The Best Dyson Vacuum for Cleaning Up After Dogs

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Thurber
Published on
August 7th, 2019

Expert BioExpert Bio

Ben has over a decade of experience in cleaning projects of all types along the entire eastern seaboard of the United States. Ben’s formal training and certifications in cleaning include the AMRT (Applied Microbial Remediation Technician), WRT (Water restoration technician), CCT (Carpet Cleaning technician), as well as several other certifications from the IICRC. Ben has managed teams involved in cleaning projects around the United States. Ben’s passion for cleaning and leading teams goes back as far as he can remember.

The Cleaning Institute

Dyson is a highly respected and recommended brand in the world of home appliances. It’s every dog owner’s dream to own Dyson vacuums for their intense suction power that makes cleaning a breeze.

What makes them so expensive, you ask? Well, you know how they say “you get what you pay for”? That applies to Dyson vacuums. Aside from using state-of-the-art technology, they also use the best and most advanced motor parts for their vacuums and they take it a step further by using only the strongest and most durable materials to ensure that their appliances are not only powerful but durable as well.

Testing multiple Dyson vacuums to find the best one can be quite impractical and expensive. Lucky for you, we were also curious to find out which model is the best, so we went ahead and tested three of the most highly recommended ones for dog parents to see which packs the most power. We ended up loving the Dyson Animal Ball 2 Upright Vacuum Cleaner the most because of its sleek look and serious suction power. We loved the Dyson Multi Floor 2 Upright Vacuum Cleaner as well because it was super easy to use and maneuver around the house. Low on budget? We understand that not everyone can afford a Dyson vacuum so we went looking for an alternative and found the Tineco A10 Hero Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner. It’s more affordable but it’s still comparable to the Dyson units we tested.

Testing Categories

Power: In terms of power, our primary concern was how much area the vacuum could clean in a relatively short amount of time. A vacuum that does not have any power will not be able to effectively clean dog fur off of your floors and is not worth your time or money.

Because we feel so strongly about not recommending people inefficient products, we weighed this category more significantly than the other two.

Durability: A vacuum that is not durable is not going to be of much use to anyone. If we felt like the product was poorly constructed or stopped working after a few trials, we made note of it in our review.

Ease of Use: Vacuuming is enough work already as it is – the last thing people need is to be lugging around a 40-pound machine to every different room in their house. If the vacuum was bulky or otherwise not ergonomic, we lowered the score for that product in this category.

Top Pick

Dyson Upright Vacuum
Cleaner, Ball
Animal 2, Iron/Purple

An upright vacuum is the most common type of vacuum that you’ll see in most homes. These types of vacuums, though big and bulky, usually have the strongest suction power which makes them a top choice for cleaning up big messes your dog carries inside.

Price Check

One of Dyson’s most popular vacuums and our top choice is the Dyson Upright Vacuum Cleaner, Ball Animal 2. This amazing vacuum can clean out the thickest, fluffiest carpets and leave it spotless, thanks to its self-adjusting cleaner head that seals the suction shut so no air escapes and every single dirt, dust, and crumb gets sucked into the vacuum. While we’re extremely impressed with how clean it left our carpets, we can’t help but notice how well it did on tiles and hardwood floors as well. This Dyson vacuum also uses ball technology. Simply turn your wrist to the direction you want to vacuum and you’re there; no need to lift, drag, and tug! This allowed us to get to the corners of every room with ease and with less effort. We love the attachments that come with the Dyson Upright Vacuum Cleaner, Ball Animal 2. There’s one for the stairs that lets you vacuum with your hands instead of trying to maneuver the big, bulky appliance on your stairs and then there’s the combination tool. This one turned out to be our favorite attachment because it allowed us to clean and vacuum hard-to-reach areas like those underneath the couch, behind furniture, and on top of tall cabinets.

Most notable upside: The real winning feature of this vacuum is the one-click dirt dump. We love that the process for emptying the dirt bin was quick and mess-free and didn’t need further intervention other than a push of a button.

Biggest downsides: It’s a challenge to keep it in the upright position. There doesn’t seem to be a lock for keeping it upright so it often falls down when you’re not holding the appliance in an upright position.

Honorable Mention

Dyson Ball Multi
Floor 2 Upright
Vacuum Cleaner

The Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2 Upright Vacuum Cleaner is one of the best Dyson vacuums we’ve tried so far. We love that this vacuum has strong suction power and that, like our top pick, it does an amazing job at cleaning dirt and dog fur off of carpets, tiles, and hardwood floors.

Price Check

This vacuum cleaner also comes with accessories and attachments that make cleaning easier such as the instant-release wand that lets you get into tight spaces where you’d usually have a hard time cleaning. It also uses ball technology which lets you maneuver your cleaning machine to any direction with ease and it uses Radial Root Cyclone technology that not only captures dirt but also microscopic dust, leaving your home 100% clean and safe.

Most notable upside: While extremely powerful, the Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2 Upright Vacuum Cleaner is incredibly and surprisingly light. We didn’t feel as tired cleaning the entire house using this product as compared to a normal vacuum.

Biggest downsides: It’s quite difficult to use on carpets with taller, plusher carpets because of the strong suction that may pull in too many fibers and destroy the carpet.

Budget Pick

Tineco A10 Hero
Cordless Stick
Vacuum Cleaner

Not everyone can afford a Dyson and not everyone wants one. If you think Dyson is overrated, too much for your simple needs, or if you just don’t have the budget for it yet but you need something to help you get your home dander-free and in tiptop shape now, then the Tineco A10 Hero Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner might just be what you’re looking for

Price Check

At only 2.78 lbs, this one’s pleasantly light and easy to maneuver. We love that we didn’t have to break a sweat vacuuming around the house like we used to. It’s quiet so you can get your vacuuming done in the morning while everyone else is still asleep, too. It’s got a four-stage fully sealed filtration system so you can rest assured that whatever dirt and dust goes in stays in the dust bin until you’re ready to dump it. The Tineco A10 Hero Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner features a switch that conveniently lets you go back and forth between continuous power mode and trigger so you control how much energy you’re using, depending on the task at hand.

