Best Brush for German Shepherd Grooming

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The best brush for German Shepherd Dogs: is it a FURminator or a de-shedding brush or an undercoat rake or a slicker brush or a comb or... So many hair-pulling choices!

Grooming your German Shepherd at home can be a nightmare, right? Dry hair everywhere, wet hair stuck to everything. Water everywhere. Scratched-up hardwoods and bathtubs. A defeated owner and an anxious dog (who immediately goes outside and rolls in the dirt).

Sound familiar?

It was all too familiar for me until I learned how to take the stress out of GSD grooming. Turns out, it's all in the grooming tools (and patience and shampoo and sticktoitiveness and...).

Best Grooming Tools for German Shepherds



Best FURminator for GSD

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Best for Long Hair GSDs

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Best Undercoat Rake for GSDs

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Best Slicker Brush for GSDs

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Best Dematting Comb for GSDs

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Best Shampoo for GSDs

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German Shepherd Coats 101

Grooming your German Shepherd is so much easier when you understand his anatomy.

The Double Coat

All German Shepherds have a double coat.

It consists of a soft undercoat that serves as insulation and a coarser topcoat that helps repel water, shield against sunburn and hold off the dirt.

  • The undercoat consists of soft, downy hair. This is the layer that keeps a dog’s skin insulated against the cold. It is the same for both Standard (Stock Coat) and Longhaired (Long Stock Coat) GSDs.
  • The guard hair (top coat in layman’s terms) is harsh and close fitting on the standard GSD but soft and not close-fitting on the Longhaired.

The Difference Between Standard and Long-Haired German Shepherd Coats

The difference is all in the top coat.

  • On both dogs, the guard hairs are short on the head, including the inside of the ears, but somewhat longer and more strongly covered on the neck. In the Longhaired the neck topcoat is so long is almost forms a mane.
  • It is short on the front side of the legs, paws, and toes. On the back side of the legs, the guard hair should extend to the hock, forming moderate ‘trousers’ (breeching) on the back side of the haunches but on the Longhaired the trousers are bushy, with a bushy tail and downward formation of the tuft.

The point of all this is that you now know where more intensive grooming is necessary.

  • A Longhaired GSD needs a lot more grooming than the Standard short hair German Shepherd. The longer the loose hair the more carefully you must groom to make sure all the dirt, dried leaves, etc, are removed. Especially beneath the length of the tail.
  • The coat length, curl and color is determined by 3 specific genes but up to now there is no evidence that there is a specific relationship between certain colors and specific coat types.

German Shepherd Shedding Season

German Shepherd shedding season

Bad news.

German Shepherds, like most dogs, shed all year long and the only way you can stay ahead is to bristle brush them every day. Or at least 3-4 times a week.

Then comes the High Seasons in shedding.

Dogs with a double coat usually drop (blow) their undercoats twice a year. The onset of shedding is determined by day length and therefore dogs who regularly go outside have more pronounced shedding seasons.

Dogs who regularly go outside (GSDs with a yard) have more pronounced shedding seasons, while apartment German Shepherds have reduced shedding seasons.

In the fall (civilized people call it autumn…), the short, light coats are shed to make way for growing a thick, warm undercoat and long, weather-resistant guard hairs.

In the spring (civilized people call it, um, spring…), the winter coat is shed and a new, shorter, and lighter coat is grown.

Generally, a pet’s shedding process can take anywhere from three to eight weeks. It may also take up to 3 months for the whole process to finish.

Be aware that sometimes excessive shedding is the result of poor nutrition, stress, or a medical problem. For example, up to 30 percent of the daily protein requirement of an adult dog can be used for the renewal of the dog’s skin and the hair.

Why German Shepherds Shed so Much

German Shepherds shed year-round, some doing more so than others. This is because of their double-coats as well as their year-round hair growth.

They also “blow their coats” before the winter and as it begins to grow warmer outside. For the winter, your dog’s overcoat begins to shed more while a greater amount of undercoat hair grows in. Whereas as in the spring or summer, a higher proportion of its undercoat is shed.

Some factors worsen shedding, such as:

  • Stress
  • A poor diet
  • Dehydration
  • Irritation from fleas or household products
  • Medical conditions

To prevent or address these factors, make sure to:

  • Determine what is causing your dog stress by scheduling an appointment with a veterinarian
  • Make sure you are playing and exercising with it regularly
  • Feed your GSD high-quality foods that contain a balance of protein and essential fatty acids
  • Keep your German Shepherd’s water bowl filled at all times with fresh, clean water
  • Stay alert for signs of allergies such as sneezing, patches of missing fur, watery eyes, and constant scratching of the dog’s skin
  • Tell your vet about any other worrying symptoms you may be observing from your dog

Other causes for an increase in shedding include pregnancy, neutering, and transitioning from a puppy coat to an adult coat.

