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Best Vacuum for Pet Hair

By Maizy Pulvermacher

I’m a Golden Retriever.

It’s summer in Wisconsin.

And my family is constantly saying my hair is all over their stuff, covering the carpet and couches. 

Now, I would never directly disagree with my humans, (my style is more indirect when I don’t get my way… like grabbing something they care about, and then running away to hide while they chase me).  But…all my humans have blond and golden hair too… couldn’t all that hair be theirs?

Anyway, I’m here to write about buying something important.  Those weird, loud, seemingly alive things, that magically sucks up all that “pet” hair while at the same time trying to kill you every time they slide near your paws……  What are they called again?  Oh yeah, humans call them vacuums.

A few things to think about when buying a Vacuum for Pet Hair

  1.  I’ve heard through some buddies, that you should really go with bagless.  Some of us pets (including my long-haired cat friends), have a lot of hair.  Replacing the bag every few vacuum sessions because it is full, apparently can get expensive.
  2. Typically, when you see “animal” or “pet” in the name of the vacuum, it mostly means that they have more attachable options for cleaning hair off surfaces like furniture.  Some also claim to have rollers and such designed to keep hair from wrapping around them, but for those of you with shorter hair animals, this doesn’t even matter.

Ok!  Let’s get to it.  After all, I’m looking at my human sister right now, and her left hand is just sitting there while she watches videos on her computer.  With a few, not so subtle nudges, that hand could be petting me right now.  (Ok, it might take more than a few nudges, buy I’m no quitter… the dog that perseveres through scolding, gentle pushes and repeated moving of ‘said’ hand, is the dog that always gets petted in the end…)

Dyson Upright Vacuum Cleaner, Ball Animal 2

(Not for everyone, but ideal for unlimited budget, hardwood floors, and short/flat carpets)

This thing has such strong suction it amazes me.  Although, my buddy Pickle’s mom has one, and she says it sucks so hard that on her longer carpets, she can barely push it around it’s so strong!  Still, I guess if you don’t have long carpets though and most hard surfaces, this thing will work great.  It sucks up just about anything.  It also has a HEPA filter.  I hate germs, so that’s good.  Plus, it has combination tools for vacuuming up pet hair that make it great for lots of surfaces, and it even says it is made specifically for pets.  With a 50ft cord, you really only need one outlet per floor too.  I have read complaints of breaking parts or parts needing replacement quickly.  Oh and it automatically adjusts itself based on the floor type it is rolling over, so again, this could be good or bad if you have those long carpets.  Lastly, its fun to watch, I mean Dyson makes such cool moving vacuums they can get around anything.  Plus they have a good rep among humans and dogs alike.  All in all a powerful machine, if expensive vacuum.

Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away (NV803)

(Strong suction, ideal for mid-range budgets, hardwood floors, and short to med carpets)

The suction on this vacuum has been compared to the more expensive Dyson Ball Animal 2.  Shark has also come out with a bunch of upgrades on this particular vacuum.  I’m not vacuum nerd, frankly I don’t like learning new things at all, but I hear through the doggy grapevine that this one has new maneuverability capabilities, new brushes, and even a tool for cleaning pet hair or normal hair off the brushes themselves.  Plus, my Aunt has one!  The Shark DuoClean Powered Lift-Away (NV803) also has two modes for carpet and hard floors.  This is good because even if you do have long carpet, you can adjust the setting to make pushing it around your room a little easier (remember the strong suction).  The filters (not the HEPA one) are washable.  It has a Pet multi-tool and power brush, and can be detached from the wand and directly attached to the powered floor tool to make doing stairs easy.   Pretty solid vacuum this one, even for pet hair.

