How To Groom Your German Shepherd At Home
Grooming double-coated dogs like German Shepherds can be quiet a challenge than their single-coated counterparts. So how to groom your German Shepherds at home? Do the following:
What Affects German Shepherd Shedding
Even though German Shepherds shed throughout the entire year, there are factors that can influence the amount they shed. Some of these factors are out of your control, but its still good to be aware of them and do what you can to minimize your dogs shedding. Less fur around the house can make both you and your dog happier.
German Shepherd Coat Care And Grooming Tips
Sam Shephard is an experienced German Shepherd owner and has learned throughout the years how to optimize the breed’s health and wellness.
Theres no question that German Shepherds are beautiful dogs. In fact, many people think that theyre the most beautiful dogs on the planet! They have a rich and interesting history, are great for all sorts of people, and are fun to be around.
One thing thats important for any German Shepherd owner to know is how to take care of their fur. They have thick, luscious coats and are known for shedding, but this can be minimized if you know how to take care of them!
Today were going to talk about German Shepherds and give you some advice on how you can care for their beautiful hair.
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German Shepherds The Family Dog
Today German shepherds are one of the most famous dog breeds. ;They are known for being extremely loyal family dogs who make great guard dogs and protectors. German Shepherds love children and generally get along well with other animals too! The GSD is intelligent, independent, and courageous. However this is not a dog who will do well living in the yard by themselves, they are excellent people dogs and need to be with their families in order to thrive!
German Shepherds require lots of attention from their families and give great loyalty and affection in return. They can make exceptional guard dogs, and while they may not bark often this is not an issue because their growl is pretty intimidating!
What If My Breed Is A German Shepherd Mix
Over the years, this popular breed has become a favorite choice for designer dog breeders. Today you can find several German shepherd mixes. Because a mix takes on the traits of both parents, theres no guarantee what characteristics the offspring will inherit, so its important you research the parent breeds to understand the potential characteristics your mixed pup might possess.
Here are some popular German shepherd breed mixes:
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Are German Shepherds Good With Children
As we recommend with any type of dog, slowly introduce your German shepherd to children, especially if the dog is new to being around youngsters. This breed can weigh between 50 to 90 pounds, so even the most gentle, protective shepherd can easily topple a child. Never leave dogs alone with babies, toddlers, and small children.
Otherwise, yes, the German shepherd dog breed gets high marks for being a kid-friendly dog! They are fun, playful, super smart and protective.
How To Groom A German Shepherd At Home
Imagine learning how to groom a German Shepherd at home that makes your neighbors jealous and saves your money.
You can get professional grooming from the comfort of your home when you know the right tips and have the best grooming tools for your German Shepherd.
Here is the easiest routine to give you professional quality results thatll save you time and make your neighbors envy your talents.
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Shedding Tools For Home Grooming
Since your breed is an excessive shedder, youll need a shedding tool to keep your house clean and their skin healthy.
One of the best shedding tools on the market is the Furminator De-Shedding Tool for Dogs.
Use the Furminator De-Shedding Tool every month to help decrease shedding in your home. The soft-grip handle ensures your comfort is in mind, while the easy eject button makes removing your dogs fur from the brush a breeze.
The Furminator brand claims to reduce shedding by hair loss up to 90% with regular use!
Looking to decrease shedding?
Youll love all the easy tips in this article, 21 German Shepherd Shedding Solutions to keep your house cleaner and your dog healthier.
Are German Shepherds Easy To Potty Train
Being the German Shepherds recognized for being easy and fast to train makes potty training relatively simple.
For the training process to be successful, the secret is to be consistent, patient, and dedicate enough time to it.
When you live in an apartment you have to teach your dog to go to the bathroom outside.;
For this its necessary:
- Choose an area near the apartment that is preferably a grass surface. Dogs develop a preference for doing their thing on certain surfaces.
- At first, you have to frequently take your dog outside to the designated area to go to the bathroom. Puppies need to go to the bathroom every one to two hours.
- Every time your dog successfully goes to the bathroom in the designated area, praise and give him a delicious treat. Slowly your dog will understand where he should go.
- Accidents are inevitable. When you find your dog red-handed doing his things, immediately take him out to the designated place and let him finish there. Praise and reward him when he is done.
- When you find an accident in your apartment, there is no point in scolding him since he will not relate the accident to scolding. Just try to clean the area well with an enzymatic cleaner so that there is no trace of odor.
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Pin And Bristle Double
The double-sided pin and bristle brush gives your dog a smooth, shiny coat and removes loose fur sitting on your dogs outercoat.
