Don't get hosed!

We have a new addition to our family. If you haven't met her, prepare to fall in love. She's nearly 8 pounds, adorable and so cuddly. I love playing with her and it's so fun to watch her discover the world. Her name is Gucci and she is a 5 month old Havanese Puppy. She's so little and so incredibly easy to bathe. Her big sister Zoe is another story.

Zoe is about 70 pounds and sheds like mad. If you shaved Zoe, I think she'd weigh about 40 pounds. This dog will be gone for 100 years but I'm sure you'll still be able to find her hair floating around our house. She always lets us know it's spring by shedding. Usually, a series of sneezes from each family member signals the start of the new season. By the time I get around to bathing her, I'm usually sick with a cold and the thought of trying to wrestle her into the bath tub usually resorts in and expensive trip to the groomer's. I'm excited to say, I have found two products that make my job a breeze!

Pet Shower Deluxe, by Rinse Ace is an amazing product! It's a small shower head and hose that connects inline with your existing shower head. Originally, I thought a regular corded shower head would do the trick. I was frustrated by the short cord and that there wasn't an easy way to turn it off and on while bathing the dog. I broke down and tried this product and I was amazed how much easier dog bathing became.

This product took me about 10 minutes to install. A pipe wrench was necessary to unloosen the existing shower head. Remember to hold the pipe that comes out of the wall with a separate wrench so that you don't twist the fixture out of the wall. Place a cloth between the pipe wrench and the shower head and turn in a counter clockwise motion. Once unscrewed, cover the shower fixture threads with teflon tape (this comes with the Pet Shower Deluxe) and screw in the connector that comes with the Pet Shower. Then, simply screw the shower head into the open end of the Pet Shower connector. Attach the Pet Shower hose into the bottom piece of the connector and you're good to go. I love the small size of the Pet Shower head. It allowed me to spray underneath my dog with ease. I didn't have to worry when rinsing her face because it was small enough that all of the water didn't go straight into her eyes. The shower operates with a simple on/off toggle so the water shuts off when you let go. This made it especially easy when it was time to shampoo. The long cord was the best part. I was able to follow my dog all over the bath tub as she paced back and forth. Finally, when you're done, disconnect the Pet Shower from the bottom portion of the connector and store until your next use. Continue to use your shower as normal.

Another product that has been especially helpful for the undercoat on my golden mix has been the furminator. This brush has multiple rows of teeth that really get at the undercoat of my shedding pooch. Pet'smart uses this tool for grooming but will charge a hefty price if the furminating service is added to the grooming process. While this brush costs nearly $35 with a coupon, it has proven to be priceless. I easily clear a garbage bag's worth of loose hair from my dog every time we use it.