Shaving German Shepherds: Do German Shepherds Need Haircuts?

Do German Shepherds need haircuts? Can I shave my German Shepherd? No. Cutting or shaving off your German Shepherd’s coat is not necessary. In fact, doing either can ruin its coat.

The amount of shedding different dogs experience is an important factor to consider when looking up dog breeds. German Shepherds sure do a lot of it, which means that, if you purchase one, you will need to put aside enough time to properly groom it in order to reduce shedding.

And while shaving or cutting may work fine for a single-coated dog, German Shepherds are double-coated. Remember, the guard hairs protect dogs from the elements:

  • Water
  • Dirt
  • Sun
  • Insect bites, and more

The undercoat insulates it from heat and cold and grows back faster than the outer coat.

So, if you cut your German Shepherd’s loose hair, you will be making it more vulnerable to fluctuating temperatures while raising their its risk of catching a skin infection.

German Shepherd Grooming Tips

Before you start, make sure you have a grooming tool (or two) at the ready:

  • Deshedding tool
  • Rake comb
  • Double-sided bristle brush
  • High-velocity drier

This breed needs to be groomed on a weekly basis to keep it healthy and happy. Prepare to use a German Shepherd brush daily or at least several times a week.

Here are some other ways you can groom your German Shepherd without cutting its hair:

  • Bathe your German Shepherd in warm water with sensitive skin dog shampoo. Once you’re finished in the tub, take it outside and dry it in a towel before spraying it with ShowSheen. Make sure you massage the spray in gently throughout its fur and down to the skin. After you’re done, brush your German Shepherd with a wide-toothed comb. If you want to be extra thorough, go over its coat again with a de-shedding comb.
  • Don’t forget to clean the teeth and nails.
    • If you aren’t highly-skilled at clipping nails, it is advised to hire a groomer to do it instead. There is a part in a dog’s nail that, should it be severed, will cause extreme pain and discomfort to the dog.
    • Clean your German Shepherd’s teeth using dog-friendly toothpaste and a brush. You can also feed your hard cookies or kibbles to keep its oral hygiene clean.
  • Clean your dog’s ears with ear-drops once a week to get rid of excess wax and debris. Take extra care when cleaning its ears by massaging them gently with a soft cloth or cotton pad.
  • Buy cleaning wipes to spot-clean your German Shepherd if he rolls in something dirty or smelly.

Best Brush for German Shepherd

When he is still a puppy, use a very gentle bristle brush or a wide-toothed comb to combat mats and tangles and to remove dog’s fur as the puppy begins to shed.

For adult dogs, there are a number of very handy products on the market.

Whichever German Shepherd brush or grooming tool you use, the best practice is to brush as regularly as you can. Leaving it all for one big session will leave you tired and disappointed with the results, while the dog will probably be irritated and still fluffy.

Best Undercoat Rake for German Shepherds

best undercoat rake for German Shepherds

The undercoat of the GSD is the one that will result in great balls of fluff all over the place. To get down into this layer without plucking out the loose hair painfully or injuring the skin is a challenge.

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Specially designed stainless steel undercoat rakes are a better option than grooming tools like low quality dog brushes for German Shepherds.

However, some rake grooming tools are better than others…

The good dog brush rakes have springs that ensure that you don’t scrape your dog’s skin when you’re working with their undercoat.

Some may have two rows of stainless steel teeth, one short and one longer, which enables you to remove loose hairs as well as the dog’s coat. The hairs stay trapped on top of the stainless steel rake teeth so you can easily remove loose hair.

Best Slicker Brush for German Shepherds

The top of a dog’s coat of the GSD responds well to a slicker dog brush.

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The main point is not to apply too much pressure because the bristle brush/pin brush (although flexible and bent), can have very sharp stainless steel tips and you could be irritating or even hurting the dog if you push too hard.

Pay attention to the length of the tines on the bristle brush before you buy: if it’s too long, you will hurt the skin. Stainless steel is good at getting out mats and tangles, but tough on delicate skin!

Slicker brushes are especially good for using all year round on your long-haired German Shepherd’s coat.

Best Dog Dematting Comb for German Shepherds

You should not need a dematting comb for a Standard (short hair) German Shepherd Dog. It’s one of those grooming tools better suited to get rid of a long hair dog’s loose hair.

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For the long haired German Shepherd, it is essential because the thick fur in the body areas outlined earlier mat much more frequently.

The dematting comb is a specialized grooming tool that usually has very sharp teeth that are great for loosening fur mats and tangles, but can actually cut the skin.

Daily brushing should prevent matting but sometimes it does occur and needs to be sorted out as quickly as possible.

