we have a siberian husky and dark wood floors, I feel your pain. We have one of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002IAY3N0/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0018QXQPQ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1HN98SGF3B307SM6PT2H we keep in the laundry room. Very light and also has a hand held piece.

Thanks Jledhead. So it picks up the dog fur easily? I looked at that recently in BB&B but was unsure how it worked for pet hair. Thanks for your recommendation. I will go back and look at it again today as I am tired of vacuumng and re-vacuuming second's later. ;)

Does anyone with Roomba and dogs feel that is a good choice?

We have a Roomba, an Electrolux ErgoRapido (the link above), and a Miele canister---not sure which, but the lowest tier of their vacuums that we could get with a HEPA filter (it's teal).

We inherited the ErgoRapido from a friend who was moving, so didn't put much thought into that---it works for dog hair, but more of a stop-gap than a big-clean tool (which is fine, that's what it's made for---and the dustbuster part of it is great for getting hair that's in small places without lugging out the vacuum attachments). It might be a good match for you since you already have another vacuum system, though. I'm toying with having a plug in our broom cabinet to keep it charging in there (we have a plug leftover there from when there was a counter). It does fill up pretty quickly, though (again, that's what it's made for, so not really a strike against it...)

The Roomba does okay with dog hair, but it has problems in general with leaving little bits of floor undone, and the dog hair has a tendency to clump into little dust bunnies that drift around and then need to be picked up from the corners when the Roomba's done. Ours is also 5 years old and the battery is dying, so it can only do small rooms in one go---we keep it in the bedroom and use it for that, which works pretty well since the dog isn't allowed in the bedroom (though you wouldn't know that from the amount of dog hair in there!!) I like it a lot in that it saves us from having to think about the bedroom at all, but wouldn't make it my primary vacuum. We did also need to choose furniture in there that it could clear (but since vacuum predates furniture, that was fine).

The Miele does the best job with dog hair, but it does need to be lugged around and would probably double what you already have---I don't know if they make a smaller version of it that would be more like a stick vac, though.

Hi Gillylily

I needed the exact same thing when we finished our kitchen. Very hairy yellow lab, dark wood floors and afternoon sun beaming in the french doors highlighting it all. I researched a bunch of stick vacs and ended up buying A Eureka QuickUp. It works well for the dog hair--I keep it on "carpet" mode even on the bare floors so that the beater brush spins. It is light enough to hang on a hook on the back of my basement stair door, and maneuvers around chair legs easily. The plastic dust cup is fast and easy to dump. My only complaint is that the cord is too short. I now just leave the extension cord attached.

I definitely still have to use the "real" vacuum every week for getting ALL the crumbs in corners.

Thanks Artemis and Shangai- I will definitely look at all of these. I may pass on the roomba although the thought of NOT having to do the work is appealing. It's crazy. we have a cleaning lady who comes every couple of weeks. She even "complained" to me yesterday she had finished vacuuming up went upstairs (the dog was downstairs) and had to re-vacuum by the time she was done upstairs. I guess having our first baby (Skyla the dog) is more important to us, but geez.. wish she could brush her own hair... LOL.. Thanks again for the thoughts on your vacuums.. Happy weekend!

We have 2 long haired cats, and we love our Hoover platinum Linx cordless vac. It weighs about 1 lb or so, and has a swivel head that makes it easy to maneuver. The battery life is about 10-20 minutes depending on if you use the brush roll or turn that off. We got ours at bed bath and beyond, we had a 20% off the entire order coupon, and we bought an extra battery because you really need one if you use it frequently. It looks plastic and sort of cheaply made, but I've dropped it quite a few times and it's in perfect shape.

You need to empty it when it starts getting full, and wipe off any dust or fuzzies that accumulate in the top filter, otherwise the suction is compromised. That only takes a second though. It makes my life so much easier, and I only pull out the heavy vac once a week now because it works quite well at cleaning our carpet.

I searched for the best deal on them and since we had the 20% off coupon it was better to get them at BBB. They had to order them in though, but didn't charge us any shipping for doing so. I've also seen them on ebay and Amazon for low prices.

Here is a link that might be useful: hoover Linx at BBB

I like the swiffer vacuum. It has a low suction vacuum, plus you use the little dust sheets. It def works on pet hair. But, it's just for lightweight cleaning--not at all something for heavy duty. I also have the electrolux vacuum listed above (also just for lightweight cleaning)--but I like the swiffer vac for pet hair as I think the duster sheet combined with the vac works better.

I have the electrolux and honestly, it does alright for the dog hair but it won't suck up a lot of heavier crumbs etc (kids!). I have to clean it out every 2 or 3 uses. The suction has seriously diminished over the 2 years we've had it. Perhaps the newer models have more? Ours looks identical but in red.

If you have a central vac system, do you have a kick pan ( not sure what they are called)? Many people install them in the toe kick by the sink. We installed ours near where the dog lays. Can't tell you how it works as we are still under construction. We installed this specifically for the dog hair in the kitchen.

Ya know.. when we were building our neighbors were putting one in. We thought they were CRAZY to spend the extra money to install one as was the builder. NOW we are literally kicking ourselves. They don't have a dog, and their children are the same exact ages as ours. In fact just the other day we were wondering if it is something that can still be installed. But definitely worth the added expense. ;p

We have a 'vac pan' in the kitchen and it is worth its weight in gold. So convenient just to sweep things up and right into the suction from the central vac (especially if you have central vac already). My husband installed it himself after we moved into our current house and I saw it advertised. Perfect for me as I am sloppy when I am cooking, chopping etc. We have a shih-tzu and his hair 'clumps' and is a prime target for the vac pan.

I've got a central vac and in my younger crazier days had 4 sons and 4 dogs .... don't ask which group was messier!

I have loved my old fashioned dust mop that swivels in all directions. I got it from the janitorial store 30 years ago and it's still going strong (I did get a new head once). I've got a lot of open flooring so I got a bigger one... about 2 feet long. For quick pickups without having to get out the vac hose, I just "drive" it around the house and then park it back in the mud room til I'm motivated to shake it out. Its washable though I only do that once in a blue moon.

I do wish I had the vac pans, but those will have to wait for the new house!

swiffer vac daily. Shop vac every few days. It's the price we pay and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The Meile products are fantastic. I can not recommend them
enough. I have boxers and dark wood floors.

I have a central vac and a thick carpet Hoover vac and
still the Meile works 100 times better.
Expensive? Yes, but worth every penny and they last forever.
My cousin tried to convince me to get a kirby but I know
my Miele rocks.

~boxerpups

We put and EyeVac under the kitchen sink and cut out the toe kick. It has a sensor that sucks up what you vacuum when it gets close. It can also be turned on manually when you sweep to it. No more pulling out the vac or dust pan. Works like a central vac system but is portable and affordable. With two dogs and two cats and wood floors, it's a dream come true.