Caring for your german shepherds nails is an important part of his grooming program. If you take your GSD for long walks on concrete ground, his nails will wear down gradually to a normal level, but if he is usually exercised on soft ground, you may need to cut his nails about once a month.

Trimming german shepherds nails is not a difficult operation and you'll get more confident after the first couple of times. It is important to approach this with care as the nails of dogs have a quick, or small blood vessel that runs from the foot to about half way down the nail. If you should cut the nail too short and into the quick you will cause a sharp pain to your dog and draw blood.

At first, cut the german shepherds nails conservatively until both you and your dog get used to the process.

There are special tools for cutting your german shepherds nails.

Guillotine cutters slice the nail like a guillotine, but from the opposite direction. They clamp it on the top and slice it from the bottom. It's possible to reverse the direction, just one of the problems with using this type of tool. They also tend to put more pressure on the nail, potentially squeezing the quick uncomfortably.

Scissor-style cutters, if properly sharp, can do a great job of slicing cleanly and quickly with just a little practice.

A nail file is an alternative option, but a slow one.

Dremel tools, which operate like a small wood grinding drill, are an option. They have a rounded attachment that can grind the nail down to the desired length but they have to be used with great care. The problem with the Dremel is that at high speed they can become too hot too quickly so keep an eye on the temperature of the grinder or your dog will run a mile the next time you try to use it.

Before you begin, get your German Shepherd on the floor on it's back and get him at ease. It's important they stay calm and don't jerk a foot at the wrong moment.

Wash and clean the german shepherds nails before you begin. This will help you to distinguish where the quick starts so you don't cut the nails too short and it will also get the dog used to you handling his feet.

Try to leave about 1/8th of an inch of nail below the quick or your dog will feel pain from the pressure of walking.

Clip or grind each nail in turn, taking special care with any dew claw nail, if your dog still has them. To keep any of the dog's hair out of the way, you can take a baby sock and poke a hole for the nail, then slide it over the foot. That will push the hair back away from the nail.

Don't forget to make a fuss of him and give your dog some kind of reward afterwards. When you've cut your german shepherds nails a few times, both you and your dog will grow in confidence and it won't be such an ordeal for either of you.

You can always take the dog to a grooming parlour if you'd rather not attempt this task yourself.

So take good care of there nails

So if you get a gsd please please do not neglect them by locking them up and leaveing them. because these dogs needs a lot of attention like children need so if you are to busy to properly care for them.

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.

German Shepherd Ears: Care and Treatment.

German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs) are very healthy dogs but like most breeds susceptible to particular ailments. A German Shepherd’s ears are one of her strongest attributes but need to be kept clean and can be prone to infections.
The usual sources that should be kept in check to prevent potential inflammations are:

• Long hair can get into the ear both through growing from around the back of the ear and shedding.
• As German Shepherds like to brush past bushes and through grass when out walking, all kinds of detritus, especially seeds, get into their ears.
• Occasionally, overactive glands in the ear secrete the equivalent of ear wax which can get trapped quite deep in the ear.
• Water from swimming or bathing often lodges for a short time, despite the dog’s efforts to shake it out vigorously.

The usual telltale sign of ear irritation, in the majority of cases usually of a minor nature, will be your German Shepherd trying to remove the irritation herself. At this point it is always worth checking for and if necessary removing anything obvious. In my experience, if nothing can be seen, it can be left for a short time and see if a problem recurs, because in many cases it will clear itself.

Cleaning the ear & removing detritus:

Keeping your pet’s fur trimmed around the outer ear, preventing matting below the ear as well are good precautions. Don’t cut the fur too short or it can very occasionally become ingrowing, creating further problems.
Dealing with something inside the upper ear must be done with great care and I would strongly advise not probing too much in your dog’s ears. However, in an adult dog, the ears are quite large and a gentle wash with a soft cloth around the top of the ear or even using cotton buds on areas you can clearly see, providing you make no attempt to go beyond that, will resolve the majority of cases. Mixing a very low concentration (say about 5%) vinegar with water makes a solution that will usually help.

If your pet continues beyond two to three days to show signs of discomfort, then a visit to the vet is in order.

In my 40 years’ experience with dogs including long-haired German Shepherds, despite many instances of ear irritation, using the above practices has meant it has never escalated. However, this is one of those ailments that is worth being aware how to deal with in these easy stages, but like most, at some point it’s time for veterinary expertise.

So if you get a gsd please please do not neglect them by locking them up and leaveing them. because these dogs needs a lot of attention like children need so if you are to busy to properly care for them.