LY909

To all basset mommies and daddies, how do you deal with the basset fur in your home?

My Porter is not allowed on the sofa or the bed due to the fact he leaves a layer of fur anywhere he goes. And he knows he is not allowed on the sofa but he manages to sneak on to the couch when my husband and I goes to work. I would come home and find fur all over my couch, and he would look at me with those big innocent brown eyes and 'Not me. i didn't do it. I don't know how my fur got on the couch. I have no idea what you are talking about' That sneaky little jerk! I feel like I want to laugh and cry at the same time.

So how do you deal with the fur on your furniture? Are leather sofas easier with the fur removal? Mine couch is fabric and the fur just stick to it like glue. I understand all dogs shed and it really isn't the end of the world, I just prefer a couch with as little fur as possible. Porter is brushed almost everyday, bathed every weekend and I can remove a lot of fur this way.

Any tips is much appreciated.

bassetmom26003

I know basset owners that do have leather sofas......that would make hair removal easier.......I don't let my dog on the furniture (because of his back condition) or I formerly used furniture covers or blankets & removed them when guests came over. I just learn to live with the hair, part of owning a basset, they shed. Hound gloves help somewhat (rubber glove to brush them) Only time I try to be OCD is leaving the house I use those tape roller things to get it off my clothes Don't know if that's any help or not........

mhvonalmen8908

We've got a cover on our couch buts that's just to hide the hideous fabric ! But for the most part we don't worry about the fur. Neither of ours shed too bad. The only time it's a pain is when my husband has to wear his AF blues to work. Then we have to kick them outside so my husband can lint roll his pants and not have them there to put more on in it's place. Every once in a while, I'll comb/brush them out (which takes hours it seems and kills my back) and then give them baths. I'd say I do this about once a month. I then vacuum and take the couch cover off, the cover off the dog bed, the towels we've got to cover the loveseat which they've torn, and any bedding they happen to be using at that point in time in their crates and wash them all! Or if I don't feel like throwing everything in the wash I'll use the attachment on the vacuum and just vacuum everything. We've pretty much learned to deal with it. We mainly wash all the covers and everything else when we've got company coming over. Luckily most of our guests are dog lovers and don't mind a few hairs.

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Megan & Chris
-Mom & Dad to Doppler (2 year old Basset/Redbone/Golden mix) and Virga (1 year old Basset)

Tanya

We have leather couches and it is easier to clean off the top of the couch, but then the fur gets down between the cushions and becomes a nightmare down there. I have been wondering the same thing though. Rosco is my first basset and he is only 6 1/2 months old, but already the shedding is ridiculous!

Any suggestions on how to control it or what grooming tools others use would be really helpful!

LY909

I really don't want to crate Porter during the day when I am at work and he stays home by himself. He is a good dog who doesn't chew on my shoes, eat my furniture, pee/poop in the house or any of the other bad things dogs do when left alone for 10 hours. Its just really annoying to come home and wanting to relax on the couch but have to spend 15mins with a lint roller cleaning it first.

Another question, how much of the fur gets into carpet? I have hardwood floors right now but I live in a rental. My husband and I will be buying a house next year, would carpet be ok if I vacuum it every weekend? If Porter keep on shedding on the couch and can't stay off it, I might just have to crate him.

Danish

I'm actually allergic to dogs. I've had asthma since I was a kid, but it's well under control and I've been doing allergy shots for 15 years (off and on). So the dog doesn't bother me - maybe just a little itching in the eyes.
BUT, that doesn't mean that one day it won't, so I'm pretty anal when it comes to cleaning the house. I don't want to trigger the allergy so I make sure Squishy gets a good brushing at least 3 times a week.
Also, everyday when I get home from work (after a 20-30 minute belly rub and kissing session with Squishy) I vacuum all the rooms Squish was in during the night and day, including the couch. We keep her restricted to the laundry room, kitchen and living room - so it's only 3 areas to clean daily. I know that's not a option time-wise for everyone, but it really seems to keep the fur at bay. Right now she doesn't seem to be shedding much at all, but during the fall and I imagine in spring I'll be vacuuming twice a day to keep all that fur off the couch and everything else.

Soundtrack

Basically the only things that *reduce* (not stop) shedding are frequent brushing (like daily) and a healthy diet.

The only thing I can suggest for the couch is to put a cover over it and take the cover off when you actually want to sit on it.

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duder

Doesnt matter how much we brush or give them baths, the fur just keeps coming. We just invest in lint rollers and have learned to live with being surrounded by dog hair.

Kirska

Anabelle actually hardly sheds at all. Harley, on the other hand, has a thick long coat of a corgi. Every single piece of clothing I own has a layer of white fur on it after wearing it once. We keep blankets over the couch for them to lay on.

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Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt

"Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

Lightning&Stomps

Leather couches are way easier to keep clean than upholstered. But when my dogs were allowed on the leather sofa, I still put a blanket over it to keep them from marking up the leather (it's "distressed" looking and very easily distressed!). Wood is easier to keep clean than carpet, but I worry too much about them hurting their backs from slipping so I have carpet. I would recommend you get a carpet that does not have loops, which not only traps hair but also can catch on the dogs' nails. I have a Dyson vaccuum, which does a much better job of picking up hair and dander than my old Hoover. And I have a Furminator brush that works great. I keep an empty kleenex box nearby to dispose of the hair when I brush Lightning. The plastic "lips" that make up the opening are great at pulling the hair off your fingers and keeping the hair in the box. Those are my tips. (And I don't consider myself anal at all about hair!)