Review - Zoom Groom

I'm taking a quick break from holiday cheer to bring you a review of a new product I received yesterday.  Our dog, Wilson, is the best dog ever.  He's sweet, loving, and loyal, and it doesn't hurt that he's also super cute and mega soft.

Glamour shots!  Anyway, Wilson, who is a rescue dog of indeterminate breed, but likely some sort of cross between a mini Australian Shepherd and a long-haired chihuahua or dachshund, is one sheddy long-haired puppy.  Seriously.  Now that we have wood floors, we sometimes see tumbleweeds of black Wilson fur gathering in corners.  Yikes.  On the one hand, his fur rarely needs to be cut, but on the other, there is fur everywhere!

We have used the Furminator deshedding tool since we adopted him; it works really well at getting the under layer of loose hair out.  However, it's a little bit rough on him - it's made of metal, and he gets squirmy when we use it and runs away.  Some dogs love it, but Wilson seems to think it's too harsh, which makes us not want to use it.  

A groomer friended recommended Zoom Groom by Kong, maker of all things durable and rubber for dogs.  They're much less expensive than the Furminator - mine was about $5 on Amazon - and are made of rubber with little rubber fingers.  I tried it right away, and to my surprise, Wilson loved it! It likely just feels like being pet and is very gentle.  It trapped a good deal of hair, though  not as much as the Furminator... though I think it's worth it to use the Zoom Groom instead, because Wilson tolerates it so much better. He holds perfectly still while we're grooming him and even leans into the brush instead of struggling to run under the table.  A good brushing with the Zoom Groom left Wilson very sleek, as the rubber fingers also help with natural oil production, which helps keep his coat shiny.

The Zoom Groom gets an 8 on the Awesome Meter.  I don't think it gets as much excess fur off as the Furminator, but it's a more gentle choice. I read that it works better on short-haired dogs.  It can also be used when bathing and shampooing your dog.  I purchased the small one (Wilson is 13 pounds), but there is a larger model for bigger dogs, and there's even one for cats!

This could be a great stocking stuffer for a pet lover.