Furminator ruins coat?

The Furminator is a blade, and yes it does damage coat when not used properly or used too often or for too long. Most people who overuse won't notice because they are not showing their dogs, or the dog has a bitch stripe or "salt and pepper" already so it's not as noticeable if you don't care about coat texture.

I will never use one and don't need to. I mainly use a cheap rake, but have a pin brush as well. I show my dogs so I am a bit more particular about grooming but as long as the dog's coat is healthy and well maintained, I've never needed a tool like a Furminator to start cutting out coat. I do have a cat Furminator that I've used once or twice to remove small forming mats behind my mutt's floppy ears. In this case it was coat that needed to be "cut" out.

We use the furminator on Brody every couple of days. I think it makes him look great. Everybodys hair is a little different, even dogs. I see more shedding from my pitbull then I do Brody. Every once in a while I will see a hair ball rolling around. A family member used it on her dog also, what a difference. It was a bit pricey for a brush, but I would recommend it!

I am all for the furminator as NOTHING pulls out hair like it can. I also feel that over use or aggressive use can damage the dogs coat.

I have a question ...

Where do you people live that use the furminator all year around and some every week???
My girls would be bald..LOL
I use the furminator in the winter once a month and in the spring every 2 weeks but I never use it from june-dec. I am sure it would pull up hair but do you think it's ok to use it 12 months out of the year for real??

I brush my dogs pretty much 2-3 times a week and in the summer I pretty much just use the hoop.

I, too, like it on a dense coat, but I love the slicker brushes that you press and they release the clump of hair. So easy to use. Just get a good one.

I use our furminator once every two weeks on both dogs. I use it more often in the carpeting of the SUV's and in corners of the house that the Dyson can't reach. It grabs hair up with no problem.

I'm with Whitedog- love the pin brush that releases the fur. Stosh has a long coat and it works great to get all the stickers out, don't think a furminator would do that

Gave my furminator away. I am a coat fanatic though and I didn't like remotely how it took the coat out or left what was still in looking. I think if you are in a battle with the hair, it might be useful though. If I want to take a alot of hair out, I like my Mars King. But even with that you have to be so careful not to damage the coat and I seldom use it.

I talked to my aunt who has been a groomer for 30 years. She got a furminator a few years ago and she absolutely LOVES it now. I just ordered myself one