Almost every day someone asks me if there is a way to make her pet shed less hair. If I had an easy answer to that question, I would not have time to write this blog–I’d be too busy sipping margaritas on my private island’s beach. The person who devises a way to make pets stop shedding will be very rich indeed!

Shedding is natural. And, as long as baldness does not develop, any amount of shedding should be considered normal. Brushing your pet daily may help to reduce shedding marginally. But in reality, there is really only one truly effective way to deal with canine and feline shedding: buy a good vacuum cleaner.

Speaking of which, the kind folks at Dyson recently sent me one of their new vacuums, the DC 28 Animal, to try out. It is designed specifically for households with pets.

The Dyson was simple to set up, and I have been very impressed with its power and ease of use. My pal Buster appreciates the fact that it is much quieter than my previous, bachelor-style vacuum cleaner.

The Dyson definitely does a number on pet hair–on the floor and on furniture. Of course, Buster easily rises to the challenge of providing more hair for the vacuum cleaner to pick up each day.

My only complaint with the vacuum cleaner is that its transparent debris collection chamber has led to an unpleasant bit of self-revelation. I had previously been blissfully oblivious to the amount of dust that accumulates on my carpet. That ignorance has been blown away by the large dust bunnies that have been gathered by the Dyson and displayed in full view.

In all, I have been very satisfied with the DC 28 Animal. I highly recommend it to anyone who has pets. Or dust.

Photo: I’ll bet Yara’s parents would love to own a DC 28!