I have the Dyson Animal...been using it for about 2 yrs, and I love it
It really gets the dog hair and dander up well....picks up larger dirt, crumbs, etc well too. The canister is super easy to empty with a trigger and there are no filters to replace (there is one foam filter on the side that is washable, the main filter in the center I have my DH blow out with an air compressor to get it clean).
Plenty of cord length, the attachment hose is long enough for me to do my stairs without dragging the vacuum with me at all. It came with several attachments, as well as a carpet cleaning attachment that is used with a powdery cleaner (I havent used the attachment nor the cleaner that came with it).
I use my vacuum every other day, I have two dogs (one is a sheltie, quite long hair), and it has never given me any trouble at all.
I did get a really good deal on it online at Target.com (on sale, plus I got a $50 Target giftcard with the purchase), so shop around in B&M stores, plus online, to find a great deal!
HTH!
Joy