From the Experts

• 

  “Mum says this keeps the house cleaner, so I try to sit still for her!”

  — Cresswell
• 

  “I don't shed Mum, I am half poodle!”

  — Eddie

I have had dogs and cats all my life and with all the wonderful benefits comes some not-so-benefits, like pet hair! Pet hair means all your dark clothes have a fur trim, your car seats shed, your carpets are matted and tumble weeds of fur glide over your hard floors. I carry a small sticky roller wherever I go but I am always looking for solutions to this furry problem. In our house we have two cats and two dogs and try to vacuum twice a week to pick up the excess fluff, but what if I could get the fur at its source?

Description

The Dyson Groom is a dog brush attachment that is designed for use with most Dyson vacuums. The tool attaches to the end of the vacuum’s hose and has a head that exposes and hides metal bristles with a press down action, the bristle length can therefore be adapted as needed for the fur type. The main aim of the Dyson Groom is that the bristles catch dog hair and loosen dog dandruff while the vacuum sucks away fur and dead skin cells before they end up around your house.

In Use

We put the Dyson Groom through its paces on Cress! He has a medium length fur coat and he likes to shed on our lounge, carpets, car seats and bed spread. At first we started Cress off just by using the Groom tool not attached to the vacuum so he could get use to it. After a few minutes we attached it to the vacuum and turned it on. Cress usually does not mind the vacuum and as usual he was not really bothered by it in this case. You can see pictures of Cress being groomed below in the gallery (as well as a short video). Once we finished his session all Cress’s loose fur and flyaway hairs were gone and the barrel of the vacuum was a quarter full – it was much more hair than I had expected. It was pleasing to know there would be less fur drifting around the house this week!

Durability

The Dyson Groom is really sturdy as it is made of polypropylene and ABS polycarbonate – the same materials as car dashboards. The bristles are stainless steel and are protected when the tool is not in use as they retract for easy storage. The Dyson Groom comes with a 2 year guarantee.

Value

This attachment is not cheap at $89.00 (AUD) but considering its long term use the price is reasonable if you already own a Dyson vacuum.

Suitability of your dog and safety

The Dyson Groom tool was designed for use on dogs with medium to long hair. It is not recommended for use on:

• Other pets, such as cats
• Dogs with short hair, as it maybe be uncomfortable for them
• Dogs with woollen coats (such as Poodles or Bichon Frise)
• Young puppies
• Wet dogs
• Knots, tangles and matted hair on your dog

The Dyson Groom has been through laboratory and home trial tests and has been shown to be safe if used properly and on the right dogs. I would also suggest for safety reasons you make sure your dog is familiar with the vacuum before you use it, as you don’t want to freak your pooch out. In our house, as I mentioned, Cress is not bothered by the vacuum but Eddie is petrified of it and would not be a suitable candidate. Fortunately she is also half Poodle and so does not shed! On their website Dyson do have some tips on how to familiarise your dog with the tool and the vacuum.

Pros

• Combines suction with an effective grooming tool to capture dog hair before it hits the floor.
• Takes away dead skin cells as well as dog hair.
• It is self-cleaning and does not require washing.
• Bristles retract for easy storage.

Cons

• It is not suitable for all dogs, only those with medium to long fur coats.
• Dogs who are afraid of vacuum cleaners will run for the hills.
• You need to brush out knots in your dog’s coat before using.
• It is not compatible with all Dyson vacuums.

Compatibility

The Dyson Groom tool is not compatible with all Dyson vacuum cleaners so check your machine is suitable before you purchase the attachment.

Overall

If your dog is a suitable candidate (see Suitability of your dog and safety section above) and if you already own or want to purchase a Dyson vacuum I would recommend the Dyson Groom. It was easy to use and definitely lifted out much more loose fur and dust from Cress’s coat than I thought he had, leaving his fur looking neat and shiny. With consistent use of this tool our house will have less red fur floating around, now I just need to find a solution for the cats!

Have you used a Dyson Groom? What was your verdict? For more videos on the tool in use check out the Dyson website.

Published on September 12, 2011