The Fur Plan

Long, straight coat · the sofa or the bed is covered

Long-haired dog hair on a leather sofa

Coats like this: Yorkshire Terrier, Cavalier King Charles, Shih Tzu, Maltese, Cocker Spaniel, Chihuahua (long coat), Papillon, Lhasa Apso. Long, straight coats shed long strands that wrap around carpet fibres and vacuum rollers.

Change this first
On leather the hair isn't on the surface. It's in the seams.
Why

Hair doesn't cling to leather; it slides down into the gaps between cushions and along the base. Wiping the surface moves it around and misses where it sits.

Today

Run a crevice tool, or a damp cloth folded to a point, along every seam once. See how much comes out. Then once a week, or when it looks like it needs it.

What you can stop doing

  • Wiping the whole surface daily. Leather doesn't hold hair; the seams do.
  • A throw or cover. It would trap hair against leather that otherwise stays clean.
What comes next
  • Brush with whatever you have for now — a damp rubber glove or even a damp hand lifts some loose coat — and see the buying section for what suits this coat, starting at a few minutes most days, mainly to stop mats. Loose hair on the brush is hair that doesn't land in the house. If the skin looks pink afterwards, you're pressing too hard or going too often.
Only if you decide to buy something
A brush for this coat: a slicker and a steel combOnly if you don't have anything that reaches loose coat. Gentle; the pins should never scrape skin.

We don't sell products or earn commissions. These are things to look for; the shopping is yours.

The goal isn't zero hair. It's less cleaning that actually makes a difference.

If the shedding has suddenly got much heavier, or there are bald patches, red skin or a lot of scratching, that's a vet visit first, not a cleaning plan.

This page assumes you own no tools yet.Tell the planner what you already have and it rewrites the plan around it, and tells you if there's nothing to buy.Adjust this plan for my home