthy dogs explains why I prefer high-quality food and why poor nutrition can affect more than just weight.
If your dog also eats their own poo, has digestive issues, or seems generally out of balance, our article on why dogs eat their own poo may also be worth reading.
Supplements can be helpful in some cases, but they are not magic fixes. Our guide to dog supplements explains what may genuinely support dogs, including options such as salmon oil for skin and coat health.
Can Deshedding Help Keep Dogs Cooler?
Removing loose dead undercoat can help air move through the coat more effectively, which may support comfort in warmer weather. This is one reason regular grooming is especially useful for heavy-shedding dogs during spring and summer.
However, deshedding is not a substitute for proper heat safety. Dogs still need shade, water, cool resting areas, sensible walking times, and careful monitoring in warm weather. Our guide on how to keep your dog cool in summer covers this in more detail.
Bathing, Mud, and Coat Care
If your dog regularly gets muddy, wet, or smelly, grooming and bathing work best together. Brushing out loose coat before or after washing can help keep the coat fresher and easier to manage.
For practical bath-time advice, read our guide on washing dirty dogs. It pairs well with a sensible brushing routine, especially for dogs who love finding every muddy puddle available.
Very considerate of them to bring half the walk home in their coat, obviously.
FAQ
What is the best deshedding tool for dogs?
The deshedding tool I recommend is the Furminator Deshedding Tool. It is especially useful for dogs with an undercoat and can remove a surprising amount of loose dead hair when used gently and regularly.
How often should I use a deshedding tool?
For most suitable coat types, one to two short sessions per week is plenty. Overuse can irritate the skin, so short and gentle is better than long and heavy.
Can deshedding tools damage my dog’s coat?
They can if used too firmly, too often, or on the wrong coat type. Use light strokes, avoid pressure, and stop if the skin looks red, sore, or irritated.
Are deshedding tools suitable for all dogs?
No. They are best suited to dogs with an undercoat. Smooth-coated, single-coated, wool-coated, curly-coated, or clipped breeds may need a different grooming tool or routine.
Can deshedding reduce dog hair around the home?
Yes, it can make a big difference for heavy-shedding dogs. It will not stop natural shedding, but it removes loose hair before it ends up on your sofa, clothes, carpets, or car seats.
What can I use if my dog will not stay still for grooming?
A LickiMat UFO can help by giving your dog something calm and positive to focus on during grooming. You can also teach a chin rest to make handling more cooperative and less stressful.
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