# Grooming techniques/Blowing coat Help



## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Before getting Titan I had 2 labs. Grooming wasn't something I was too familiar with. They got brushed every now and then and taken to the groomers every few months. Well now I have a GSD.. who needs a lot more care in that area, and I will be the first to admit that I haven't been too good about it. I brush him when I think he needs it. Clean his ears whenever I brush. He has very good hygiene in the sense that he doesn't smell ever and he always looks well maintained. 

I now have some questions... I would like to get a better routine down that is better for the breed. Can some of you guys share what you all do with yours? What tools you use and how frequently? 

Also, this is going to sound dumb because I have had him for so long (2 1/2 years) but exactly when do they blow coat, and how am I sure that's what it is and not just normal shedding? Every time I brush him it seems as if another puppy could be made from the pile of hair I collect.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Some GSDs blow coat seasonally, others shed constantly year-round. Dogs that are kept indoors tend to be year-round shedders. Usually you know it when they're blowing coat--you'll find clumps of undercoat sticking out of the dog, like little cotton balls, and then the entire layer comes loose and the dog starts looking like a bison. 

Brush, brush, brush. For regular use, a soft slicker. During times of heavy shedding, an undercoat rake, Furminator, firm slicker, zoomgroom or rubber currycomb, all work great to get rid of the hair. If you're brushing enough hair off to make another dog, you probably need to brush more frequently. I brush mine about once a week, and in the spring, I use the Furminator. When using the Furminator you have to use a soft hand, like you're petting the dog with it, and don't go over the same spot for very long. If you overuse it, you can take out way more hair than you expected!


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

I use a comb first:
http://www.pet-bliss.co.uk/acatalog/StraightMetalDogCombSmallImage.jpg

Then the slicker brush:
http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/images/blogs/dog-slicker-brush.jpg


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## EJQ (May 13, 2003)

Some dogs never blow their coat; they shed year round. My girls always blow their coat close to the time that they are in heat. You most certainly will know when & if your puppy starts to blow coat. You can construct a new dog just about everyday! I normally use a metal comb, undercoat rake, furminator, brush, slicker or what ever seems appropriate at the time.

I can tell you this; the more you groom the better your life will be. It's really a pretty easy habit to get into IF you are able to work the grooming session into another activity. Because my girls are therapy dogs I have to be on top of the grooming tasks. I groom in the morning while watching the Today Show and then again during the 6:00 PM news. By doing so, I have an easy job of getting them ready for therapy visits (three to four times a week).

Hope this helps.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I am never without my metro air force blower


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i use an under coat comb (not a rake) and a pin
brush. i brush/comb him in all directions with the under
coat comb. then i brush him in one direction with the under 
coat comb. i brush his head, ears, legs and underneath him
with the pin brush. i brush him 3 to 4 times a week.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you brush your dogs twice a day?? how many days a week??



EJQ said:


> Some dogs never blow their coat; they shed year round. My girls always blow their coat close to the time that they are in heat. You most certainly will know when & if your puppy starts to blow coat. You can construct a new dog just about everyday! I normally use a metal comb, undercoat rake, furminator, brush, slicker or what ever seems appropriate at the time.
> 
> I can tell you this; the more you groom the better your life will be. It's really a pretty easy habit to get into IF you are able to work the grooming session into another activity. Because my girls are therapy dogs I have to be on top of the grooming tasks.
> 
> ...


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Thanks so much guys!!! Gives me a good idea on what to do and a good routine. I'll probably do it maybe every other day.. right now I have a wire brush and a furminator. I use the furminator mostly.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

When the girls start blowing coat, I take them to the shop and bathe them, then blast them with the metro dryer. Might take a few times, but seems to get the coat out pretty fast. 

When do they blow coat? Seasonally, several weeks before they come in heat, and if I enter them in a dog show


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## EJQ (May 13, 2003)

doggiedad said:


> you brush your dogs twice a day?? how many days a week??


Needless to say, everyone thinks I'm NUTS - they get groomed almost every day (especially during the school year - we visit 12 classrooms in three different schools each week). Our groomer says that they are the best groomed dogs she has ever seen - all she does is bathe them and dry them!!


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Not a GSD, but here is a dog I groomed yesterday which is a classic example of a dog who is "blowing coat". It's easy to see on a shorthaired dog like a Lab; with a longer haired dog, the guard coat would cover the layer of wool so that it isn't quite as obvious as this. You'd just see little pieces sticking through as they came loose.










All this hair was taken off with a Furminator.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Oooooook I got it.. didn't mean to sound ignorant but I haven't seen anything like that on Titan. Maybe I brush him more frequently than I think. Lol. Thanks for all the suggestions! It really helps!


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