Bamboo grooming tool gets thumbs up (Bamboo Dog Undercoat & Dematting Rake)

Member Name: Hel466

Product:	Bamboo Dog Undercoat & Dematting Rake
Date:	22/07/09 (82 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick to use and effective

Disadvantages: Grooming is still hard work!

Dogs are hard work, there is no question about that. As i write this, I have my youngest samoyed sprawled across my knee as if somebody told him he was a lap dog. Right now he want's a fuss but if it wasn't that he'd want feeding, or to play, or to go for a walk, or brushing. Being a samoyed with a thick double layer coat this can be a long and sometimes painful procedure. Especially so when the whole undercoat blows every six months. This is where the Bamboo 2in1 Undercoat Rake & Detangler comes in...

The tool itself is made from a firm plastic frame in Bamboo's usual colours of red and white. The grip is cushioned for comfort and the grooming pins are made from metal for tough and coarse coats. The undercoat rake side is sturdy cone shaped pins spaces about 10mm apart and the detangler has longer metal arms for poking into knots to tease them apart. You can swich which tool is in use by clipping the desired side so that it points out whilst the 'resting' tool lies flat against the handle for safety. The head of this grooming tool is around 10 - 15 cm wide so great for larger dogs and covering lots of fur quickly.

Bamboo are a popular manufacturer of pet products and can be found in most pet shops or online. They are well thought of though and the price for this tool reflects that at around £10. I have to stress that it is most definitely worth it if you have a dog with an undercoat! I have used so many brushes and combs on my dogs that it's surprising they have any fur left! They mault like crazy and if they are left more than a week without being groomed my house looks like Christmas with a dusting of white fur on every surface. I have tried a normal pin brush, a slicker, a shedding blade and even a Furminator but Bamboo's 2in1 rake definitely is my favourite.

For general grooming I set the tool into the rake position and just use as a normal brush. Loads of dead hair and all the associated detritus comes out quickly and I am able to fill a bin bag with fluff in 20 minutes. This compares with an hour of brushing with the other brushes I have mentioned. My dogs will lay still whilst I brush them (if tempted by something tasty to chew on) and this isn't true of all tools I've used to it must be either quite gentle on sensitive samoyed skin or a big relief to be free of so much hair. As the rake does such a good job of removing old hair my dogs' coats always look shiny and well kept after a groom.

The detangler side of this tool is also good but for me this was just an extra: The rake was why I bought the contraption. I do use it occasionally for knots in the dogs' trousers or behind their ears, though. I just slide the arms behind the knots and jiggle the handle until it works its way through the tangle. This doesn't cause squealing from the dogs so it can't hurt them as one of them is extremely wussy but I'd rate it at more painful than cutting the knot out.

Overall, I really would recommend the Bamboo 2in1 Undercoat & Dematting Rake. To me it is unrivaled in its removal of old coat and cuts maulting quite significantly. It has lasted me well and my dogs don't mind it. If you're looking for a new grooming tool for a dog with an undercoat - buy this!

Summary: Absolutely fantastic and nice looking product