The german shepherd dog breed is usually always one of the top 10 most popular dog breeds in practically any country in the globe, and its popularity is constantly rising as more and more individuals want to add a german shepherd to their family. We always see a large number of people reaching out with a wide range of questions about the breed to try and ensure that they are able to provide the best care possible for their new pet due to it being such a popular breed while also having a large number of new first-time dog owners opting for a german shepherd.
Over the last several months, we’ve witnessed an increase in the number of queries based on some variation of “Do german shepherds shed?” and the regularity with which we see this questioned is only rising with each passing week. As a result, we’ve decided to devote this post to the subject in order to assist as many of our readers who own a german shepherd as possible in getting their dogs’ shedding under control as soon and simply as possible.
Anyway, before we get any further into the essay, we’d just want to state unequivocally that your german shepherd, like all other dogs, will shed. Although some individuals claim that some dog breeds are hypoallergenic, all dog breeds shed at least certain months of the year, therefore there is no such thing as a fully hypoallergenic dog breed.
The german shepherd breed is also double coated with a very thick undercoat that sheds twice a year, which means that if you have allergies to dog fur, the breed may create flare ups, particularly during its seasonal shedding spikes two times a year. However, many people who have allergies to dog fur are able to utilize an antihistamine to help lessen their symptoms, frequently to the point where their german shepherds shedding no longer bothers them.
Furthermore, there are a number of actions you can do to assist keep your german shepherd’s shedding in check and reduce the quantity of shed that your dog dumps around the house while going about its daily routine. We will not take a more in-depth look at any of these approaches or provide our opinions on them.
How to Handle Your German Shepherd’s Shedding
Although there are a few other things you can try that we will discuss below, we believe that the best way to help ensure that you can easily get your german shepherds shedding under control is to simply use a suitable de-shedding brush and brush your dog two or three times a week depending on its shedding level. Even if you have a long-coated german shepherd, this is typically the most effective approach to gather all of your german shepherd’s discarded shed at once and keep it from accumulating around your house.
Not only does this assist to avoid a big clean-up operation after allowing your german shepherd to wander and shed as it pleases, but it also gathers the majority of your dog’s shed all at once, reducing allergy triggering. Fortunately, despite the fact that german shepherds shed a lot, their coat is typically quite easy to brush if you have a good grooming brush that is specifically intended for use with dogs with double coats. One of the most common issues we encounter with german shepherd owners is that they utilize ordinary brushes that aren’t intended for the job.
Because german shepherds are such an active breed, convincing your dog to remain still for five to ten minutes to let you to clean it and collect its shed may be difficult. Fortunately, we have a fast and easy method that will generally keep your german shepherd pretty calm while also keeping it engaged to avoid it from noticing you are brushing it.
The method involves obtaining a Kong dog toy, then obtaining some treat paste and stuffing a large amount of it inside the Kong toy. The great majority of german shepherds appear to like this activity, grabbing the Kong toy with their paws and laying down while licking to retrieve the reward paste from within the toy. Our recommended reward paste is not only tasty for dogs, but it is also incredibly stick to assist keep your dog engaged for at least ten minutes while you brush it. On the other hand, you may use this similar method for chores like cutting your dog’s nails or anything else that requires your dog to stay reasonably still for a lengthy amount of time.
Grooming Brush for German Shepherds
We strongly advise any of our readers who want to quickly and simply groom their pet german shepherd to keep shedding under control to try the FURminator Undercoat Deshedding Tool. Because of its low price and excellent effectiveness, it is by far the most popular deshedding product on the market at the time of writing. It has proven to be a major hit within the dog-owning community, earning a good reputation as well as a slew of positive evaluations from dog owners, including some fellow german shepherd owners.
Make Use Of Deshedding Dog Shampoo
There are a plethora of deshedding dog shampoos on the market right now, but many of them are a huge waste of time and money and offer little to nothing to help reduce your dog’s shedding. Fortunately, there is one Deshedding Dog Shampoo that not only has a good reputation in the community for assisting in the management of your dog’s shedding but also has a reasonable price tag.