BISSELL Cleanview Bagless Vacuum Cleaner

(Solid suction, ideal for limited budgets, and performs on hardwood floors, and short to long carpets)

Wow, vacuums with a focus on pet hair are really becoming popular, this one has extra brushes just for picking up pet hair too!  It also has specialized pet ‘tools” designed specifically for hair on furniture and in corners, but sometimes you will need to clean the hair off those.  BISSELL also makes a model that swivels, we don’t recommend that one because we’ve heard that it gets clogged from hair easier, because of that type of mode.  So stick with the one we recommend here, while you shouldn’t have any problems with hair clogging, it maneuverability isn’t at the top of our list.  It has multiple settings so you can control suction and function, ideal for longer carpets so you don’t get a neck ache trying to push it around.  It has a washable filter, and all in all in a dependable vacuum, for pet hair or otherwise.

Dyson Cyclone v10 (cordless) Car and Home

(Cordless, Strong suction, Ideal for unlimited budgets and need for home and car vacuum)

So first, this is not a stand up vacuum, which means you have to hold it up with your own arms, think about it like a shopping cart.  Its easy to push because it has four points touching the ground that hold it up, imagine if it only had 2?  You’d have to bear more of the weight.  BUT, it’s only about 6n pounds so that’s not too bad.  It’s a Dyson so you can depend on maneuverability and strong suction (but with not being a stand up, really hard to push on long carpets).  Being cordless you can take it anywhere and use it anywhere.  Lift it up to the ceiling for cobwebs, using it on the stairs, or even take it out to the car to get the pet hair off your passenger seat (the seat of honor I know you let your dog sit in… putting friend, spouse, or child in the back).  Lastly, cordless means it has a batter life.  While it claims longer, most people report about 15-20 solid minutes of vacuuming before it needs recharging.  So, nice for versatility for home and car, but a few draw back.

eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S

(Can be primary vacuum for pet hair on hard wood floors, or recommended as a supplement between deeper cleaning)

I don’t know this for sure, but I think there is a “chase pet” setting on this one, because it seems to follow us around when you turn it on and we are home.  I’ll admit, I don’t like that.  But, it does a good job of cleaning up “my” hair when my family doesn’t feel like using the larger vacuum.  Seems to work best when run a couple times a week, and it is pretty quiet (I do like that).  It doesn’t get deep into carpets to clean, but it is great for hard wood floors, and flatter carpets, or a quick surface level on other surfaces.  It’s known for being one of the better robots for NOT getting stuck places and navigating obstacles.  It’s also really slim, so it fits under couches and beds well.  Like most robots though, you need to clean up things like socks and such that will get stuck in it before you turn it on, and you will need to clean off the rollers regularly, to dislodge hair and such.  But again, this is common among robots.   It’s one of the more affordable options in this area and does a pretty good, if not by taking a strange path, to clean up the pet hair from an entire room or floor at a time.  Word of warning though: it’s not your friend.  I tried to make friends with it at first, it just tried to run over my toes making me cry…. In general though, used right, a good way to clean up pet hair in the house.

Well, that is the best of the best when it comes to vacuums for pet hair.  Also, all vacuums should be, and are good for general use too, after all pet hair should just be something it is extra good at right? 

Well my human sister is now in the kitchen ignoring me.  But… I bet if I went over and grabbed her favorite marker from the floor and showed it to her in my mouth, that she would play with me….

I can picture it now, ‘Maizy!!’ she would scream, ‘Something, something, something” basically words that I don’t understand, but her high pitch voice tells me she thinks it is exciting.  Oh we have so much fun.

So happy vacuum shopping everyone, it’s play time for my sister and me!

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The Best Balls for Dogs

By Olive Thiel

Yay!! My Mom FINALLY let me write about my favorite thing in the entire world… Balls! 

BALLS! BALLS! BALLS! BALLS! Bouncy balls, hard balls, rubber balls, plastic balls, squishy balls, and the greatest gift to dogs everywhere…. squeaky balls!!!!!! 

Ohhhh balls!   I love you… 

Oh, you’re still reading, right, sorry… what was I doing?

Oh Yeah, writing about balls!  BALLS! BALLS! BALLS! BALLS!

