Like so many of you, my wife and I are meticulous shoppers. Whether it be online or in-person, we tend to put a lot of research into the things we purchase so that we know we're putting our hard-earned money on the proper products. There are so many options for even basic items like leashes and collars that it's easy to get lost in what we're buying.

We will be writing reviews as we purchase and use these items ourselves. As you do your research for products you're planning to buy, our goal is to add another layer to that research.

This week, we're sharing one of the best kept secrets that we recently stumbled upon. As owners of a dog that sheds as much as Markus does, we're always looking out for tools that could help us get through the shedding season faster and reduce the amount of fur that we get indoors. About a year ago, we did a review on FURminator's deShedding Tool and it's been serviceable, but we struggle to get through sessions with Markus. We were recently introduced to the SleekEZ Grooming Tool and it has quickly become our new go-to tool for deshedding.

The SleekEZ Grooming Tool is a brush that was originally made for horses and is now making its way around dog circles because of its effectiveness and reasonable cost. Today SleekEZ sells smaller versions of their original tool for pet owners to use on their dogs or cats and it's proving to be extremely effective. More importantly, with the SleekEZ grooming tool, we're able to get through sessions with Markus without him getting irritated.

The tool is very simple, but effective. It comes in an oval wooden block with a blade on one end. The teeth on the blade look like the blades that you would find on a saw, but much finer and not as sharp. The block feels nice to hold in your hand and because it's lightweight, it's a lot easier to handle than the FURminator deShedding Tool. At its price point, the SleekEZ Grooming Tool is hard to beat because of its simplicity.

We're not sure if this is true or if it's something we made up within our circles, but it feels as though there are in fact two sides to the tool. SleekEZ doesn't seem to actively promote this, but since the teeth on the blade face one direction, we find that using the tool upside down gives different results.

When we're working on Markus' body where the fur is not as long, we like to have the block right side up with the teeth facing us. For grooming around his neck area which tends to be a lot floofier, we like to have it upside down so the teeth are pointed away from us. We don't know if this actually does anything or it's all in our heads, but it seems to work for us. Since this is a deshedding tool, the type of fur that we brush out tend to be thinner and has a bit of static. As we're brushing, the fur tends to collect on his body and then we use our hands to get the fur off him.

Since this season's shedding has already begun, we've been using the tool consistently with Markus. We find that with this tool, we haven't had to groom him as often, but I should mention that with our previous tools, we were grooming him every two or three days. We're able to go an extra day or two in between sessions now, which adds up pretty quickly. 

We're finding that Markus seems to prefer this tool as well. He generally doesn't mind getting brushed, but he seems let us go longer with this one. With the FURminator deShedding Tool, we were afraid to apply too much pressure because we found that the tool can sometimes tug and Markus starts become irritated. The SleekEZ Grooming Tool feels easier to use and brushes down Markus' body a lot smoother than the other tool.

If there was ever a way for us to listen to what our dogs are saying, we believe that Markus would tell us he'd prefer the SleekEZ Grooming Tool. It is simple, highly effective and at its price point, it's hard to beat. Markus seems a lot more comfortable with this tool and that's the most important thing for us. Whether your dog sheds a little or a lot, we highly recommend picking one up before the next shedding season begins!

We’re so grateful for your support of The Markus Project. We mostly choose our locations through searching and word of mouth. If you know of a park, trail or location you think we should check out, please share it with us. We’d love to know!