German Shepherd Coat - Care & Grooming

Your pets coat in important to there health.

German Shepherd coats have two layers, more pronounced in the long-haired variety. The inner layer is dense and quite soft to keep your dog warm whilst the outer, more coarse and longer layer serves to keep bushes and other objects away from the interior.

The sheen of the coat is a good, visible indicator to your dog’s health. Grooming and brushing are almost secondary to maintaining the coat’s condition through a good diet. Sources of high protein and high fat, the latter through a good-quality kibble are best. The prime source of protein should be meat in the form of beef, chicken or lamb. German Shepherds will eat and benefit from vegetables such as carrots and small amounts of greens but these should be in kept in moderation for the GSD as its origin is primarily carnivorous.

Brushing your German Shepherd should be done at least twice per week and depending on the type of coat, it’s best to use a range of brushes, ranging from the metal rake type and good quality stiff brushes to finer ones with a small pair of round-edge scissors in reserve to cut out any mats that form, especially near the ears and lower sides of the face in long-haired varieties. Mats in the coat itself will be found more easily by initially brushing against the direction of the fur. Whilst most brushing is done in the fur’s directiopn, this will more often than not cover small mats as they are forming.

Bathing your German Shepherd is needed to reduce odours and especially after swimming, but must not be overdone as this will reduce the natural oils essential to the coat condition. Depending on the variety of your dog and the thickness of its coat, a little trial and error may be required to find the right shampoo to use, even amongst good quality ones or dedicated dog shampoo. I found with the long-haired GSDs I had that a baby shampoo worked very well, used sparingly on  some occasions depending on the state of the coat. In all cases, it is important to ensure that the shampoo is thoroughly rinsed out, or dandruff and temporary deterioration in the coat will occur.

The coat of your German Shepherd needs to be cleaned often so care for your gsd's coat.