Grooming a German Shepard: A Guide by the Professionals
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- by Adam
- 04 Apr 2025
- 0 Comments
A herding dog that originally emerged in Germany, the German Shepherd is courageous, intelligent, and confident. It stands 22-26 inches tall and weighs 50-90 lbs. The shepherd is usually a double-coated dog but has a variation, as it is also a single-coated type.
Physical traits: They have a broad head, a long square muzzle, almond-almond-shaped and large, erect, point, ed ears. A strong muscular build and straight back, they are tall and hence have a longer body. The legs and tail are plumed, meaning they have a feathered effect in the long hair variations. However, the tail never curls over the back.
Usually German Shepherds have a double coat that is supposed to protect them from harsh weather conditions. The common variation of this reed has a medium length coat that is water resistant. Spring and fall are the heavy shedding seasons and this is when your dog will require regular grooming.
| GERMAN SHEPARD COAT TYPE | CHARACTERISTICS | GROOMING NEEDS |
| Short to Medium |
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| Long with Undercoat |
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| Long without Undercoat |
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HOW TO GROOM A GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG?
First and foremost, you need to gather the right supplies for grooming your German Shepard, remember wrong tools can damage your dog’s coat and impact their overall health.
Tools required:
Chris Christensen Smart De-Shed Shampoo
Undercoat Rake
Slicker Brush
Nail Clippers
Ear Cleaning Solution (Vet recommended)
High-Velocity Dryer
| Grooming Process | Frequency |
| Bathing | Every 3-4 months unless very dirty |
| Brushing | 3-4 times a week, daily during the shedding season |
| Nail trimming | Every 3-4 weeks |
| Brushing teeth | 2-3 times a week |
| Ear cleaning | Once every week |
HOW TO BRUSH A GERMAN SHEPHERD
Start brushing your German Shepherd with a slicker brush, rub it down from the neck, and make your way toward the tail; this is the natural direction of hair growth. Keep stroking it until all the loose hair comes out and there's no hair coming out anymore. You may want to take little breaks as the dog is quite big and becomes restless with the time spent lying in one single position. The next step is to brush around the hips and then work your way toward the tail. Lastly, have the dog roll over and brush their belly and through the legs.
Your dog will shed excessively during the spring and autumn seasons. This is usually referred to as the 'blowing season'; this is when their coat transitions for the next weather. Other than that, if their diet is correct, you shouldn't have to worry about it. Either way, you must establish a good grooming routine for your Shepard early on. Of course, you will need to buy a vacuum cleaner because the hair loss is pretty excessive, and if you're grooming them at home, we highly advise you to separate a space for grooming them to avoid any inconvenience.
The best brush for a German Shepherd is a slicker brush, but along with that you will need a undercoat rake as well to make sure there is no matting there. If you don't groom very regularly during this time, your dog will end up shedding big clumps of undercoat all over their coat.
Start grooming your Shepherd as soon as it is eight weeks old.
HOW TO BATHE A GERMAN SHEPHERD
You don't have to bathe your German Shepherd too often because it tends to dry out their skin and hair. This breed can go a good amount of time between baths — three to four months to be exact, some even go as long as an year. But of course bathe them if they get dirty, or covered in dirt.
Bathing them with a Chris Christensen De-Shedding shampoo is a great solution to cope with their all year around loose hair. If the coat feels particularly dry you can use them conditioner from the same product range as well. Don't shampoo a dog's face, just wipe it down with a damp cloth or a wipe.
Their coat is water resistant so make sure you really get in the fur and clean it out thoroughly, trust us when we tell you that every dog enjoys a good massage.
Wrap them up in a towel post bathing and then dry them out with a high velocity dog hair dryer, with low noise settings so your dog doesn’t start fussing.
It is extremely essential to dry them up thoroughly otherwise their skin and hair can catch infections, mildew is another common occurrence in such a scenario. Blow your German Shepherd's hair 3-4 times a week to minimize shedding.
HOW TO TRIM A GERMAN SHEPHERD
The only areas your dog will require trimming is under their paws and light trimming on their ears. You are under no circumstance allowed to cut or shave a Shepherds hair, it will result in permanent damage and they will never grow back the same way.
The only exceptions made in this case are when your vet recommends something due to skin diseases or other underlying causes.
Sorry to let you know that there are no fancy hairstyles for this breed.
HOW TO CLEAN A GERMAN SHEPHERD'S EARS
There are two ways to go about it; the first is using a vet recommended ear cleaning solution and the other is wiping the insides of their ears with a cotton ball soaked in mineral oil until it comes out clean.
Never insert anything too deep within their ear canals, as it will result in permanent damage.
If your Shepherd is on the aggressive side, here is our breakdown of how to groom an aggressive dog.
CONCLUSION
This breed has high maintenance grooming requirements that require time, dedication and consistency. Although we recommend professional grooming, it is still very much possible to groom them at home using the right tools. They require regular brushing, minimal bathing, and preventative coping mechanisms to manage the shedding of their coat as well as prevent matting. The right brushes and products will help make dealing with their transitional coats easier.
They require almost no trimming but will demand proper brushing as well as detangling in the long haired varieties. Ensuring a good grooming routine from an early age will not only keep their coat healthy but also enhance their comfort and well-being.
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