I LOVE THEM!  Normally, my mom doesn’t even let me look at a ball unless we are actually playing with one, she says things like I “lose my mind” whenever balls are around, or I “just won’t stop”.  And don’t even get me started on the ones that squeak… apparently those make her crazy!  So, I almost never get to play with those!

Oh squeaky balls, how I love to run around in circles with you in the house with you.  I roughly shake my head from side to side as I leap through the air, I repeatedly bite down on you with every step, and in return… you never fail to scream your loud squeak back at me, echoing off the walls… over… and over…. again. 

Sigh….

Sorry, I digress again… I am writing about the best balls for dogs. 

You know, I’m probably like the best dog to ever write this article too.  No one loves or knows balls like I do, and I have been through a lot of balls in my three short years.  PLUS, I have a lot of friends who love balls, and my mom knows a ton about them, so…before I get distracted again, let’s get right to it. 

Best Everyday Ball for Dogs

ChuckIt! Ultra Ball (Medium)

AKA “My Go To”

I fetch this ball every day, multiple times a day.  And… we’ve had the same one for over two years!  It goes far, it bounces high (but not too high), it’s easy to catch in my mouth, and while I keep trying to bite on it to break the rubber or tear it apart… I just can’t seem to do it.  Plus, it’s easy to spot in the grass, and when my mom finally takes me to the lake to swim (hint hint mom…), it floats on top so I can get it in the water.  It works with ball launchers like the ChuckIt! Sport Launcher Dog Ball Thrower, and, unlike other more basic balls, this one never ceases to interest me.  You gotta get this ball.

Best Bouncy Ball for Dogs (plus glows in the dark)

Chuckit! Max Glow Ball

AKA “The Greatest Non-Squeaking Ball on Earth”

You guys… what can I say about this ball?!  Its rubber is nice and hard for me to bite on, and I have had the same one for a long time.  It has a light whistle as it sails through the air because it has a hole in the top, so it makes me lose my mind when I chase after it.  It bounces so easily and so high, that sometimes when I don’t quite catch it in the air, it bounces and flies twenty feet away!  Last week, my mom had to climb a fence to get it out of the neighbor’s yard!  So great… Although once, when my mom threw it to me in the house, it was so bouncy, that it bounced right off my teeth when I tried to catch it in the air, and bounced right into the lamp on our end table… My mom didn’t love that…. but who cares!!! I love this thing!!!  Plus, it glows in the dark when it is charged by the sunlight, so we can play with it at night.  So, humans probably want to be careful playing with it where it can bounce away, but the bouncing is the biggest reason I love it.  Get it!!!

Best Birthday Gift for Dogs (Ball Related)

Midlee Happy Birthday Dog Tennis Balls (6 pack)

AKA “How I Know My Aunt Loves Me”

So yes… I could tear one of these apart in less than 5 minutes, but guys…. IT’S A BAG OF BALLS!  A bag of balls.  Did you hear me?????  An entire BAG of BALLS!  Oooohhh when I opened my present from my Aunt and saw these, I knew she loved me.  I immediately ripped the netting apart and chased all six ball around the living room floor for the next 10 minutes.  Then, my mom took 5 of them away, to “Save for later” she said.  Whatever, I didn’t care.  I got to tear apart the one she left me and scatter the felt all over the living room.  I mean who doesn’t love tennis balls!  They bounce, they fly far through the air to chase, and they are soft so you can break the rubber and peel off the felt.  Ahhhh such fun, such a treat.  A great gift for any ball loving dog.  It’s got to be some dog’s half birthday or something right?  Buy these now!