Best FURminator for German Shepherds

The FURminator is considered one of the best dog brushes (the most well-known, anyway) money can buy. Many GSD owners claim the Furminator brush for German Shepherd is easy to use and one of the best brushes on the market…but…others throw them as far as they can.

If you’re willing to give it a try, this the best FURminator for German Shepherds:

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A prerequisite for it to work well seems to be that you must not have allowed the undercoat to build up too much, because then it will not succeed in getting the fluff off.

Best Brush for Long Haired German Shepherd

The Longhaired GSD requires more time and effort at grooming – so it’s a good idea to get more than just one of those cheap dog brushes for German Shepherds.

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The best brush for Long Haired German Shepherds are ones that the bristles or pins are longer than the average brush and also further apart in order to groom the long, silky top coat.

The undercoat (does it have one?) needs a bristle brush where the pins are more closely spaced so that you can loosen and separate the hairs, but still, the length should be more than average otherwise you will not get down into the dog’s coat where matting tends to occur.

There are many statements made to the effect that a Longhaired GSD “does not have an undercoat”.

Of course, you can breed it to be without an undercoat, although why you would want to do that to a dog defies imagination.

More accurately, there is a very small percentage of Longhaired GSDs that completely lack an undercoat.

The degree of undercoat density and length spans a wide spectrum and in many cases, it takes an expert to decide whether there is one or not.

How Often Should You Bathe a German Shepherd?

The American Kennel Club (AKC) states in no uncertain terms that it is only necessary to bathe a German Shepherd once every 4-5 months.

As usual, the real answer depends on a number of things:

  • Age
  • Lifestyle
  • Type of coat
  • General health
  • …and whether he rolled in some poo or rotten garbage

Long-haired German Shepherds should be bathed only when absolutely necessary.

You will have to bristle brush it so often (about twice a week) that it should not be able to get dirty enough to warrant a bath.

It may be necessary to bathe your German Shepherd more often during flea season.

At most, do not bathe your German Shepherd more than every 10 days.

German Shepherd puppies need to be bathed even less often than adults.

Once or twice a year should do the trick. This is because it still has its soft, cotton-like puppy fur and not its two-layered adult dog’s coat yet. If it ever gets dirty from playing or rolling around in the mud, a simple rinse off should be fine.

And since we’re splitting hairs…you actually do not need to bathe a dog at all.

It only has sweat glands on the hairless parts of its body like the paw pads and the nose. It does not work up a sweaty body as humans do.

How to Bathe a German Shepherd

Seriously?

how to bathe a German Shepherd

You put it in the water and you wash it.

Errrrr, no. Not that easy or simple is it?!

Time needed: 20 minutes.

10 steps to bathing your German Shepherd.

  1. Pick a location.

    First and foremost: decide where to give your GSD a bath:

    Inside is good because of convenience but can be a problem if (or should I say, when) the wet dog escapes, runs through the house and stops in front of your most precious piece of furniture to give itself a good shake!

    Outside means more effort to get a container out, fill it, etc. but then the dog can do its thing when (sorry, if) it slips through your well-intentioned grasp.

    Keep in mind that the tub, shower or doggy basin you bathe the dog in probably does not afford any traction for its paws. Slipping and sliding around adds to the distress of the dog and to the work you have to do to get the bath done. A simple solution is to put an old towel on the surface on which the dog has to stand. It will give the dog grip and it does not matter that the towel gets wet and perhaps a bit mangled!

    Wherever you decide to do the deed, have something that can spray water onto the dog’s coat. It is really important to get ALL of the soap or shampoo rinsed from the coat, and spraying is just much more effective than most other methods. It is the shampoos and soaps we use to bathe our dogs that make frequent bathing a problem – not the fact that it gets soaking wet.

  2. Prepare for battle!

    Now that you know where world war water will take place, assemble your supplies there.

  3. Run the water.

    Not cold water, have a heart, give your boy some lukewarm water. Tip: Don’t let the dog hear it.

  4. Catch your dog.

    …if he hasn’t mysteriously disappeared. (I could write a whole essay on the different scenarios surrounding attempted dog baths, but you will soon have a collection of your own…).

  5. Brush him thoroughly.

    Start with the best brush for German Shepherd by brushing thoroughly to get rid of all the loose fur, dust, grass, and other stuff in the coat. Cleaning the coat first will also prevent the wet hair from matting too much, saving you a lot of work afterward to try to clear it up.

  6. Rinse lightly.

    Give him a good rinse so the shampoo spreads easier.

    It’s go time…there’s no turning back now!

  7. Apply shampoo.

    Use a soap or shampoo product that is formulated especially for dogs (see below).

    Start with a quarter-size amount of shampoo because excessive shampoo can give your dog diarrhea!

