# These German Shedders...



## GSDkid (Apr 19, 2011)

Well, I've had only one dog in my life and she loves me so much that provides me with so much furr! It's everywhere!!! I comb her about 3 to 4 times a week and it's still coming! I have a rake and a comb... I'm thinking about buying one of those expensive furminators. How do you deal with it?

I just want to not vacuum the house as an experiment and see how high it'll pile up in a months time. Maybe it'll be up to my ankles.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

How do I deal with it? Brush, vacuum, vacuum, brush, sweep, brush, vacuum. . . . and don't invite people over.


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

I vacuum once a week, sometimes twice a week. 

It's a chore, but one I do happily, because it's my honey bunny Joey doing the shedding.

Never thought we'd fall head over heels in love with a dog.


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## Deuce (Oct 14, 2010)

Yes, they do shed which catches the general public off guard when you tell them that. We vac. several times a week and don't let Deuce on the bed anymore.


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## GSDkid (Apr 19, 2011)

So... I'm assuming there's no better way around this. Just acceptance? I've read up on how much GSD's shed but to actually experience it is definitely on a whole different level. 

It just seems like, once I'm done with the combing session, I can still see more coming. It's just a never ending cycle. Unless, I'm doing it wrong? I use the rake first, then the comb to finish. I brush her afterwards and seems like there are still more. These sessions take up to 30 to an hour, depending on how much she's shedding. 

Also, sometimes, I'll see lighter patches by her hips. I pull it and it's like a chunk of cotton. Is that what they refer to "Blowing the coat"?


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

GSDkid said:


> So... I'm assuming there's no better way around this. Just acceptance? I've read up on how much GSD's shed but to actually experience it is definitely on a whole different level.
> 
> It just seems like, once I'm done with the combing session, I can still see more coming. It's just a never ending cycle. Unless, I'm doing it wrong? I use the rake first, then the comb to finish. I brush her afterwards and seems like there are still more. These sessions take up to 30 to an hour, depending on how much she's shedding.
> 
> Also, sometimes, I'll see lighter patches by her hips. I pull it and it's like a chunk of cotton. Is that what they refer to "Blowing the coat"?


Yup, this is all normal. Try having two!


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

What do you feed your dog? Sometimes diet has a lot to do with shedding, what supplements do you give her?

You can get the furminator from Ebay way cheaper than Petco. I got mine for less than 15 bucks I think.


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## Grizz's dad (Dec 28, 2011)

We just bought the furminator about a week ago. You would not believe the amount of hair that comes off Grizz with every stroke! So far I've noticed less hair on our floors, so I'm hoping that it's doing what it's advertised. It was expensive but I'll deal with it as long as it keeps working.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

I have two dogs. I deal with the shedding by 1) Giving them Omega 3 (has helped to reduce the shedding a bit) 2) Using the Furminator. 3) Vacuuming every day 4) Covering the couch in the spot my GSD sits on.


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## GSDkid (Apr 19, 2011)

Emoore said:


> Yup, this is all normal. Try having two!


lol. I WAS thinking about it... I guess there's just no way around it.

@Josie/Zues: No supplements atm. Just Nutro LB kibbles and Cans. She has a weak stomach so Nutro worked best for her after switching from 3 different brands. So... Does the furminator actually make a difference from your average rakes and combs?

@GSLova: I'll definitely have to stop by the store to get some Omega 3. Just googled the pro's and cons of it. Thanks for the recommendation.


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## Sapakus (Aug 10, 2010)

i gotta furminator online for like $17... its free shipping but it took about a month to get here from china!

5" Stainless Steel Pet Dog Deshedding Tool - Red + Black - Free Shipping - DealExtreme


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

I use the furminator and vacuum every day. Google furminator and you will get all sorts of prices. I paid $28 for mine.


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## Ninamarie (Feb 14, 2010)

ok I have the old style Furminator and we own a DYSON vacuum! invest in the DYSON for it's comes recomended for pet hair too. HEPA Filter and so on. Brush vac brush shoo dog outside vac ...never ending


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## Ninamarie (Feb 14, 2010)

*Wowowowowowowowww*

Omg look what petc has>>>>


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

Emoore said:


> Yup, this is all normal. Try having two!


