Article Advise

submitted: Jul 29th 2008 | by: JanRyan | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 487 | |

Even if you don't bath your German Shepherd often, regular grooming is essential. By maintaining proper grooming procedures you can reduce your dog's chance of having skin problems while keeping the coat shiny. It is best to maintain grooming every night, but first do eight to twelve weeks of moderate grooming. To manage the double coat present on a German Shepherd it is best to comb at least twice a week.

During the shedding season the normal shedding of a German Shepherd becomes much worse so you should consider using a shedding blade or similar tool since you will need proper training before you can use a shedding blade. When grooming your German Shepherd you should use a metal rake to take out the mats in the undercoat around the neck, chest and thigh areas. After bathing it is best to use a modern high velocity dryer to remove excess water instead of the hand fluff method. Always go in the direction of hair growth when you are brushing your dog.

It may also be a good idea to give a haircut when grooming your German Shepherd. To remove the long hairs under the feet and any stray hairs around the feet you can simply use a pair of quality scissors. Rather, brush in the opposite direction of growth and then do a light brushing in the direction of hair growth if you want a fluffier or fuller looking coat.

An alternative to the haircut is to use thinning shears to give the dog an overall neater appearance. Selective thinning is a good way to make your German Shepherd look heavier boned. Grooming isn't just limited to the coat because you also need to focus on the toenails, ears and teeth. While brushing be sure to check the nails and trim them regularly as needed in order to avoid split or broken nails that will occur when they are left unattended and grow too long.

Grooming your German Shepherd reduces the chance of matting and tangles since you are evenly distributing the oils in the fur. It will also help to keep a neat appearance since you are getting rid of dead skin cells and loose hair that can clog the coat.

Just make sure you don't cut or scratch the dog's skin when grooming. So you don't miss any parts of your dog's coat it is best to use a combination of brushes and brush heads.

For the German Shepherd it is best that you select the right shampoo as well, since they can be easily affected by wheat and may have other allergies as well. Oatmeal shampoo is one option but it can cause material to build up faster, which means you will have to bathe the dog more often.

Aloe shampoo is another good idea as long as you don't have to worry about fleas. You can keep your German Shepherd looking well-groomed all the time by using proper grooming techniques.

About the Author

Jan Ryan is a passionate lover of the German Shepherd and has a popular website where you'll discover how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved German Shepherd. Among other topics there, you can also learn all about German Shepherd coats plus a whole lot more.

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