One side of the tool is a soft-bristle brush. On the other side is a mat of plastic-tipped pins.
The double-sided pin and bristle brushes are handy. They save you the expense of buying a separate soft-bristled and pin brush.
The JW Gripsoft Double-Sided Brush is furnished with a rubber-sheathed handle design to offer you ultimate comfort and precision when grooming both larger and smaller areas on your dog.
Gently use the pin side of the brush to get rid of loose undercoat or debris, such as twigs, leaves, or dirt. The soft brush side is then used to remove any shedding hair from the top of the coat and leaves the fur with a lovely shine by distributing the natural oils in your dogs coat.
Snow Flakes Are Okay Skin Flakes Are Bad
Like most breeds, your German Shepherd Dogs skin produces natural oil that moisturizes their skin. Global K9 Protection Services, a company that specializes in training Shepherds, recommends not bathing GSDs too often to avoid drying out their skin. Dry skin can lead to itchiness, redness, and hot spots that they can start chewing.
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How Do You Cut A German Shepherds Coat
Not all breeds of dogs are the same. You need to consider what is good for your German Shepherd. And the main factor to consider is that they are a double-coated breed of dog. The growth of their topcoat and undercoat vary. The topcoat protects your German Shepherd from dirt and sun exposure, while the undercoat protects from the cold.
Now, there are two main reasons for cutting a German Shepherds coat: give relief to them during the hot months of summer, and to control your german shepherds shedding. Read more about how to control the shedding and how to properly trim a German Shepherds coat.
How To Stop German Shepherd From Barking
To ensure your dog training is successful, you need to exercise your German shepherd regularly. This is a high-energy breed that needs more exercise and play than most breeds. A regular routine of both physical exercise and mental stimulation will leave him less likely to react to triggers that make them bark.
Training any dog to do anything requires patience, time, and consistency.
Need help with your German shepherd puppys barking? This article will help you understand how to curtail puppy barking at night. And this post, will help you discover ways to control puppy barking without using a bark collar.
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How Often Should You Brush A German Shepherd
Are you meeting your German Shepherds brushing needs?
Brush your dog at least 3 to 4 times a week for 10 minutes each session. During the coat blowing season in spring and fall, daily brushing of at least 10 to 15 minutes is preferred. At each brushing, make sure you pay special attention to areas prone to clumping, like under the belly, the back of the legs, the length of the tail, and behind their ears. You can brush your German Shepherd puppy every other day with a gentle brushing glove that introduces them to grooming.
A GSD is a double-coated breed that needs routine grooming. If your dog is very active and outdoors a lot, make sure you brush more regularly, especially after swimming or running through trails and tall grass.
Follow these 3 German Shepherd brushing tips to decrease shedding and help your dog stay healthy:
- brush regularly
- brush for a set time to get your dog used to grooming
- choose the right tools for brushing that are gentle
Youll also want to keep your dog on a set brushing schedule to maintain their coat health. Heres a good schedule for you and your dog.
How To Brush A German Shepherd
Do you want to learn how to brush a German Shepherd so professionally that compliments rain down on your skills?
Ill let you in on the easiest brushing tips and show you the simple tools to ensure your German Shepherd looks like hes show quality ready and picture-perfect
Even if you own a German Shepherd puppy!
All without breaking your bank or stressing either of you out.
Lets get right into the only brushing how-to guide youll ever need for your German Shepherds grooming.
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Get A Tool Designed For German Shepherds
The best way to groom your German Shepherd is with a de-shedding tool designed specifically for German Shepherds. These tools take your German Shepherds thick undercoat into account and dig out any loose hairs that otherwise would find themselves scattered across the floor in your home.
You need to pick a comb or brush tool that will reach all the way through your German Shepherds fur and be able to latch onto any hair that might just be sitting there. They are ideal to use when your dog is blowing his coat.
I use the FURminator undercoat de-shedding tool from Amazon. It really does a good job by removing all the dead and loose hair as it;reaches through your GSDs topcoat without cutting his skin or damaging the outer coat. You can get this tool from any good pet store, and there are a ton of 5-star reviews that you can read on Amazon if you prefer online shopping.
Check out this video below showing an elderly German Shepherd being de-shedded, also with the FURminator tool. This dog hadnt been de-shedded or brushed for around 6 months! Theres enough fur to make a woolly sweater!
Brushing Your German Shepherd Dog
Well-groomed dogs are healthy, happy, and active dogs. German Shepherd Dogs shed hair around the year in a moderate quantity, but the real shedding season hits twice a year.
