# Grooming (many questions)



## Disavio (May 3, 2012)

Hi,

As you can guess, I'm new to the forum and to the GSD breed as well - still learning! I have an 11 month old female called Pebbles.

If I may:
- Do dogs, or GSDs, groom themselves and to what extent?
- I groom her twice a week with a undercoat rake and dong groom for guard hairs, but how would I treat when she is all muddy on her paws and belly - do I spray with a water bottle? 
- How would I clean her ears?
- How would I now when her toe nails are (too) long?

Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you

Mike


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## Marnie (Oct 11, 2011)

It's 60° here and the ground is a swamp. I keep a towel by the back door and wipe feet as the dogs come in. That plus a lot of floor mopping will get me thru until the ground freezes again. You don't need to clean the ears unless you have a problem with head shaking or odor from the ears. Ask your vet to take a minute a show you how to clip nails. Rule of thumb, if you can hear nails clicking on the floor when the dog walks, they are too long.


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## StephenV (Jan 16, 2006)

Both of mine have been pretty much wash & wear. If they get muddy I just hose their legs and chest down outside with a hose on the driveway or patio and give them a quick rub down with a towel. Since they have doublecoats, most of the dirt (and the water) stays on the surface. Brushing them weekly like you're doing is usually all that's needed. It slicks their coat and pulls out smelly dead hair. They usually don't groom themselves, in fact if they start doing a lot of licking it either means they're anxious about something or have a cut. I agree no need to clean the ears unless there are symptoms. Occasionally a seed or hair will lodge inside and need to be removed.
Active dogs will keep their nails worn down, but like Marnie said if you hear them clicking they need to be clipped.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

I put an old flanel sheet down by the back door it catches a lot of sand from wet feet & bellies. I was always so suprised whenever I took the dogs out when it was muddy and they were filty, I'd come home from work to clean dogs. I am mostly on sand here so it definately helps keep the dogs clean.
I use cotton balls with an ear wash to clean ears when needed, never ever use Q-Tips. It's good to always touch ears & feet so when it is time to do stuff they don't freak out.
I clip the tips off nails, when I need a good short cut I let the vet do it, then I try to keep up with the short cut by clipping tips off weekly or every 2 weeks.


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## Disavio (May 3, 2012)

Thx for your feedback. This us very helpful!


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Disavio said:


> - Do dogs, or GSDs, groom themselves and to what extent?


Most dogs do not really groom themselves. They may lick their paws and their private parts, but otherwise, they aren't really able to groom themselves the way a cat would.



> - I groom her twice a week with a undercoat rake and dong groom for guard hairs, but how would I treat when she is all muddy on her paws and belly - do I spray with a water bottle?


You could, or you could just use a damp cloth or towel, or you could simply hose the legs and belly off if it isn't too cold.



> - How would I clean her ears?


Use a commerically prepared ear cleaner for pets, or you can mix up a solution of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Squirt a bit into each ear, rub the base of the ear, then wipe out the dirt and wax with a cloth or cotton ball. GSDs don't usually have ear problems, but it's really good to get them accustomed to having their ears cleaned, as some dogs don't like it.



> - How would I now when her toe nails are (too) long?


If you can hear them ticking on the floor, they are probably long enough to trim. Use a pliers-type nail trimmer, the Resco guillotine-type are awful. Trim off just the sharp tip of the nail, a little at a time, until you see a dark spot in the center of the toenail. If you go any further they can bleed, so less is more until you get used to doing it.


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## smithjerico (Feb 8, 2013)

Thanks for such a wonderful advice. I want to know that after how many days, our pet must be taken to a bath. Because my pet always suffers from bad health after taking bath. I don't know what I must do. Any feedback is appreciated.


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## huntergreen (Jun 28, 2012)

bad health after a bath ? there is waterless shampoo you can try. also have quick stop on hand when you are trimming the nails. eventually you will need it.


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