How to Groom a German Shepherd

It is easy to see why the German Shepherd is sch a popular dog in households today. They are extremely intelligent beautiful and require minimum grooming. While German Shepherds are considered low maintenance dogs in regards to grooming, some grooming is still required to keep them looking beautiful and healthy. This article will give you an easy guide on how to groom your German Shepherd to minimize shedding and make your dog look beautiful.

Like many dogs the German Shepherd has a double layer coat. It has a course outer-coat and a soft thick undercoat which enables the German Shepherd to work in any climate. While this coat is beneficial to keeping the German Shepherd year long it means that the dog will she year round and particularly heavy during warm months.

Brushing

During cooler months your German Shepherd will only need to be brushed about once a week, however to keep shedding to a minimum during heavy shedding seasons you will need to brush your German shepherd dog many times a week. Note that if you have a long haired German Shepherd they will need to be brushed daily to keep their hair from becoming tangled and matted.

It is important to brush your German Shepherd puppy daily. Your puppy's fur does not need to be brushed daily for maintenance purposes but it is important to get your puppy accustomed to being brushed.

Bathing

As long as you brush your German Shepherd frequently they should only need a bath a few times a year. You should only bathe your Shepherd when they are dirty or begin to smell. It is important to note that German Shepherds dont have a natural love of water like other dogs such as Labradors so it is important to introduce your German Shepherd to water as a puppy so they do not develop a fear of water.

Like all other dogs you should only bathe your German Shepherd outside when it is warm and using warm water as they can become cold very easily. Also never use human shampoo on your pets as it strips the natural oils that protect your dog's fur and skin, always use a dog safe shampoo.

You should brush your German Shepherd's teeth regularly as part of their grooming routine. Brushing your German Shepherd's teeth once a week will help prevent tartar from building up, bad breath and future dental pain. Bushing your dogs teeth will also help keep their teeth looking white and their gums looking healthy. If tartar does start to build up on your dog's teeth you can take your pet to a veterinarian to get a professional deep cleaning of their teeth.

It is extremely to start brushing your dog's teeth when they are a puppy. If you start brushing your dogs teeth as an adult dog they may put up more resistance than if you acclimate them to the process as a puppy.

Take note that only dog toothpaste and dog toothbrushes should be used on your pet. Human oral care products may make your dog sick or even cause poisoning depending on the product.

Caring for your dogs nails is very important. As long as your German Shepherd is active their nails should remain naturally short. If your dogs nails do begin to grow a bit long it is important that you cut their nails. If you allow your dog's nails to become to long it can become painful. You should be able to cut your dog's nails yourself, however if you find this difficult or are unwilling to do it a vet or groomer would be more than happy to for a reasonable price.