I have 2 long haired dogs that shed a lot, I was amazed at how much dog hair this vacuum picked up! We live in a rural area with a lot of dirt and dust flying around. Again I was amazed at all the dirt that collected at the bottom of the dust container! I really like the fact that I don't have to buy expensive vacuum bags anymore. I like that the vacuum is very light and easy to maneuver around/under the furniture. The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the hose is very short, it does not extend very far, it doesn't have padded corners so trying not to run into the furniture with out banging into it is a challenge. It is a little bit messy when you go to empty the dirt from the container into the trash, for some reason the easy empty bottom does not always open easily. All in all I am very happy with this vacuum, it works wonderfully picking up dog hair and dust!