Most notable upside: This vacuum is cordless, so it’s really easy to take the vacuum to different areas around the home without having to worry about where to plug it in. It\'s especially handy if you\'re being followed by a playful puppy who likes to play with cords.

Biggest downsides: The battery doesn’t last long enough to do continuous power mode for anything larger than a small space.

All Our Picks

Top Pick

Dyson Upright Vacuum
Cleaner, Ball
Animal 2, Iron/Purple

An upright vacuum is the most common type of vacuum that you’ll see in most homes. These types of vacuums, though big and bulky, usually have the strongest suction power which makes them a top choice for cleaning up big messes your dog carries inside.

Price Check

Honorable Mention

Dyson Ball Multi
Floor 2 Upright
Vacuum Cleaner

The Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2 Upright Vacuum Cleaner is one of the best Dyson vacuums we’ve tried so far. We love that this vacuum has strong suction power and that, like our top pick, it does an amazing job at cleaning dirt and dog fur off of carpets, tiles, and hardwood floors.

Price Check

Budget Pick

Tineco A10 Hero
Cordless Stick
Vacuum Cleaner

Not everyone can afford a Dyson and not everyone wants one. If you think Dyson is overrated, too much for your simple needs, or if you just don’t have the budget for it yet but you need something to help you get your home dander-free and in tiptop shape now, then the Tineco A10 Hero Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner might just be what you’re looking for

Price Check

How to Choose the Best Vacuum

There are several things you should look for in a vacuum if you want to select the best one for cleaning up after your dog. Aside from the usual specs and features, we’ve also taken a few other factors into consideration when we tested out the three vacuums above.

Suction power is, of course, the most important aspect to consider when buying a vacuum cleaner. You’ll want a cleaning machine that will not only be able to pick up big chunks of dirt your dog will drag in, but also the smallest particles of dust and fur as well.

A noisy vacuum doesn’t necessarily equate a strong vacuum, so look for one that’s as quiet as possible instead. This will allow you to vacuum whenever you want without startling your dog.

Another thing that we looked for when picking the best vacuum was the overall look and feel of the machine. You’ll want to go with something that’s heavy enough so that it feels like the manufacturers used high-quality materials, but nothing so heavy that it causes sore muscles after a day of cleaning the entire house.

Tips to Make Your Vacuum Last Longer

Everyone loves a good vacuum when it’s new and traps every little bit of dirt and pet fur, but as you keep using your vacuum, you’ll notice that the suction power degrades over time. Fortunately, you can do something about this and get your vacuum running like new again.

The first thing you need to do is unclog your hose. A hose clogged with chunks of fur can affect your vacuum’s suction power so make sure it’s clear at all times, especially before you start vacuuming. Replacing the filter on your vacuum can help keep the hose clear, so keep an eye on yours and wash or replace it after every few uses.

Getting rid of dust, dirt, and fur buildup is also a great way to ensure that your vacuum lasts a long time, especially if you have pets that shed. Check the belt and the brush roll and, if you have access to it, the motor compartment to make sure it’s free of any kind of build up.

Lastly, do not vacuum anything that too hard, big, or pointy. If you can sweep it with a broom or pick it up with your hands, do it and don’t let the vacuum touch it! Things such as nails, screws, coins, rocks, and more all cause damage to your vacuum and shouldn’t be picked up with one unless there’s no other way to reach them.

Be sure to give your vacuum a good cleaning every once in a while and check it for cracks, dents, and exposed wires to avoid possible accidents that could ruin your machine.

The Best Dyson Vacuum for Cleaning Up After Dogs

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Thurber

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

Dyson Upright Vacuum
Cleaner, Ball
Animal 2, Iron/Purple

Dyson Ball Multi
Floor 2 Upright
Vacuum Cleaner

Tineco A10 Hero
Cordless Stick
Vacuum Cleaner

All Our Picks

Dyson Upright Vacuum
Cleaner, Ball
Animal 2, Iron/Purple

Dyson Ball Multi
Floor 2 Upright
Vacuum Cleaner

Tineco A10 Hero
Cordless Stick
Vacuum Cleaner

How to Choose the Best Vacuum

Tips to Make Your Vacuum Last Longer

Quick Links

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The Best Dyson Vacuum for Cleaning Up After Dogs

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Thurber

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

Dyson Upright Vacuum Cleaner, Ball Animal 2, Iron/Purple

Dyson Ball MultiFloor 2 Upright Vacuum Cleaner

Tineco A10 Hero Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

All Our Picks

Dyson Upright Vacuum Cleaner, Ball Animal 2, Iron/Purple

Dyson Ball MultiFloor 2 Upright Vacuum Cleaner

Tineco A10 Hero Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

How to Choose the Best Vacuum

Tips to Make Your Vacuum Last Longer

Quick Links

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Dyson Upright Vacuum
Cleaner, Ball
Animal 2, Iron/Purple

Dyson Ball Multi
Floor 2 Upright
Vacuum Cleaner

Tineco A10 Hero
Cordless Stick
Vacuum Cleaner

Dyson Upright Vacuum
Cleaner, Ball
Animal 2, Iron/Purple

Dyson Ball Multi
Floor 2 Upright
Vacuum Cleaner

Tineco A10 Hero
Cordless Stick
Vacuum Cleaner