The Furminator is a great tool and worth its weight in gold for the right coat, in the right hands. It is designed to pull out dead undercoat from shedding dogs. It works best for short haired dogs like labs, shepherds, some golden retrievers, pugs, mastiffs, and some terriers. It is completely useless for dogs like shih tzus, bichons, poodles, etc, as these dogs do not shed. We also recommend that some breeds like Huskies, Malamutes, Samoyed, Pomeranians, Newfies, and Pyrenees avoid the Furminator. It is an aggressive tool and can really damage the guard hair on these breeds.
Because it is such an aggressive tool you should only brush 2 or 3 swipes over the same area maybe once a week. It can cause coat damage and major skin irritation. It may even bruise the skin if over used. This happens more often than you might think as people get quite excited with all the dead coat coming out. The Furminator is a finishing tool, so make sure to completely brush out your dog’s coat before using it. There should be no mats and no thick areas of undercoat. It is also important that the tool be used on a completely dry coat to avoid any coat or skin damage.