Ummm...try having 5! lol

Mine aren't allowed upstairs nor the front dining room which limits the areas I have to keep up with. IT's so worth it!


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## SARAHSMITH (Sep 19, 2010)

I find the mud/dirt/water much worse than the hair. I have central vac & it's a breeze, but my dark hardwood floor shows every drip mark that trails down the hallway after he drinks his water and every dirty or wet paw print. One day and it looks as if I haven't washed my floor in a year! And my living room throw rug, well let's just say we plan on buying a new inexpensive one once a year.


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## Ninamarie (Feb 14, 2010)

Sarasmith that was funny!!


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## Caitydid255 (Aug 28, 2010)

I can testify as to the amount of hair that accumulates in a week. Last Tuesday I had shoulder surgery and today was the first day I was really up and about. Hubby did not vacuum as he didn't want to disturb me. There are hairballs everywhere, the edges of each wall, clumps under the furniture, mounds under the radiator, etc. I'm afraid to go upstairs. This is from two regularly groomed GSDs. The experiment ends tomorrow as I'm breaking out the shop vac. I knew that GSDs shed, but never this amount.

Furminator is a wonder brush. Just be prepared to be covered in hair as the loosened undercoat clings to everything.


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## Caitydid255 (Aug 28, 2010)

Ninamarie said:


> Omg look what petc has>>>>


OMG!!! I'm pulling out the credit card as I type!


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## TimberGSD2 (Nov 8, 2011)

I have an attachment for my vacuum that brushes and sucks up the hair all at once. Took a few times to get them used to it but it works really well. 

Of course I also furminate frequently and vacuum alot. 

One way of dealing was getting rid of all the carpets and getting hardwood floors. 

My advice is use all the products listed by everyone and then ignore the furbunnies that still exist in every home that houses a shedder.


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

Shasta barely sheds at all except when she's blowing her coat, then it's six weeks of [a really bad, hot place]. She sheds everything, under coat and outer coat and she has a long thick coat. It's so bad that my husband asks at least "do you think this is normal" at least five times a day! When she's at the height of the hair loss, I'm vacuuming three or more times a day in the areas she likes to hang out.. She looks kind of naked to us right now, but before June it will all have all grown back so we can go through it again.

FYI, I prefer the undercoat rake to the Furminator and my husband prefers the rubber Kong brush-thingy.


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## jang (May 1, 2011)

Wolfiesmom said:


> I use the furminator and vacuum every day. Google furminator and you will get all sorts of prices. I paid $28 for mine.


Does the furminator make a lot of noise--Sib is afraid of noise and doesn't much like being brushed..Would you recommend under these circumstances?jan


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

jang said:


> Does the furminator make a lot of noise--Sib is afraid of noise and doesn't much like being brushed..Would you recommend under these circumstances?jan


The Furminator is a type of brush. No noise


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

I see someone mentioned the Dyson-I totally agree. I used to own an Oreck but switched to Dyson because of my dogs shedding. It was a wonderful choice-works great and I don't have to buy bags constantly.


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## Ninamarie (Feb 14, 2010)

@Germanshephardlova---It was Me Nina that mentioned the DYSON Oh **** yeah it rocks! Today since we are painting the inside of the house I had the shop vac out to clean up the sanding dust and while I was at that I chased the 'Puppies" (dog hair) down the hall with the SV lol it was great!


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## Ninamarie (Feb 14, 2010)

sorry for the swear word..but actually it's a place and not really a cuss...lol


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## GSDkid (Apr 19, 2011)

Ninamarie said:


> Omg look what petc has>>>>



Genius!


