If you have ever owned a German Shepherd, you should already know it, if you just got yourself a puppy you’ll discover it soon enough. German Shepherds shed. A lot. All the time. Not twice a year, not once a month. Every day.
Obviously, it’s not a dog for allergic people, but even if you are not – you need to choose the best grooming brush for your dog to reduce the amount of hair flying around your house at least a little bit.
Shedding
First of all, you need to know that German Shepherd has two layered coat. The topcoat is long and slick – that’s the one you usually see.
The undercoat is thick and short or long, depending if your dog is generally long haired. This under layer is the one that makes almost all the shedding. Brushing it is essential for your German Shepherd health.
How Often Should to Brush?
When you groom the dog with the brush you not only removing shed hair, you also help it to get rid of the dead skin cells and to distribute the natural oils evenly throughout the coat.
This is extremely important for the health and general wellbeing of a German Shepherd. Well, the honest answer is – as often as you can, but at least once a week. Better 3-4 times a week. Even better – every day.
Brushes and Combs
How do you choose the brush for your dogs’ coat? First of all, don’t rush to the pet store straight away and look around, there might be some of the brushes you already have that you could use:
- Pin brush will be perfect for German Shepherds. The rounded up pins gently take out the dead hair that gets entangled in fur. Just be careful not to rub this brush too hard against the skin of the dog, it can cause an irritation.
- An old comb with wide teeth will be also good instrument to go under the top layer of the coat and reach the deeper thick fur.
Then, of course, it makes sense to buy at least one of the special pet brushes, the metal ones with the rake-like bristled. This will be your best help if the German Shepherd haven’t been groomed for a while or if the other brush cannot cope.
Finer Points
When you brush your dog, you need first brush with his fur grain and if this is fine, gently go against the grain, to loosen the hair trapped in undercoat. Change the direction several times to make sure your action has maximum efficiency. Be extra careful with young puppies, their skin is thin and sensitive and even gentle rub can be unpleasant for them.
How to Groom Your Dog at Home?
You should train your dog to take calmly this grooming session the same way you have to teach them to stand still during other hygiene procedures, such as cleaning their teeth. Don’t let them play with the brush, run away and take it as a game. It might be cute with a small puppy, but you don’t want to have this behavior in adult animal later.
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Hi,
Nice informative Page.
I don’t own a German Shepard, but do have a Cocker Spaniel and she’s a bloody nightmare to keep tidy.
I’d actually be interested in trying the Furminator on here to see if it helps.
Keep up the good work.
Jim Fox