Our Best Grooming Tips for Your German Shepherds

While German Shepherds are mostly low-maintenance, they have double coats and long tresses, requiring regular pet grooming to stay shiny, untangled, and clean. Instead of clipping and trimming their fur, the last things they need, you must focus on removing any dead hair and debris accumulating inside their thick coat to prevent matting and skin-related problems.

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Follow these grooming tips between appointments to keep their coat, teeth, toenails, and ears nice, healthy, and, most important, tidy.

Make them Look Forward to It

Our experts recommend grooming German Shepherds as early in life as possible, so they are used to it by the time they grow into their coats. It would also help to make it a pleasant experience for them, regardless of age, through positive reinforcement (think: treats, petting, and encouragement). These things make them anticipate the process instead of dreading it, as most dogs and cats are likely to do.

Brush their Coat on Alternative Days

Most German Shepherds have two coats—an outer and an inner coat—and a healthy dusting of fur on their bodies. You must brush them every other day—about three or four times weekly—to maintain the shine of their glorious fur.

These dogs are prone to shedding and lose large bits of their undercoat during shedding season, which occurs twice a year for German Shepherds. Most canine breeds prepare their bodies for the upcoming seasons by shedding old hair and growing new ones.

While the shedding is normal, it’s important not to leave the dead clumps of hair in their coat for long periods. Though you might be too busy for professional pet grooming, you’re never too busy to brush their coat and remove these fur balls before they can ruin it.

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Keep the Bathing to a Minimum

Frequent bathing is a stressful, not to mention damaging, experience for this breed. To preserve their natural oils, you should only bathe your German Shepherd every four or five months, roughly three times a year. These oils are the only thing preventing their skin from drying out and feeling irritated.

That said, scrubbing/bathing your dog to keep the fleas and skunks away is important. You can bathe them more often if they do develop fleas. While at it, use a gentle shampoo made from natural ingredients that don’t interfere with anti-flea products to spare your pet skin irritation.

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Pay Special Attention to the Teeth and Gums

Check your German Shepherd’s teeth regularly for early signs of plaque or tartar. The softer their meal, the more likely they will develop these dental problems. While we recommend feeding them hard cookies and kibbles to lower the chances of gum disease and other dental issues, older dogs may find it harder to digest such meals.

In such cases, follow proper dental hygiene and frequently visit our veterinary dentist in Abu Dhabi for professional checkups and cleanings. It would help if you also cleaned their teeth and gums between visits using a gentle brush with dog toothpaste, preferably every day but at least three times a week.

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Trim Toenails Once a Week

Trimming toenails is the most important part of your German Shepherd’s grooming routine. If they miss their weekly appointment at our pet salon, check their toenails to prevent injuries. You must trim them with a dog nail trimmer if they have grown too long.

Fair warning: It’s not easy trimming a large dog’s toenails. They intrinsically hate trimming their nails, so exercise caution, keep a first aid kit nearby, and give them plenty of reinforcement through treats.

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Don’t Miss Weekly Ear Cleanings

German Shepherds are like all the other dogs in that they experience wax and debris buildup when their ears aren’t cleaned weekly. Check your dog’s ears once a week, and if you feel they need cleaning, get the following items:

• Special ear drops
• Cotton pads
• Treats

Make sure you’re in a quiet room with no people but you and your dog, and pour some solution in one ear. Massage the base and get to work with the cotton pads and a gentle hand. Don’t forget to reward them afterward.

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You don’t need an expert to tell you that the above grooming routines may not suffice (best case scenario) or go seriously awry (worst case scenario) if you go the amateur way. Instead of trying these grooming tips for German Shepherds on your dog, trust the professionals at Abu Dhabi’s Pet Pavilion for a job well done.

Schedule sweet grooming for your pet in our salon at Abu Dhabi and combine it with dog daycare to return to a well-groomed and properly-exhausted German Shepherd.

Contact us for questions and concerns.

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