Can You Vacuum Your Dog? A Guide to Vacuum Grooming!

Can you vacuum your dog? Or rather, is it ok to vacuum a dog?

For most dog owners, grooming is going to be pretty much a necessity. Even short haired breeds that many might consider hypoallergenic, still require grooming to keep dander and stray hairs down to a minimum. 

I’ve posted a detailed guide to whippet grooming previously here. This gives useful grooming steps for anyone with a short haired dog. I outlined thorough instructions on grooming and included suggestions for products that might help make the process easier.

However, in today’s discussion, I’m looking at an alternative solution. Or perhaps you could use it as a technique alongside your usual dog grooming process.

For this, you’re going to need one of the most common household appliances!

Can You Vacuum a Dog?

In short… yes, it’s ok to vacuum your dog!

If you’re short on time or you just want to give your dog a quick once over between more thorough grooming sessions, you can hoover your dog’s coat.

However, you need to introduce them to one another slowly and carefully!

Should You Vacuum Your Dog’s Coat?

For me, giving my Whippet a little groom with the vacuum cleaner is helpful. I don’t always have the time to give Misty a proper groom… but to be honest Whippet shedding isn’t a huge problem.

I don’t give Misty a full on groom every week. Occasionally I do give her a little session with a hoover though. She’s short coated and so this works well for me.

I should advise that your dog will likely not respond well to being suddenly confronted with a vacuum cleaner. So there are definitely some things to consider in advance.

How to Vacuum Your Dog

The first thing to factor is your dog may be frightened of a noisy hoover or new grooming attachments!

You may or may not have conditioned your dog to many of the noisy white goods at home. Or perhaps your dog is already accustomed to vacuum cleaners.

Regardless, your dog could well be frightened of any noisy machine whenever it starts to head in its direction!

Are Whippets Truly Hypoallergenic?

Take things slowly!

You’ll need either a hoover specifically designed for pets or special dog grooming attachments for your existing vacuum.

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If you have a puppy, get them accustomed to the sound of the vacuum by using it as often as possible so they don’t fear it. If you’re using your household hoover, remember not to use an ear popping setting, since you’ll never need heavy-duty suction.

Your dog should be used to the sound of your vacuum cleaner before you ever try to groom them with it. When you feel your dog is ready, you can begin to think about taking the next steps.

To begin with though, you might not even plug the appliance in. Instead get your dog used to the sensation of your vacuum attachments brushing against its coat.

When you’re ready to use the hoover for the first time, give your dog’s coat a brush to remove knots. You might also want to arm yourself with dog treats!

If your dog is happy and calm, turn your hoover on to a low setting. Hold your dog firmly with one hand and begin gently grooming with the vacuum nozzle. You may also need someone to supply treats to help your dog associate the new grooming experience with a positive outcome!

Focus only on the back and flanks since your dog might not find the experience pleasant in sensitive areas like the tummy and chest.

After several sessions, your dog should be used to the experience and may even begin to enjoy it!

Summary

It is entirely possible to vacuum your dog. Indeed, it’ll probably be a very helpful technique to help reduce dander and fur before it ends up on your furniture and carpets.

Introduce the cleaner to your dog slowly and either use a pet grooming hoover or special vacuum attachments designed for dog grooming. These will be more effective at sucking up dog hairs.

If you are going to use your household hoover, be careful not to use a high setting since the noise and suction power might unsettle your dog.

Other than that, a short weekly vacuum grooming session might really help you to keep your house fur and dander free!

And who wouldn’t want that?

Do you vacuum your dog? Do you have any tips based on your experiences? Please leave a comment at the bottom of the page to share your insight.

Related Posts:

• How to Clean Your Whippet’s Teeth
• Whippet Health Issues
• A Guide to Whippet Colours and Markings
• How to Make a Dog First Aid Kit