Although using a deshedding dog shampoo on your german shepherd might be useful and help you reduce your dog’s natural shedding, we believe that the grooming approach we discussed above is the best alternative. Although it will depend on the dog, many german shepherds are not fans of bath time, which means they may not take well to you bathing them even once a week to use the shampoo. We’ve heard from some dog owners who claim they just use a garden hose and make it into a game with their dog, although this approach is dependent on the temperature in your location.
If you believe you can put this technique into action, it is absolutely worth a shot. Because of its high omega fatty acid content and a variety of important ingredients, our suggested shampoo should be used once a week and not only helps to decrease shedding but also promotes healthy skin and coat. Although you may use a deshedding treatment as a stand-alone option, we believe that combining it with brushing will yield greater benefits and compound the reduction in shed around your home.
Deshedding Dog Shampoo for German Shepard
Nothing comes close to the FURminator deShedding Ultra Premium Dog Shampoo in our opinion when it comes to the numerous deshedding dog shampoos on the market right now. It, in our opinion, blows the competition out of the water and has an outstanding reputation owing to the quickness with which the shampoo may offer you with great results and minimize your dog’s shedding. If you want additional perspectives and information about the shampoo’s performance, there are a plethora of independent reviews available for it that you can read.
We’ve lost count of the number of dog owners who believe that sending their dog to a professional dog groomer and having his or her coat trimmed short will assist with shedding. This is not the case, since dogs shed owing to a naturally occurring hormone in them rather than the length of their coat or their body temperature. Having your german shepherd’s coat trimmed short might actually make it more difficult to remove as much of their shed while grooming since their coat catches and holds a lot of their shed.
If you have dog allergies, this may be a nightmare since it makes it much easier for your dog to inadvertently distribute its shed about your home, perhaps causing an allergy flare up. On the other hand, the thick, heavy double coat of the german shepherd breed may pose problems in warmer climates, particularly if you own a long-haired german shepherd, therefore keeping your dog’s coat short is vital.
This one has a trade-off if you have allergies, but if you don’t have allergies, don’t spend the exorbitant prices of a professional dog groomer in the expectation that it will help minimize their shedding. Although some dog groomers claim that it will assist, it will not, and it may actually encourage your german shepherd to deposit its shed more frequently about your home.
German Shepherd Grooming Clippers
If you intend to have your german shepherd’s coat professionally cut on a frequent basis, it may be worth investing in a set of Ceenwes Dog Clippers. They are typically less expensive than a single session at a professional dog groomer, and because of their ease of use and high performance, you can frequently complete the job in the comfort of your own house in minutes. Ceenwes Dog Clippers has built an outstanding reputation over the years that is still growing, and they have received several positive evaluations from the community.
Limit the amount of time your dog spends outside.
Because there are presently so few studies to back it up, this is undoubtedly the most contentious advice at the time of writing. However, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has published data indicating that dogs that spend more time outside shed more than dogs who spend more time within the home. You may be able to give this a try depending on your circumstances, but in all honesty, any of the solutions recommended above would most likely offer you with better outcomes.
Furthermore, it is not suggested that you keep your dog indoors all day, every day. You may continue to let your dog play in the garden or yard as needed, take your german shepherd for regular walks, and generally maintain the same schedule. The main argument is centered on dogs that sleep outside or are left in the yard for the most of the day while their owners are at work or school. However, while there is a link in the statistics, this does not imply that bringing your dog indoors more frequently is the cause of the lower shedding.
What Causes German Shepherds to Shed?
As we mentioned previously in the post, your german shepherd will most likely lose its coat due to a completely natural occurring hormone that is secreted into its circulation, and there is nothing we can do about it. Although your german shepherd may shed owing to a medical problem in rare circumstances, the great majority of shedding in the german shepherd breed is completely normal due to their being heavy shedders who fully shed twice a year.
Will My German Shepherd’s Shedding ever Stop?
This is another typical question we get regarding the german shepherd breed, as well as most other breeds with seasonal shedding spikes. Due to the breed’s shedding peaking twice a year, we see many individuals with german shepherds stating online that their dog has stopped shedding, however this is not the truth. The amount of coat that they are losing has simply decreased and returned to normal.
The great majority of german shepherds sweat all year with two seasonal surges, therefore if you are allergic to dogs, this breed may not be for you. On the other hand, if you do not have dog allergies and are willing to wash or bathe your german shepherd as described above, they may be an outstanding breed that is kind and caring and makes a wonderful pet.