Should You Cut or Shave Your German Shepherd’s Hair?

Grooming is an integral part of looking after a dog. Grooming generally involves bathing, brushing or combing and cutting your dog’s nails and hair.

Obviously, not all breeds of dogs are made equally and what’s good for one dog will not be so good for another breed. So, when it comes to grooming your German Shepherd, you need to think carefully about your options.

In the following blog we discuss if you really need to clip German Shepherd’s in the first place and to what extent, as well as offering hints and tips for preparing your dog so that the grooming session is a complete success.

So, What About German Shepherds?

Interestingly, when it comes to German Shepherd dogs, they are one of the many breeds who don’t need to have their hair clipped as extensively as other breeds do.

Although you may have good intentions, like wanting to reduce the amount of hair that’s going to shed when they lose their winter coat during summer or because you are worried that they will get too hot in the heat of summer.

However, it’s important to understand the impact clipping your German Shepherd’s hair too much will have on its coat.

Some of the reasons why you should avoid shaving your German Shepherd includes:

• The fact they are a double-coat dog breed and shaving means you are removing the undercoat and the top layer of fur.
• The top fur coat acts as a protective layer against water and dirty, while the undercoat provides warmth and insulation for your dog.
• Rather than keeping them cool during the warmer months, taking any of the topcoat off will mean your shepherd is exposed to more of the sun, increasing their chances of suffering from sunburn.
• Removing the topcoat also means air is not able to circulate underneath as well, helping to cool them down. During summer, the undercoat of fur drops to allow circulation to occur naturally.
• When you cut the hair of a double-coat dog, you will find the undercoat and topcoat of hair don’t grow back the same as they were before you cut them. The top layer of hair grows in among the softer undercoat rather than over the top of it.
• In turn, this causes dirt and other unwanted materials to gather and stick to the coat.

Grooming Your German Shepherd

Trim, Rather Than Fully Shave

If necessary, you should only consider trimming hairs here and there on a German shepherd, rather than giving it a full grooming session where you remove all that luscious fur that they need for a variety of reasons.

Although there are many fine dog hair clippers available on the market today, there are not really any that would constitute as being the best dog hair clippers for German Shepherds.

However, we understand that German Shepherds do get rather hot in the summer and do produce a lot of shed hair. That’s why we’ve put together a brief guide about what you can do instead of reaching for those clippers.

Reduce Shedding

There are several great and effective things you can do to reduce the amount of shedding your German Shepherd does. While it won’t stop them shedding completely, it will make the job of cleaning up after them a little easier.

Wash/Bath Your German Shepherd

As well as getting rid of any dead and loose hairs, washing your dog will also help soften their hairs for when it comes to brushing them. Obviously, you need to be careful not to wash your dog too many times or you will do worse than good by removing a lot of the natural oils found in his or her fur. Always look to use dog-friendly, organic and natural products.

Brush Your German Shepherd

One of the best ways to help with your dog’s natural process of shedding dead and loose hairs is to adopt a good habit for brushing their hair. Use a combination of a dematting comb with a deshedding tool and slicker brush to achieve the best results. Do this immediately after a bath and a few other times throughout the course of a week and you’ll notice a vast improvement in how your dog looks.

Blow Out Your German Shepherd’s Undercoat

Ideally, you will want to go to a professional groomer for this part of the grooming process. They can use a professional-grade dog blowing machine that will blow out any loose and dead hairs in the undercoat.

Make Use of Dog Grooming Scissors

It’s interesting, but although there’s not really such a thing as the best dog hair clippers for German Shepherds, you can still have a go at trimming their hair. By using a set of dog grooming scissors instead. This is just a great way to finish off their overall look, so that they look every bit the sophisticated and handsome dog they should.

Tips for Keeping Your German Shepherd Cool

As the worry of your German Shepherd getting too hot during summer, which might lead you to wrongly get the clippers out. As we’ve established, the double coat breeds naturally regulate the heat around their body, as air circulates in the space between the undercoat and topcoat.

However, you could also:

• Make sure your dog is kept in a cooler place, whether it is inside where there’s lots of shade or under cover outside.
  Supply them with enough water to drink throughout the day
• Restrict how much time they spend in direct exposure to the sunlight, particularly on very hot days. Try and take them out for walks earlier in the morning and later at night when the sun is not as bright or intense
• Encourage your dog to go for a swim, if you are near a safe body of water. Always make sure you rinse off their coat using non-salty water to prevent it from drying out.