Snowballs stuck in dog hair are a big problem for many dog owners right now and I can tell this because my top viewed post for February and January is 4 Ways To Combat Snowballs On Dog Paws.
I get it.
Snowballs stuck to your dog’s paws, legs and chest suck.
Not only do they make a mess on your floor but they also can be painful for dogs because they pull on their skin.
My go-to this year has been using a slicker brush to remove iceballs from Odin’s coat and it works to an extent.
Snowballs and iceballs are just something we with owners of long-haired dogs deal with in the winter and do the best that we can.
But, one creative Doodle owner has discovered a genius hack and shared it with the world.
Abby’s mom uses a whisk to EASILY remove snowballs from her legs and chest.
Who would have thought that this simple kitchen tool could be a game-changer for dogs and their owners in the winter?
It’s simply genius and I never would have thought about using this but I know millions of dog owners are happy that someone did.
The original post on Facebook has over 8 MILLION views and on Instagram, the video of Abby the Australian Labradoodle is at 7,740 views.
View this post on Instagram
But does this whisk hack really remove snowballs and ice balls from your dog’s hair?
After trying the wire whisk hack my conclusion is yes and no.
It ultimately comes down to the type of hair your dog has and the type of snow that sticks to them.
In my experience, using the wire whisk method to remove snowballs from my dog’s legs, chest and undercarriage worked pretty with ice balls rather than with wet snow.
This is probably due to a Newfie’s long hair versus a Doodle’s short curly hair.
This method makes a mess with heavy snow mixed with mud.
In fact, whatever wasn’t still stuck on the Newfies ended up on the wall.
My slicker brush did a better job removing the snow and mud and it was way less messy.
It also doesn’t work to remove snowballs from dog paws.
Regardless, it appears to work very well for dogs with curly or wavy coats such as Doodles and Spaniels and many dogs will enjoy a nice whisk massage!
Other Ways To Get Snow Out Of A Dog’s Fur
If the wire whisk hack doesn’t work out for your dog, there are a few more ways you can remove snow and ice from your dog’s hair such as:
- warm water
- hair dryer (if you’re not using a dog dryer make sure the heating setting is on low)
- slicker brush
- dog comb
- dog snowsuit
If you opt to use warm water, for small dogs it might be easier to do this in the bathtub or a bucket.
For bigger dogs you can use a washcloth dipped in lukewarm water.
Whatever way you choose, you’ll want to make sure that you’re not pulling the ice or snow off your dog because this can be painful.
You’ll also want to make sure that you use a dog brush or comb after removing snowballs to prevent any mats from forming.
If you do find a small dog mat, don’t worry, you can easily and painlessly remove small mats from a dog with a little bit of cornstarch.
Why Does Snow Clump On Dogs?
If you’re wondering why snow and ice tend to stick to your dog, the answer is pretty simple.
It’s because your dog’s body is warm and the snow is cold.
As your dog walks (or runs) through the snow, its hair picks up the snow.
The longer hair the dog has, the more snowballs they’re likely to get.
My Newfies definitely get more snowballs than the Corgi.
Richard Chiger
Tuesday 24th of January 2023
I have a sealyham terrier. He loves to roll over and over in the snow. He gets huge snow/ice balls stuck to his legs and undercarriage. We haven't tried a whisk yet, but we generally end up either using a hair dryer or putting him in the sink and washing them off with warm water.