Can You Vacuum Hair Off a Dog?

Dog hair can be a pain in the butt, so this is a question that some pet owners ask. The answer, unfortunately, is both yes and no. In this blog post, I discuss why.

What are the best pet hair vacuums?

If you are sold on getting a great vacuum for pet hair for your home, be sure to check out my review article on the 9 Best Portable Stick Vacuums for Pet Hair to learn more.

When It Is Not OK to Vacuum Hair Off a Dog

• When your dog is prone to anxiety.
• When your dog already doesn’t like the vacuum cleaner.
• When you don’t follow any procedure to vacuum the dog
• When you try to use normal attachments because you don’t have the right dog vacuuming attachments

When It Might Be OK

It is possible to vacuum the hair off your dog regularly, but you really have to be suyper careful in doing so. It’s probably better if you don’t do it – but if you are set on moving forward -then consider it if ALL of the following conditions are met.

• Your dog is already familiar and comfortable around the vacuum cleaner
• You carefully introduce your dog to the process
• You use the right vacuum cleaner and dog grooming attachment. There are specifically created dog attachments for dog vacuuming.

FAQ’s

Why do I need special attachments to vacuum my dog?

Because regular attachments can damage the dog’s coat and possibly hurt the dog. To properly vacuum your dog, you want tools that will effectively remove the loose hair.

Can I vacuum fleas off my dog?

No, fleas are not only on the dog’s hair, and vacuuming will not remove them. There are special products for cleaning dog hair that will also kill fleas.

Do pet vacuums work?

Yes, pet vacuum cleaners work because they have special features that remove the loose hair. To learn more about the benefits of pet hair vacuums read my article Do Pet Hair Vacuums Work?

How often should I vacuum my dog?

The frequency of how often you should vacuum your dog depends on how much loose hair the dog’s coat creates! Generally, once or twice a month will suffice.

WRAP-UP

In conclusion, I do not recommend you vacuum your dog as a way to remove dog hair. The experience is more likely to be very stressful for the dog (and you), and you risk harming the dog if you aren’t careful.

It’s not only about having the right vacuum cleaner, and vacuum accessory (pet grooming attachments): it’s as much about technique and the nature of your dog’s emotions when they are around vacuum cleaners!

Most dogs do not like vacuums for these reasons:

• The vacuum is noisy and scares most dogs.
• The vacuum is full of strange smells and makes the dog anxious.
• Some dogs have a very strong prey drive and will instinctively chase and bite at the vacuum when you run it around the room.

If you were to try to vacuum your dog, then it’s important that the dog be conditioned to be around the vacuum and not be afraid. The best time to condition a dog to be near a noisy vacuum is when they are a puppy, not once they are an adult. Even then, if you vacuum your dog they are likely to be afraid.

My closing comment is that it’s better to just get a good brush and use the time to bond with your dog, instead of trying to vacuum your dog!

I hope this article has been helpful.