Best Squeaky Ball for Dogs (two recommendations)

Gnawsome Medium Squeaker Ball Dog Toy, Medium

AKA “The Greatest Thing In the Universe”

OMG! OMG! OMG! This ball squeaks so loud it pierces my subconscious and transports me to a magical chaotic world filled with only balls, and mind boggling squeaking.  It is INCREDIBLE!!!  Oh, did I mention it has little spikes on it that make it soooo fun to chew on?  Well it does.  One of my friend’s like to chew those off, but I don’t mind… it’s the squeaking that I love!  It’s bouncy too!  Although, it has spikes so the bouncing is a little all over the place.  Still… this is one of my favorites.  Not as durable as some balls, but it has so many bright colors to choose from you, can just tell your mom or dad to get you more.  P.S. please comment on this article and tell my mom to let me play with mine more.

Nerf Dog Tire Squeak Ball Dog Toy, Medium

AKA “The Second Greatest Thing In the Universe”

OK, this one reminds me of my ChuckIt! Ultra Ball because we have only ever had one, and I can’t bite through it, but… it’s a little smaller and it squeaks.  Well, actually, the squeaker recently stopped squeaking….?   I know!!! Can you Believe it????  Well, I will say though, even though it doesn’t squeak anymore, it still makes a sound when I bite down on it.  So, I still love to run around the yard biting it so much that my mom doesn’t even need to throw it for me.  I just keep running!  Plus, now that it stopped squeaking, my mom lets me play with it more!  So not bad.  This ball isn’t super bouncy, which kind of stinks because personally I love to jump and leap after a bouncing ball.  BUT, like my spikey ball, when it does bounce, it can bounce off to the side (which can be fun) because it has tire tread running around it that gets in the way.  So, all in all, some pros and cons to this one depending on what you want.  For me?  I could spend the entire day with mine.

Best Big Ball for Dogs (two recommendations)

Horsemen’s Pride Equine Jolly Ball

AKA “Bigger Than My Head”

I like this ball most for the best big balls for dogs because I can actually grab onto it by the handle.  I love to tug, but my mom hates it.  With this one though, she can put the ball behind her legs while she sits, and let me tug on the handle that sticks out.  Although the handle is starting to tear off, because when we tug, I pull hard and have a pretty hard bite (if I do say so myself).  But, the rubber is too thick to chew through for the most part, so it’s only when we tug that, over time, it has begun to tear.  Still, I always have fun with this ball.  I can carry it around, I can whip my head from side to side with it in my mouth, and I can even bang it on the ground and let it bounce right back at me!  It floats in my baby pool, and I can’t deflate it, even when I puncture it…. Believe me, I’ve tried!  This one is so much fun, you gotta have it.

Wilson Traditional Soccer Ball

AKA “Nothin’ Beats a Classic”

Guys, nothing beats a Soccer Ball that you can slightly deflate with your teeth, so your mom can still kick it to you, but you can still manage to catch, fetch or carry it around the yard.  I love it.  I don’t always have one, because my mom says they get dirty and soggy after a lot of use and have to be replaced, but even when they are filthy… I still LOVE them!  I love to carry it around, whip it around, and just generally tease all my friends with it while I run by them with it in my mouth.  My human cousins have volleyballs too, which look like they would be a lot of fun… but they don’t let me have those.  I only can use the soggy, deflated soccer ball in their yard, which is fine… because it is FANTASTIC!

Well, that’s all of them.  I even posted a video and a few pictures below for you to see them in action. Except, all I can think about now….. is the Gnawsome Medium Squeaker Ball Dog Toy, Medium that my mom rarely lets me play with.  Ours is purple.  Oh, how I love it. 

You know, she keeps it in the laundry room.  In a brown box with stuff on top of it, so I can’t “dig my head in it” anymore. 

Hmmm, when was the last time I tried to get to it I wonder?  I can’t remember.  Probably means it has been too long.  Wonder if I can get to it before she catches me…. It might be worth a shot…

Ok! Gotta go! 

Purple, spikey, squeaky ball?….. I…. am…. coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Soccer Balls, One of the Best Balls for Dogs in Action
I Love My Soccer Balls!!!
Horsemen's Pride Equine Jolly Ball in action
Why wont you tug with me?!

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