Regular grooming helps control household dog hair

When it comes to controlling dog hair in your house, the best approach is to stay on top of the source, say dog owners.

"You need to groom your dog frequently," says Robin Baker, who breeds golden retrievers. "A lot of people use a brush to groom their dogs, but that doesn't really get the loose hairs out. You need to use a comb and give them a bath about every two weeks."

Even being diligent about grooming won't solve the problem completely.

Two years ago, the design staff at the Bissell vacuum manufacturer introduced the first vacuum cleaner designed to tackle pet hair problems.

"This first vacuum was introduced at Target in '06," said Dan Heidenga, director of vacuums at Bissell. "It was an instant success. In our research, we discovered that rubber creates a static charge that pulls pet hair out of carpet. We used that technology to design a vacuum just for dealing with pet hair problems."

Bissell now has two vacuums designed for homes with pets, the Pet Hair Eraser (about $150) and the Lift-Off Revolution (about $170). In addition, it offers a Pet Pack accessory kit ($30) that includes tools that can be used with nearly any brand of vacuum cleaner. Most of the Bissell products are carried at Target stores.

"These vacuums designed for households with pets have a lint brush type of design in the front," explains Heidenga. "When you pull the vacuum back it collects pet hair, and when you push it forward it releases the hair so it can be sucked up."

The Dyson vacuum company also has several vacuums designed for homes with pets. The line is called Animal and retails for $500 to $600. And soon, Dyson plans to introduce a new hand-held vacuum designed to tackle pet hair.

Eureka's Capture+ comes with tools designed to combat both pet hair and fleas. The vacuum is a bagless upright with a sealed HEPA filtration system that locks in dead fleas. It retails for $170 at Lowe's.

Hoover has several models that it recommends for animal hair, but none is designed to tackle that specific problem.

Or you might resort to Joan Gibson Reid's method for dealing with pet hair: camouflage.

"I have Oriental rugs," said Reid, an American Kennel Club judge who lives in Elk Grove. "They have so much pattern in them that the dog hair doesn't show."