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## jb_pwrstroke (Jul 9, 2007)

I've had 2 god's and never realized it until we got hard wood floors and you can actually see all of it its scary lol


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

As far as the furminator goes it depends on the coat if your pup has a closer denser coat then yeah the furminator works great. My girl is a longer coat and I LOATHE the furminator it makes her coat look horrible. I have had a lab and a GSD in the past that the furminator was horrible on as well the GSD wasn't real tight but had hair aobut an inch or so long like the lab. I'm not a fan of the furminator it does work and gets a ton of hair out but hate how it makes their coat look it cuts the hair etc.. just not a fan of it but it works for others. I have 3 very basic grooming tools in my arsenal and I wouldn't have it any other way. One is a basic slicker brush (great for just a quick brush session and helps loosen up some of the areas that have a few tangles.) The second is the zoom groom by kong for the shorter coats it works amazing even on the long coat it works rather well at the undercoat as well as the guard hairs is only like $8. It also works well in the shower to get a good lather and to top it all off if you use the back of it it's amazing on the furniture and clothes to help get the fur off of it like a lint roller almost just no paper haha. My third and by far favorite tool is my metal grooming comb. Its just a regular comb and all metal. I never groom her dry so I make up a spray bottle with water and a few squirts of pantene conditioner for fine hair spray her all over and then use the metal comb. Gets a ton of hair out plus it all collects in the comb so you don't have hair going everywhere. Plus, after her coat is super shiny and soft and always smells like she's freshly groomed. Also, I feed raw and give supplements which really does make a difference. I had someone bring their dog over and couldn't believe how much more it shed then Jinx then she switched her guys to raw and noticed a huge reduction in shedding just my switching. She doesn't shed much all year except for when she actually blows her coat then it's bad but vacuuming and the comb/squirt bottle and we are ready for war lol


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

i use the furminator, but i bought it from eBay MUCH cheaper then in the stores


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

The hair is driving me insane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hair, hair, hair, it's everywhere!

Between the dogs and the cats I sleep hair, I eat hair, I am hair!

I can sweep and sweep and sweep and there is still hair!


I have had it! 

Once my cats pass away I will not get anymore and I will only have 1 GSD at a time.


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## GSDkid (Apr 19, 2011)

LaRen616 said:


> The hair is driving me insane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Hair, hair, hair, it's everywhere!
> 
> ...


Ever try knitting the dog hair into a sweater?


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

LOL LaRen. I take it you are having a bad hair day haha.

Unfortunately right there with you. Generally it's not bad but this weather can't make up its mind and either can Jinx's coat plus I'm pretty sure she's getting ready to go into heat so she's just losing hair EVERYWHERE even my husband is going nuts because it's everywhere no matter what I do.


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

I always wondered how long I'd have to brush in order to stop getting hair out. I have every tool and they're all great but it just doesn't stop, lol.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Holmeshx2 said:


> LOL LaRen. I take it you are having a bad hair day haha.
> 
> Unfortunately right there with you. Generally it's not bad but this weather can't make up its mind and either can Jinx's coat plus I'm pretty sure she's getting ready to go into heat so she's just losing hair EVERYWHERE even my husband is going nuts because it's everywhere no matter what I do.


I have to look closely at everything I eat because a hair always ends up in it, it's disgusting. I hate cooking in my house. 

I sweep and sweep and move things around to get the hair and within an hour a tumble weed blows past me! 

I wish I could shave them all.


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

Thankfully I generally am pretty safe cooking however sitting down to eat it an a finger touches clothes or the couch or something else cloth and next thing I know theres a hair about to go in my mouth. Grrr can't wait for her to go back to her "normal" shedding which normally isn't much.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

GSDkid said:


> Ever try knitting the dog hair into a sweater?


Seriously--for a while there, I was selling dog and cat hair to a lady that spins fiber into yarn. She gave me a dollar an ounce!! Eventually she was overwhelmed with dog hair and had to tell me to quit sending it. 

She had samples of the yarn she spun from dog hair. She had all different breeds: GSD, Husky, Poodle, Norwegian Elkhound, etc. The best was Bichon Frise. Very soft and cottony.


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## GSDkid (Apr 19, 2011)

Freestep said:


> Seriously--for a while there, I was selling dog and cat hair to a lady that spins fiber into yarn. She gave me a dollar an ounce!! *Eventually she was overwhelmed with dog hair and had to tell me to quit sending it.*
> 
> She had samples of the yarn she spun from dog hair. She had all different breeds: GSD, Husky, Poodle, Norwegian Elkhound, etc. The best was Bichon Frise. Very soft and cottony.


LOL. With all the GSD hair I have, I'd be a millionaire!


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