How To Groom A German Shepherd

by Jan Ryan

Even if you don’t bath your German Shepherd often, regular grooming is essential. By maintaining proper grooming procedures you can reduce your dog’s chance of having skin problems while keeping the coat shiny. It is best to maintain grooming every night, but first do eight to twelve weeks of moderate grooming. To manage the double coat present on a German Shepherd it is best to comb at least twice a week.

During the shedding season the normal shedding of a German Shepherd becomes much worse so you should consider using a shedding blade or similar tool since you will need proper training before you can use a shedding blade. When grooming your German Shepherd you should use a metal rake to take out the mats in the undercoat around the neck, chest and thigh areas. After bathing it is best to use a modern high velocity dryer to remove excess water instead of the hand fluff method. Always go in the direction of hair growth when you are brushing your dog.

When grooming your German Shepherd you may also want to consider a haircut. Using a quality pair of scissors you can remove the long hairs you find under the feet and any nearby stray hairs. If you want your dog to have a fluffier or fuller looking coat then you should brush in the opposite direction of growth and then do a light brushing in the direction of hair growth, but never clip for cosmetic reasons.

An alternative to the haircut is to use thinning shears to give the dog an overall neater appearance. Selective thinning is a good way to make your German Shepherd look heavier boned. Grooming isn’t just limited to the coat because you also need to focus on the toenails, ears and teeth. While brushing be sure to check the nails and trim them regularly as needed in order to avoid split or broken nails that will occur when they are left unattended and grow too long.

By grooming your German Shepherd you are evenly distributing the oils in the fur which can help prevent matting and tangles. It will also keep the dog looking neat by removing the dead skin cells and loose hair that can clog the coat. While grooming, be very careful not to cut or scratch the dog’s skin.

Just make sure you don’t cut or scratch the dog’s skin when grooming. So you don’t miss any parts of your dog’s coat it is best to use a combination of brushes and brush heads.

Because German Shepherd’s can be easily affected by wheat or other allergies you should carefully select the right dog shampoo. One option is oatmeal shampoo but you will have to bathe the dog more often since it leads to a faster buildup of material.

If you don’t have to worry about fleas then a shampoo with aloe is a good idea. By constantly using proper grooming techniques you can keep your German Shepherd looking well-groomed all the time

About the Author:

Jan Ryan is a passionate lover of the German Shepherd and has a popular website that can teach you how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved German Shepherd. Among other topics at this website, you will find out more about German Shepherd coats plus a whole lot more.

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