More Rain Today. It is getting tiring, keeping the dog's energy level at bay, along with their boredom. If they don't get worked, then in the evening they are wound up and playing a lot. So much playing can happen, that I cannot hear the television. So I have worked with them to only play during the commercials. When the program comes back on, I just tell the dogs "that'll do" and they quit playing and lay down until the next commercial. The plan is not perfect, but it works pretty well.

Decker is in full shed now. There is hair everywhere. I didn't have time before the rains started to brush him well. So I tried brushing him on the back porch. He has tons of hair, so I grabbed the rake to help remove his undercoat. This tool really does the job well. And is a must have tool for dogs with undercoats.

Months ago, when I first started using the rake on Decker's hair, it hurt him some. So I was careful not to work a specific area of his body too long. I would move around often. He is used to the rake now, and doesn't give me a hard time, when I use it.

The rake was designed years ago specifically to remove undercoat from double-coated breeds, such as Decker. I used to use a rake on Bonnie, my Aussie/Border mix, as she too had a double coat. Though I kept her shaved her whole life, I would let her hair grow back during our brief winter. Just a week after we got her as a puppy, we had to shave her. I don't think she really liked her hair. If she would get a sticker while walking, she would head for the thick grassy weeds to "rub" it out. Well, that rubbing, would just give her more stickers. So, it was off with her hair. But in the spring, before it was warm enough to shave her, she would blow her coat. Her hair came off almost all at once.

During her shedding times, I would stand her on a bench or table outside, and brush and brush and brush. And the rake was the most effective tool for removing the shedding hair. She had so much hair on her britches, that if I didn't get to them in time, they would mat. The rake was perfect for removing the undercoat on her britches.

I removed a lot of hair from Decker with the rake, and most of it didn't end up on me. The back porch worked well, except there is no table for him to stand on. My back wore out before all of his dead hair was removed. I will have to "rake" him again, another day. But all of that brushing sure made his coat look nice.