Originally bred for herding and now often chosen to be police dogs, the German Shepherd are renowned for their courage, loyalty, intelligence and for how well they take to training. However, their abundance of thick hair can often require a lot of care; here’s our guide on how best to look after it.
German Shepherds have such beautifully thick coats that they without a doubt need to be well-groomed regularly. Not only this, the German Shepherd is a double-coated breed which means that’s double the layers to take care of. The undercoat, plush layer of their fur is a thick layer, whilst the outer layer is harsher to keep them protected from all of the elements. Shop our double-coat bathing products here.
Your German Shepherd should be brushed 3-4 times a week, eradicating any loose, dead hairs and keeping the fur soft and shiny. Like other breeds, you should be careful of overbathing your German Shepherd, too many baths can cause dry, irritated skin which leaves them exposed to other health issues. With the German Shepherd breed you should also be checking their paws and claws at least once a week, otherwise you could be leaving your pup prone to injury.
Yes, your German Shepherd will need regular bathing. This is often only necessary every few months, for a dog that has healthy skin and a healthy coat. Overbathing can strip your pup’s double coat of all its natural oils, leaving it dry and coarse.
The best brush for a German Shepherd is the FURminator DeShedding Edge Brush; available in a range of sizes, for dogs with both long and short hair, this brush can remove the long, loose hairs in your dog’s undercoat without causing any damage to the topcoat or your German Shepherd’s skin.
Start by making sure your German Shepherd is comfortable, get them to lay down without their collar. From their neck take a slick brush and run it down the course of its back, all the way to their tail, in the direction that his coat grows. Repeat this until little to no hair is shedding through the bristles. Move then to the pup’s hips, then to the tail. Get your German Shepherd to roll on their side, brush their belly gently only ever going with the grain. Complete by slowly running the brush through the pup’s leg fur. Interweave these regular brushes with a more indepth, intense deshedding brush to make sure you leave no loose hairs on their undercoat that could matt and cause them problems.
German Shepherds shed all year round and it can be difficult to know how to control it. Other than the typical way of making sure your dog is on the right diet, proper dog grooming is key to reducing how much your German Shepherd sheds. With regular coat brushing, the use of a de-shedding tool, and the right amount of bathing, your dog’s fur should be well cared for and less likely to cover your house in loose hair.
German Shepherds have a double coat and shed all year around. This means they should use specific grooming products catered for double coats. Twice throughout the year, German Shepherds shed their undercoat which makes the amount they shed increase massively. This happens once in the Spring months and one in the Autumnal months.
The only reason you should ever shave your German Shepherd’s fur is for medical reasons. Shaving can mess entirely with their body’s temperature regulations, causing health problems with their undercoat, skin, and overall well-being.
