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Have you gotten her groomed at all in the past? We've done a normal Golden haircut for ours several times, and they preserve both the undercoat and the outer coat since of course they need them both, but gets them both down pretty trim and helps reduce shedding a lot. We don't do it that often though since it's expensive. Are you using a Furminator when you brush? Doing frequent baths to loosen more fur?

Sorry don't know if I'm any help, but I definitely offer sympathy. Our situation is not nearly as bad as yours but we vacuum a lot and there is still a wad of dog fur on its way into LO's mouth every time I look down.

@pinkcupcake: Retrievers are notorious shedders. We've always had labs (though our last one passed about a year ago), and honestly the Furminator and Epi-Pet shampoo and coat spray were the only things that controlled it. Unfortunately, they still tend to blow a coat out twice a year, but it was greatly improved when on those products.

You could ask about using thinning shears as well to keep some long hair and some short. We had a sheepdog/collie and we kept him with a puppy cut because he matted too much and it was hot in FL summers. But they don't shed and have a much different type of coat.

Nothing but commiseration over here! Our 4 year old golden sheds at least a small dog every day, I swear. We also don't get her professionally groomed that often (maybe 4x a year), and don't full bathe her much more than every other month unless she gets super-muddy. We do Furminate, but I don't think it makes a HUGE difference.

I'm totally going to get a Roomba for the tufts of fur -- management not cure, I guess. Ideally we also wouldn't let her up on our furniture...but where's the fun in that?

@pinkcupcake: I get it! just yesterday my husband had vacummed the entire house only to sit down on the couch with me and notice a giant tumbleweed had stuck to his foot. We feel your pain!

We want a roomba too. Aside from how expensive they are, I think it would give my Golden a heart attack! He is such an anxious guy.

@pinkcupcake: Roomba!! Seriously. We have 2 dogs and 2 cats and they all shed like crazy. Our roomba isn't perfect but we run it every night and it keeps the tumbleweeds at bay. It fits under our couches which really helps I think. We procrastinated buying it for years and I regret that! It was painful to buy but soooo worth it!

ETA: we run it at night cuz the dogs would herd it so we wait until they're upstairs in bed with us and then run it downstairs (where they are all day) so they aren't bothered by it. And the cats don't care.

I don't have a solution. Just commiserating. I love our golden boy but wow the hair. Could knit a sweater with his weekly hair. We probably only bathe him every 4-6 weeks. We get him a sanitary cut and that helps with matting and shedding a bit. It's bum, feet, behind the ears, and his chest.

@MenagerieMama: you're giving me hope! make and model, please

We have a lab mix that sheds like crazy (I totally know what you mean about the hair tumbleweeds across the floor!).

Honestly, nothing that we try (brushing with FURminator's, baths, etc.) helps at all with the shedding itself. We are constantly covered in blonde dog hairs. But we have had a rumba for over two years now and it is a lifesaver. We have it set to run every night after we go to bed and we empty it every morning. It does a great job of keeping the dog hair around the house in check!