shedding!!!!!

Question
i have a rat terrier that is almost 5 years old.  he is an absolute horrid shedder.  he is an inside dog and i know that in itself can play a role with not getting adjusted to the seasons.  he sheds constatnly and a tremendous amount.  i feed him purina beniful and i use a shedding blade on him quiet frequently.  i try and bathe him about once a month or when he decides he wants to roll in some stinky when i am not looking whe i take him out to potty.  he is a short haired dog anyway, but i didnt believe that that amount of hair could come out of a short haired dog.  i have read about trying the vacuum method, but that is not an option as his previous owner used to chase him with a vacuum and he is absolutley terrified of it when i bring it out to do the floors.  but i just ignore him with it and dont make notions toward him when using it.  i live in central illinois and i didnt know if that could be a factor also.  any tips or helpful advice would be more than welcome.  would shaving him down be an option?  please help...

Answer
Hello Meredith, You have asked the right person.  I deal with shedding all the time at my shop.  There are options that work!  Your first suggestion about shaving him would reduce the shedding some, they would just be shorter hairs and less noticiable.  Rather than that you can try one of these two shedding brushes.  A rubber brush, yes a rubber brush, to see a photo of it go to www.petedge.com and type in TP85083 as the product number.  This brush works best on dogs such as yours and others like boxers and pugs.  Then there is the Furminator, go to furminator.com to see this one, it is more expensive and works best on double coated dogs such as labs, shepards, huskies...  It's your decision, but I would try the rubber brush first.  Use it 2 to 3 times a week to control shedding.  You WILL see a difference.  Also use the brush when the dog is completely dry.  Good Luck and Thanks for asking, Cindy Lou :)