# Groooooooming



## Mei (Mar 30, 2018)

Yes, Groooooooooooooooooooming. What it felt like. I just gave up after like 20 minutes!

The hair is endless! How often should I groom? Best tools?? I was petting her earlier today and on her rear back it seems the hair just wont stop coming out. It seems to be in that spot where her hair can even kinda pull out. It's not giant clumps though.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

My previous GSD was a long haired. The current pup is not. Doesn't matter. They both shed. It's a GSD thing. Have you heard people call them "German Shedders?" I brush/ed both everyday. I saved almost all my previous dog's hair/fur...one whole lawn trash bag full. (You guys are probably wondering why I saved his fur. I heard of women who started a business of using their dog's fur to make winter hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, etc..) Tools: I've got them all...rakes, brushes, metal brushes, furminator, combs, etc.


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## Mei (Mar 30, 2018)

tc68 said:


> My previous GSD was a long haired. The current pup is not. Doesn't matter. They both shed. It's a GSD thing. Have you heard people call them "German Shedders?" I brush/ed both everyday. I saved almost all my previous dog's hair/fur...one whole lawn trash bag full. (You guys are probably wondering why I saved his fur. I heard of women who started a business of using their dog's fur to make winter hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, etc..) Tools: I've got them all...rakes, brushes, metal brushes, furminator, combs, etc.[/QUOT0E]
> 
> Furminator looks great. I must get that. And no, I've never heard German Shedder before lol.
> 
> So this sounds like something I need to stay on top of and comb every day.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

My dogs get the "brushy brush" routine nearly every night. Since they sleep in our bedroom and sometimes jump up on the bed, the less stuff they bring in hidden in their fur the better. My big-boy is long hair, my gal-dog stock coat. I have a rake but only use it when it is heavy shedding season, like when loosing the seasonal coat. I have a pin brush for most brushing and I use a human's plastic comb. It has to be sturdy, not the cheap scratchy kind. Which tool I use depends on how much hair is coming out or where I am brushing. The tail on my big-boy needs the pin brush since the comb and rake only get stuck. The fluffy britches need the pin brush too. Along the back the pin brush and sometimes the comb. The comb between the legs. The rake if needed on the back and hips and chest. 

My boy didn't understand brushes for a long time. He thought they were an invitation to play rough. I had treats in one hand and the brush in another. Now, all grown up, he understand grooming. My gal was nearly always fine with brushing but then again, she watched our boy get brushed and how he responded to it. They both enjoy it as long as I don't stick to one spot too long.


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## unfortunatefoster (Dec 17, 2017)

I use an Oscar Frank curved slicker. They are pretty stiff right out of the box so I soften them up by smooshing them on a flat surface until the needles give a little. Heavy shedding, I 'scoop' the brush backwards in small sections. You will be amazed at how quickly you will fill this brush. Run it backwards on your jeans and it comes out in one clump, then back at it. Smooth and clean debris by going with the lay of the coat. It takes out burrs and matts like magic. I also use it in the tub. Soap the dog up and run the brush through, clear the drain or you will both drown. Run the brush through the damp coat a couple of times and you will be good to go. You will still have 'loosies', the guard hairs, but your vacuum will be forever grateful for this method.


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## cloudpump (Oct 20, 2015)

I usually brush until I've had enough fur go up my nose and in my mouth. So usually half the dog. 
I use a slicker brush and a blade


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## unfortunatefoster (Dec 17, 2017)

I completely forgot about the shedding blade! Just be careful over the boney parts, it can easily rake some flesh off if used to hard, but works great getting the undercoat and loose guard hairs and works much faster than the furminator. Cloudpump- The hairs in your nose are for extra filtering of contaminates in the air, the mouth, instafloss. The ones wrapped around your eyeballs serve no purpose but to irritate.


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## Mareesey (Aug 25, 2016)

If you get the furminator make sure you know how to use it. I've read lots of posts where people have messed up their dogs fur.


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## Mei (Mar 30, 2018)

Mareesey said:


> If you get the furminator make sure you know how to use it. I've read lots of posts where people have messed up their dogs fur.


How so have they messed up?? Brush to much and get bald spot?

I'm going to check out better grooming tools at petsmart today. 

Thanks all!


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Don’t get the Furninator deshedder. It has a razor blade in the comb area and will cut off the top coat. It is designed for different coat types and our dogs have. The Furminator Rake does not have a razor blade and works very well.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Mei said:


> How so have they messed up?? Brush to much and get bald spot?



I’m not a furminator fan. It will tear up the guard hairs (top coat).


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## CometDog (Aug 22, 2017)

I have a pin brush, and one of those rubber mitts. Works great. Unless something horrific happens like rolling in something gross or skunk, I never bathe my dogs with any kind of soap or anything. Even if they come in wet and muddy, I crate them to chill out and dry, then dry brush.

