If you have ever owned a dog, you would understand the most significant issue: the hair. The hair, especially in a shepherd, gets everywhere! It is on our counters, clothes, shoes, and furniture. Places you didn't think could have hair...now has hair. There are a couple of products I'd like to review for deterring dog hair. But first, there are a couple of behaviors that need to be corrected. As much as I love to cuddle with Athena, the furniture has become off-limits. "Off" is an excellent command. However, the moment we leave her alone without supervision, she'll attempt to get on the couch. When she gets super excited, she still tries to jump on the sofa or bed. For the most part, she understands the concept, but it is definitely a constant battle. Jumping on the couch or bed occasionally is a massive accomplishment since she used to be allowed on the bed and bed whenever. The biggest issue with letting her on the furniture is the hair. Below is a picture of one, and I repeat one, brushing session.
There are apparent hair removers, such as lint rollers or other various products that help eliminate fur from the furniture. Before our home, we had carpet in the majority of the house. This was helpful because the hair wasn't as apparent. When moving to the new home, there was hair everywhere it seemed. Right away, our trainer recommended Roomba. At first, I wasn't convinced that that was the option mainly due to price. After two weeks, I was convinced to try. Let me tell you...EXCELLENT IDEA.
The Roomba not only picks up her hair but also the dirt that she drags in. Other pros of the Roomba is that it isn't as loud as a vacuum and gets to spaces that your vacuum would not be able to reach. At first, the Roomba had the same issues a standard vacuum has with a dog. I'm not sure if she wanted to attack it or play with it. Either way, it took some training with the trainer to have the Roomba and her in the house simultaneously. She still occasionally needs a reminder to leave the Roomba alone, but it occurs mostly when the roaming vacuum near her rather than her going after the Roomba. The Roomba has effectively reduced the time spent vacuuming and sweeping for hair.
We have had issues with the Roomba getting stuck on items such as cords or dog toys, dropping hair when going over the vents, and having to empty the container frequently. We typically let the Roomba run for about an hour. If we haven't let the Roomba roam often, we have to empty the Roomba about 2-3x during this hour. Sometimes the red sign to empty appears before the Roomba truly is ready to be emptied. However, you would also have to empty a regular vacuum. Our vents are located on the ground. When the Roomba goes over a vent, it typically drops large patches of hair it has collected. Sometimes, you have to de-hair the rollers (including your hair that it picks up). If the Roomba gets stuck, it will not be able to make it's way home. Otherwise, it gets home just fine even if its wobbling and bopping around like a little drunk toddler.
We used our Roomba for two months before I decided that I would do a full sweep of the house. After two months, there was a pile that I was able to sweep up for the entire house, but it wasn't large. I was amazed, and it confirmed my belief in the necessity of a Roomba. Bonus! You can name your Roomba through the app and send it out to clean when you aren't home or schedule it to clean at certain times. Technically our Roomba, also known as Vvvrroomba, was a house warming gift, but it was purchased at Costco. I like buying items through Costco due to their excellent return policy. Overall, I would 10/10 recommend a Roomba if you have even one pet. It significantly helps the shedding issue.
Thank you for fur-lowing our adventures,
The Pawsitive Writer