    This may sound silly, but you have to wash your dog from the front to the back and not the other way around. Think about it. You first wash the head and neck, then the body and legs, and lastly under the tail. Makes sense now, doesn’t it? Do not start under the tail and move to its face! I really hope it does not need further explanation.

    Take care that the soap or shampoo does not get into its eyes, nostrils, mouth or ear openings. However, do make sure that the ears are clean, especially if you have a long haired breed GSD.

  8. Rinse thoroughly.

    Rinse with clean, warm water. Stop only when the water runs clear and does not wash out any more suds or foam.

  9. Drying time.

    Dogs take days to air-dry, so we have to take matters into our own hands. Tip: drape one towel over the dog’s body to prevent it from shaking the water off, then start to dry the face, muzzle, ears, and feet. Work your way gradually down the body and when you get to the end (there where the tail is, that end) it should be dry enough that a shake or two won’t be too disastrous. Rub with the flow of the hair, not too much against, otherwise, you will end up with snarls that you now have to comb out. If the dog is not irritated by the sound, you can use a hairdryer, but set it as low as you can to prevent any accidental burns. Be very careful here.

  10. Gussy up!

    Tie a ribbon in his hair. NO, NO he’s not a Pekingese! No ribbons!!

Best Shampoo for German Shepherds (How to Find the Perfect Shampoo for Your GSD)

Best shampoo for German Shepherds

Now that we know the best brush for German Shepherd after his bath…what shampoo should we use?!

As recommended above, use a special dog shampoo or soap, that is alkaline.

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(Note with big words: the sebaceous glands on the dog’s paws, back of the neck, rump, chin, and tail area secretes the oily substance called sebum that keeps the coat shiny. It also has antibiotic properties. Though tiny, these glands often develop tumors, especially in older dogs.)

Believe it or not, there are hundreds of shampoos designed for all sorts of dog breeds experiencing different needs and conditions on the job market. Some shampoos are built to kill fleas, other for dogs with allergies, and some made specifically for puppies.

One thing to consider when purchasing a shampoo is your dog’s pH balance. The pH balance for dogs with healthy skin ranges from 5.5 to 7.5.

As a brief refresher, the closer the number is to 14, the more basic a pH level is. The closer it is to 0, the more acidic it is. A completely neutral pH is 7. It is also important to note that the pH scale is logarithmic, so a pH level of 6 is actually 10 times more acidic than one of 7.

The pH of your dog’s shampoo should be around 7.5, which is just to the alkaline side of neutral. Shampoo and/or soap not only dissolves the dirt but also the natural oils produced by the dog’s skin that keep the skin and hair healthy.

Warning: DO NOT use human soap and shampoo for your dog – they are too acidic and will irritate your dog’s sensitive skin.

Due to dogs’ touchy skin, you should avoid irritating it with shampoos that contain artificial fragrances.

Instead, look for shampoos containing natural moisturizers such as:

  • Aloe Vera
  • Tea Tree oil
  • Vitamin E
  • Honey

Related Questions

How often should you brush a German shepherd?

You should brush a German Shepherd every day. Or at least 3-4 times a week. Brush as regularly as you can because leaving it all for one big session will leave you tired and disappointed with the results, while the dog can become anxious for future brushing sessions.

What kind of brush should I use on my German Shepherd?

The best brushes for German Shepherds depends on age. For puppies, use a very gentle bristle brush or a wide-toothed comb on mats and to remove dog’s fur as the puppy begins to shed. A non-slip rubber handle is nice. An ergonomic handle is easy to use in hard-to-reach areas. A slicker brush removes loose fur on the topcoat while undercoat rakes are great for the bottom layer.

What time of year do German Shepherds shed the most?

German Shepherds, like most dogs, shed all year long. German Shepherds usually drop (blow) their undercoats twice a year. The onset of shedding is determined by day length and therefore dogs who regularly go outside have more pronounced shedding seasons. In the fall the short, light coats are shed to make room for growing a thick, warm undercoat and long, weather-resistant guard hairs. In the spring, the winter coat is shed and a new, shorter, and lighter coat is grown.

What skin conditions can German Shepherds suffer from?

German Shepherds can develop allergies from flea bites, chemical irritants in cleaning products, and even commercial dog food. German Shepherds with lighter coats are more susceptible to these allergies. Allergy symptoms include rashes, itchiness, hot spots, and bald spots. Your dog might also develop an infection caused by excessive scratching.

Can I use human shampoo on my German Shepherd?

No. Using human shampoo on your dog is not a good idea. The normal pH range for humans versus dogs is quite different. While a normal pH balance for dogs is 5.5-7.5, the normal pH balance for humans ranges from 5.2 to 6.2. Applying human shampoo to dog’s fur will disrupt its acid mantle. As a result, it will become vulnerable to bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

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