# Long Haired GSD owners! (Or dog owners in general)



## VTGirlT (May 23, 2013)

I groom my 8 month old about once a week. She wasn't really shedding until recently and now i'm getting huge balls of it! 

*What are some good grooming brushes and tools?*

*What are some good ways and products to detangle a "birds nest"?*
(Behind her ear she has crimps and they tangle very easy and i found two "birds nest" i was able to remove one slowly, the other one is a lot more difficult and am wondering if there is a "secret potion" to help me detangle it?)

*How many times a week do you groom your long haired?*

*How many times a year do you go to a professional for a groom? (if at all)*

Thanks guys!


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I use three different brushes, a furminator, a furminator brand slicker brush and a comb. I usually brush him once or twice a week and that seems to work for us, his fur his thin and silky. I use the comb on his ear floofies and butt puffs, really helps to keep mats from forming!

Another thing I'd highly recommend if you're not already is also giving fish and coconut(extra virgin unrefined) oil supplements. They do amazing things for their coat... Like I said my dogs is soft and silky and SO shiny, they have other great health benefits too.

I don't plan on using a groomer since I can groom him easily enough myself but I might like once a year or something.


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## VTGirlT (May 23, 2013)

Thank you i just added those three to my amazon wish list! 

And yes! I recently started her on fish oil primarily for her joints, but i did hear it also does wonders to their skin and coat!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I use a metro air force blower, and I'll say it again, I can't live without it ! Mine is probably 14+ years old and still going strong.

For detangling, you can find detangler just about anywhere..unless they are so bad you have to comb them really gently or cut them out


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## VTGirlT (May 23, 2013)

I've never heard of a metro force air blower. Makes sense! It would help with the worry of hot spots to some degree as well. 

Thanks!


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

I use a rake, it takes off amazing amounts of hair(if only we could sell it). We take her to a groomer twice a year. Once before the holidays, and then again in late May. They just clean everything up, she looks great. It's usually 35.00 each time for bathing, nails and a good brushout.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

A local groomer showed us how to use a comb backwards and it works great. Maybe Freestep will see this thread, she is a groomer and lots of knowledge.


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## Mguz11 (Aug 2, 2013)

Nigel said:


> A local groomer showed us how to use a comb backwards and it works great. Maybe Freestep will see this thread, she is a groomer and lots of knowledge.


I actually just started combing Dres' coat backwards and it works so much better! My question is.. When do you know when to stop? I live in Michigan and its been close to 90 degrees every day and super humid so I literally have combed what could be an entire coat off his body and it just seems to be never ending. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## FG167 (Sep 22, 2010)

I use an undercoat rake, a mat breaker, and a Cowboy Magic (detangler). I am hoping to get a forced air dryer next year. I detest the furminator on his coat, it breaks the top coat.


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## AugustGSD (Mar 29, 2013)

I use the Furminator brush for large dogs and its works well, gets the undercoat and top coat! I try to brush 2-3 times a week when he is really shedding, but at least once a week when not.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

1>>>>> i use an undercoat comb and a pin brush.

2>>>>> brush, comb more often. check your dog often and don't let the hair tangle.

3>>>>> i brush, comb 3 to 4 times a week (stock coat or coatie).

4>>>>> never used a professional groomer with this dog. it's not
that i wouldn't use a professional i haven't had a need for one.



VTGirlT said:


> I groom my 8 month old about once a week. She wasn't really shedding until recently and now i'm getting huge balls of it!
> 
> *1>>>>> What are some good grooming brushes and tools?*
> 
> ...


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## arycrest (Feb 28, 2006)

I've had three long haired GSDs over the years and I used an undercoat rake and various kinds of pin brushes and slickers on them (I tried several brands/styles/etc). 

FWIW ... I recently bought a JW Pet Company GripSoft Double Row Undercoat Rake and I just love, it's the best one I've ever used, wish I'd had one with the long hair guys.
Amazon.com: JW Pet Company GripSoft Double Row Undercoat Rake Dog Brush: Pet Supplies


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

That "bird's nest" is called a mat. You can sometimes tease it apart with a metal comb or dematting tool, but if it's very close to the skin and/or large, you may need to have a professional groomer clip it out. DO NOT attempt to cut it out with scissors, I've seen people give their pet stitches trying to do this.

The tools every GSD owner should have are a soft slicker brush, a Furminator/shedding blade/other carding tool, and a rubber "zoomgroom" or curry comb to use during the bath. For longcoats, you'll also need a firm slicker, an undercoat rake, a metal comb, and a mat splitter or other dematting tool. With longcoats, you need to get ALL the way down to the skin when you brush. Don't just brush the top of the hair, get down to the roots by line-brushing. To linebrush, pet your dog backward and hold the hair up. Take your slicker and pull down the hair you're holding. Keep doing this over every inch of the dog until you can easily run a fine-toothed comb through the entire coat.

I strongly recommend investing in a Metro dryer or other high velocity (HV) dryer. It is very powerful dryer that shoots air out at a high velocity. Use it to dry your dog after a bath and watch the dead undercoat fly out! It's especially important for longcoats so that you can get the hair dry from the root to the tip. This blasts out dead undercoat and will prevent (and sometimes even remove) tangles and mats. You can even run the HV dryer over a dry dog to blast out dirt, dust, hair and debris. Please wear a mask if you do this.

The cheapest metro dryers start out about $90, but if you get the most powerful one you can afford, you'll never regret it. The K9 III is the most powerful dryer available to the public, in fact many professional groomers use it. That one costs about $390, but it's worth every penny. Power is especially important with heavy coats.

Grooming a GSD is a lot of work and it's very messy. If you go to a professional groomer, they do all the work, all the cleanup, and bring your dog back to you looking like a million bucks and feeling ten pounds lighter after all that dead, shedding hair is blown out. I charge $50 for short coated GSDs and longcoats start at $55. When I didn't have a grooming salon for about a year, I absolutely took my GSD to a groomer when she needed a bath. No way would I ever do it outside with the hose, or inside my own bathtub. No way. Too much hair, too much dirt, too much cleanup.

Did I cover everything?


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