# Shedding



## dogmama340 (Apr 18, 2012)

How do you all handle all the shedding with GS? I have the furinator brush and it helps but I am having to brush the dog daily? I am so sick of vacumming the house every day too.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

I just deal, it comes with owning a GSD.

Although I don't have the heavy shedding that alot of people describe.

-rake brush (I like this best for the undercoat)
-slicker brush
-loop brush - shedding blade

I also think a healthy diet helps with shedding. I brush every weekend, also do nails and wipe ears at the sametime.

And I have a Dyson


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## brembo (Jun 30, 2009)

I vacuum the dog directly. Banjo loves it when I fire up the shop vac, he comes running for a grooming session. I use a smallish wand attachment that ruffles the fur up some and helps dislodge the coat. He flops over on his side and groans loud enough to hear it over the vacuum. He is a strange dog however.


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

I know some people who have purchased their own dog drier. They say the pressure helps loosen the dead fur.


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## brembo (Jun 30, 2009)

fuzzybunny said:


> I know some people who have purchased their own dog drier. They say the pressure helps loosen the dead fur.


Oh yes, a high-speed drier can remove INSANE amounts of fur. I used one at a doggie grooming store in a 5x5 "drier booth" and was amazed at the amount of fur that Banjo cut loose. I was covered, the walls were covered, it was crazy.


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## dogmama340 (Apr 18, 2012)

This may be a stupid quetion but where does all the hair go when you use the dryer? Wouldn't you have to use it outside or i guess you would have a mess of hair on the floor.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Throw the furminator out and get an undercoat rake. The furminator ruins their coat. The undercoat rake will pull the loose hair out without harming it and I think it does a better job.


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## brembo (Jun 30, 2009)

Jax08 said:


> Throw the furminator out and get an undercoat rake. The furminator ruins their coat. The undercoat rake will pull the loose hair out without harming it and I think it does a better job.


The furminator has it's place, I like to use it during the heaviest shedding period...once. It grabs so much. Then I go back to a rake or a simple brush for the remainder of the shedding season. I concentrate on the areas that don't have much in the line of guard hair to minimize the impact. The furminator really does a number on the undercoat in a big hurry.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

I understand the concern with the furminator. Certainly not all, but alot of people have a heavy hand when using it causing damage.


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## SpookyShepherd (Oct 12, 2010)

I just use an undercoat rake and a standard toothed comb on Piper, sometime the slicker bruch since she likes the way it feels. The whole crew (dog + 3 cats) line up when the grooming drawer opens up so each critter gets a few minutes of brushing almost daily. Regular short sessions, often while watchin TV, is what helps me keep the shedding of a GSD, two Himmies (toothed comb), and Heinz 57 (slicker brush) in check.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Yes, a force dryer will remove unbelievable amounts of dead hair. Do it outside, as the hair will be blasted everywhere, including all over you. Or, take your dog to a professional groomer so the hair gets all over them instead.


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## mosul210 (Mar 23, 2012)

My dogs have yet to start shedding, what month do your dogs begin to shed?


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

Any recommendations on the brand of dryer to get?


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## lzver (Feb 9, 2012)

Jake being only 4 1/2 months hasn't started shedding a whole lot yet. But I have 3 parrots in the house and have gotten accustomed to vacuuming up all the food they drop on a daily basis so its not a big deal to me. 

The rest of the house gets vacuumed weekly.


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

It's part of owning a German Shepherd... I don't believe anything can make a significant enough reduction in shedding. I've found slightly less with my boy since I started him on his little nutritional skin and coat support combo, but he still sheds and always will.

My skin and coat supplements:
K9 Instinct - Dog training, dog obedience training, raw diet, raw feeding, minimal vaccines: Enhance your dog's coat condition and colour naturally with diet and supplements.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Can anyone recommend any attachments to go on a central vacuum? Right now I have done some direct vacuum but would like to comb and vacuum and imagine a lot of products out there are disappointing. If the dogs did not keep costing me money and I had a bigger disposable income I would buy the Metro but for right now.....


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Has anyone used the Dyson pet attachment? Looks like a slicker brush?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Looks like it has great reviews on Amazon. Not sure if it only fits on a Dyson or if it will do other vacuums.


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## hattifattener (Oct 7, 2011)

mosul210 said:


> My dogs have yet to start shedding, what month do your dogs begin to shed?


Odi had no signs of shedding until now. she is 11 and a half months old.

i brush her with very usual plastic comb.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Jax08 said:


> Has anyone used the Dyson pet attachment? Looks like a slicker brush?


My SIL has it for her GSD and really likes it.

I have a Dyson but Rusty will not chill out for me to vacuum him & dare I say I don't want to put any training into that one. lol


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Courtney - is it like a slicker brush? Jax hates those! Not sure she would like it to much. She's never been scared of vacuum's but she backed into the Dyson and it got stuck on her butt so she wasn't to keen on it after that.


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Jax08 said:


> Courtney - is it like a slicker brush? Jax hates those! Not sure she would like it to much. She's never been scared of vacuum's but she backed into the Dyson and it got stuck on her butt so she wasn't to keen on it after that.


Yes, it's basically a slicker brush with massive suction. My SIL dog loves it and will just lay there and enjoy it. Mine wants to take it out.

The suction in the Dyson's are pretty strong. I was using the hose attachment in the bathroom and clipped the end of the shower curtain and had to turn off the vacumm to pull out the huge section it sucked up. I could see if she accidently backed into one not being to impressed with having one used on her!


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

The poor girl. Doesn't like to be more than 10' from me but every time I got near her with the vacuum she looked at me like I was betraying her. lol


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

The orange Metro dryers are fairly affordable, and you get a lot of bang for the buck. The K-9 dryers are great too. Get the most powerful one you can afford, and you'll never regret it.


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## Lakl (Jul 23, 2011)

I use the Dyson groomer. The dogs were freaked out by it the first couple times, but now they love it and will just stretch out and let me vacuum them. It's great that you don't have all the fur cleanup afterwards, but I can usually fill the canister up pretty quick on one dog.


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## Armitagecm23 (Feb 14, 2012)

so which brush do you recommend? we have the furminator but havent used it. she will be 8 weeks so i am not expecting to have to deal with a lot of sheding right away but would like to know what you suggest. i have heard mixed reviews.


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## vivree (May 19, 2012)

One thing that I've discovered to be a lifesaver with Jara at shedding is a bath and blowdry, and I just have a normal hairdryer. So much of the fur comes out with a good rinse, I don't even have to use shampoo every time (which is good because I don't want the oils in her fur to deplete too much) and blowdrying takes out even more.


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