I really love my 2 shelties, but I'm so tired of the hair! Anyone have any tips on cleaning up the hair, grooming the dogs, or preventing the shedding in the first place?

I don't brush the dogs as often as I probably should, but every time I do, I get enough hair out of each of them to fill a plastic grocery sack. I brush them as long as they'll let me without getting too annoyed, but if you run your hand over them, more hair keeps coming off. Even when they're brushed regularly, there are dog hair tumbleweeds in the house. I sweep/vacuum twice a week and it's just not enough.

Would bathing the dogs help, or would it dry their skin and make the shedding worse? I hope I don't ick anyone out, but I only bathe the dogs if they roll in something or get muddy. They get a bath maybe twice a year.

I have noticed that their skin is pretty flaky. Could this add to the shedding? And could it be caused by their food? The vet suggested the Iams Adult formula for weight control, since they're both a little pudgy.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm tired of saying I'm not buying a new carpet/rug/comforter... whatever until the dogs die :o

Twice a year, when my goldens "blow" their coats, I take them to the groomers. They spend way more time than I have patience for getting all the loose hair out. It costs $45, but it definitely makes a difference.

Otherwise, I would just say brush more frequently, and maybe bathe every month or two. You don't want to do it too often, b/c that will dry the skin out. I usually bathe mine every 8-10 weeks.