Brushing really helps in removing dirt or any dead hair so new hair can come in its place and of course, the fur gets healthier and shinier. Moreover, as the hair follicles are exercised, more blood is circulated.
When brushing your German shepherd, if you havent brushed its coat in a long while, the fur will become matted over time, this will cause your dog shedding a lot;of furs.
To get started, detangle your dogs coat, especially if your German shepherd is long-haired. You can easily do that by using a conditioner specified for dog coats.
Next, you need to look out for the loose undercoat, the way you do it is by brushing your dog started directly from the head and extending it towards the tail. Make sure you brush carefully. Pin brushes are effective in removing loose undercoat which is unattended by the brushed. Use a brush with soft bristles.
As for you, if your German Shepherds fur keeps getting stuck in your vacuum cleaner, you will need to maintain it often, and of course, clean it. Always remember the more well-groomed your dog is, the healthier he will be!
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Start Brushing With The Undercoat Rake From The Back And Hindquarters
Starting from the back of your GSD helps anxious dogs to remain calm. Go over the body areas a few times with longer, lighter strokes.
Brush through the feathers on the back of his legs, the thick coat around his neck , and on his back legs and the long hairs of his tail.
Did you know that most of your German Shepherds shedding when they blow their coats come from the undercoat of their fur?
So, you want to remove as much loose fur and dirt as possible with the undercoat rake brush during the seasons they blow their coats. Doing this first step is paramount to grooming your German Shepherd and keeping their fur and skin healthy.
The Benefits Of Regular Dog Grooming
There are at least three major benefits that your dog can get from getting groomed regularly:
- It keeps your dogs coat look sleek and shiny, preventing all the mats and tangles from your dogs coat.
- It helps to detect early health issues and skin problems before you know they exist.
- It helps to manage your dogs shedding.
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How Well Do German Shepherds Respond To Service Dog Training
There is one thing that most experts can agree on, all dogs regardless of breed can be trained.
However, as established, service dogs need to learn specific and complex skills. And this isnt something that every pooch can do.
Thus, this begs the question, are German Shepherds a little better at learning these skills than many other breeds? Dr. Jennifer Coates, DVM, who serves on the advisory board for Pup Life Today has some insight into this.
German Shepherds who come for working lines of dogs may have an advantage over dogs who have simply been bred for their looks. Working dogs of all sorts need to combine obedience with independent thought, a concept known as intelligent disobedience in the guide dog community.
For example, a service dog who is told to perform an action should refuse if that action would be too dangerous. Service dogs have to be clever to balance these competing demands.
Essentially, there is no guarantee that all German Shepherds are equally well-equipped to learn tasks specific to service dogs.
Simultaneously, as long as your pup is from the right bloodline, they may just be able to master complex tasks a little better than other breeds.
Are German Shepherds High Maintenance
If you are considering adopting a German Shepherd you may be wondering how much of your time and energy one will require. German Shepherds arent the lowest maintenance breed out there, but they dont need as much as some other breeds.
Are German Shepherds High Maintenance? Although German Shepherds are fairly low maintenance in regards to haircuts, working off leash, and encouraging obedience, this breed can be high maintenance in terms of shedding, activity requirements, and separation anxiety.
Learn everything that you need to know about how high maintenance German Shepherds are and what you need to know about maintaining them, including their grooming, training, and health.
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Do German Shepherds Need A Lot Of Exercise
German Shepherds are working dogs with high energy.
They are dogs that need around two hours of exercise daily. When a German Shepherd doesnt have enough exercise he tends to become somewhat destructive and develop behavioral problems.
Also, keep in mind that by being very intelligent dogs its essential to keep them mentally stimulated.
Daily walks are important to a German Shepherd not just because of the exercise it provides. Taking a walk also helps keep them mentally stimulated through the variety of smells, sights, and sounds they encounter on their way.
A German Shepherd needs around two hours of exercise daily.
The most recommended for a German Shepherd is to have a couple of walks between 45 to 60 minutes daily.
A daily routine helps dogs a lot. Its worth trying to take them for walks around the same time each day.
Its always recommended to have several short walks daily rather than a very long walk a week.
Being extremely active dogs its advisable to provide them with high energy activities.
If you like running, hiking, or biking, the German Shepherds are great companions for this type of activity.
They are dogs with a lot of endurance and can travel long distances. You just have to take care to gradually increase the intensity and distance of these activities to prevent any injury.