This GSD I have now, a stock sable, just does not shed as much as other GSDS I have had?? No idea why. I feed raw and I brush when it looks needed. But that has always been my way with all my dogs. Aside from when he blew his puppy coat, he does not fur coat and make daily multiple tumble weeds. I have to sweep maybe every 3 or 4 days. Weird. His fur is particularly nice, glossy, soft feeling and smells particularly good. I do not know why. Maybe he is like that one friend we all have who looks and smells fine even after 3 days of camping lol


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

CometDog said:


> I have a pin brush, and one of those rubber mitts. Works great. Unless something horrific happens like rolling in something gross or skunk, I never bathe my dogs with any kind of soap or anything. Even if they come in wet and muddy, I crate them to chill out and dry, then dry brush.
> 
> This GSD I have now, a stock sable, just does not shed as much as other GSDS I have had?? No idea why. I feed raw and I brush when it looks needed. But that has always been my way with all my dogs. Aside from when he blew his puppy coat, he does not fur coat and make daily multiple tumble weeds. I have to sweep maybe every 3 or 4 days. Weird. His fur is particularly nice, glossy, soft feeling and smells particularly good. I do not know why. Maybe he is like that one friend we all have who looks and smells fine even after 3 days of camping lol


I have a slicker brush outside and part of our play time is a quick brushing to remove any loose hair. I also don't bath dogs, except maybe once a year following spring dog building season to remove the last of the winter itchies. Like you unless it is terrible nasty I just pop wet or muddy dogs in the crate until it all dries and then brush. Shadow, Sabi, Lex and others have slept on my bed and there is definitely no offensive odor. Sabi always smelled like a warm blanket, rather comforting to snuggle with, and while my white duvet cover has suffered a bit over the years it was my own insanity at buying white linens at fault not the dogs.


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## CometDog (Aug 22, 2017)

Valor smells like warm roasted peanuts kind of. I usually keep that to myself though, people look at you weird lol


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

I use a rake & slicker brush. If your dog will tolerate a forced air dryer, it's amazing the debris that comes off. The coat looks very nice afterwards.


I do bathe my boy more often. Usually, once every two months. Shampoo is gentle now, we use Earthbath. We are pretty active with him out doors. I just feel better knowing he's been bathed and getting the mud and gunk off. He always seems to feel better afterwards.


I too would caution against the furminator. Never used it but did see what it can do first hand. My SIL pretty much destroyed her GSD's coat with one. I love her, but when it comes to dogs despise her decisions.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

And I think Furminator is over priced. You can get a couple of decent quality brushes for less $$.

For shampoo I use Tropiclean Neem and Citrus. They get a bath if we are going to a big dog event or if my dog is smelling bad from getting into a particular narly mud puddle. Usually we just do the daily brush.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

I use a rubber horse curry brush and a pin or slicker brush. The curry brush loosens up all the dead hair real well. One day I’m going to get myself a blower.


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## Mei (Mar 30, 2018)

Thanks for all the tips and tools. I'll let ya'll know what i get. We're stopping at the tractor supply store after her vet visit!


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## unfortunatefoster (Dec 17, 2017)

Jenny720 said:


> I use a rubber horse curry brush and a pin or slicker brush. The curry brush loosens up all the dead hair real well. One day I’m going to get myself a blower.


I had a metro air force for 30 years and used it in my shop every day. It gave up the ghost and the new one lasted only 3 months. It went out with a huge bang and a blown circuit. I now use my shop vac (empty or it will blow debris all over) in reverse. Not quite as strong as the air force, but good enough to loosen and blow away the coat. I do this outside to create snow in June. The neighbors hate me. >


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

We’ve used Air Force Metro dryers in our shops for years too. Not expensive, and works great to blow that coat out.


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## Genalis_mom (Mar 9, 2018)

CometDog said:


> Valor smells like warm roasted peanuts kind of. I usually keep that to myself though, people look at you weird lol



Wait...but people looked at me weird BEFORE I had Genali. Warm roasted peanuts, huh? I sniffed Genali and got a big ole whiff of BRAT!


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## Mei (Mar 30, 2018)

Ditto on the air force max. We've used it once so far.


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## Mareesey (Aug 25, 2016)

CometDog said:


> Valor smells like warm roasted peanuts kind of. I usually keep that to myself though, people look at you weird lol


*sigh* Halsey smells like dirty socks. I'm thinking that isn't how she smells as much as her crate ends up having all of the dirty socks she can find hidden in it.


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## Beau's Mom (Nov 9, 2017)

Dirty sock hoard, what a hoot....I was missing one and that post sent me to Beau’s bed to look under the cushion where he likes to put special treasures for safe-keeping. Found it, thank you!

Beau’s fur smells a little like French lavender. Not really like, but in the same smell family. I use the furminator every other dayish, which works fine. And a trip to the groomer maybe every 6 months. Which is lovely.


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## Mareesey (Aug 25, 2016)

Beau's Mom said:


> Dirty sock hoard, what a hoot....I was missing one and that post sent me to Beau’s bed to look under the cushion where he likes to put special treasures for safe-keeping. Found it, thank you!


Glad I could help! My last GSD would take all my socks and tuck them under her bed when I wasn't home. When Halsey started doing it it was a little comforting because my last did it as well. I had to laugh though because she is still so small we have eyes on her ALL of the time. I had to ask my boyfriend if he stuck my socks in there being funny but he was completely baffled as to when she got them.


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## Richd (Dec 13, 2013)

I saved a pillowcase full and had it spun into yarn. The bad news is that unless you pull out all of the guard hairs and just leave the undercoat, it is going to be quite scratchy and very thin yarn. Some of the spinners will give you the option of having sheep's wool added in to soften and add some bulk. Dog hair wool is supposed to be 3 to 9 times warmer than sheep's wool. I gave the GSD yarn to my wife and asked her to knit me a puppy, but she has yet to start.


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## clipke (Nov 14, 2017)

My shepherds coat is very short, I brush less often than I probably should. Maybe once every 2-3 weeks. But he spends most of his time outside so I'm not super concerned with the shedding. Basically if I run my fingers through his coat and a ton of fur is left on my hand, he gets brushed. We just have a basic dog brush, nothing special.


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