If you don’t want to ruin the textured beauty of your German shepherd, then never think about shaving these doggies at any stage. Otherwise, it will lead to some serious skin diseases in your puppy. Some folks still think there is no such risk of shaving a shepherd dog.
Keep reading to discover all the problems faced after shaving these puppies. Our experts will also reveal the right way to care for both coats of German shepherd dogs. So, stay tuned and learn all the key aspects of this lovely puppy.
Should I Shave German Shepherds – A Quick Answer
Shaving a shepherd dog even in summer is not necessary; in fact, your dog can’t tolerate the rays of the sun and may fall in some serious skin implications. You will also lose the texture of your puppy and will never recover it.
Make sure you care about a German shepherd’s coat with the right approach. The right grooming schedule with proper brushing is the only solution to help your puppy maintain the beauty of its stylish appearance and silky nature.
German Shepherd Coat and Skin Care
German Shepherd Dog – GSD owners have to do plenty of things to care for the coat and skin of these pets. They must obtain quality vacuum cleaners or de-shedding tools to remove all the messes of these dogs on a daily basis.
Moreover, you can’t shave these puppies, so grooming and brushing will become a necessary part of their lives. Still, if you shave a German shepherd, you will see many skin issues. The undercoat hair of these puppies will grow quickly as compared to the fur of a topcoat which raises very slowly. This will cause matting problems and some serious skin issues. Even you may see bald patches in any coat of a German shepherd.
Our experts advise the owners of these puppies to make a grooming and brushing schedule for these dog breeds. You can also maintain the right shape of skin and coat of German shepherds with natural oils. These tips will also help you to grow the hair of shaved German shepherds and avoid any skin problems in the future growth of their furs.
Can you Shave a German Shepherd – Why Not?
Can you shave a long haired German Shepherd? I know many dog owners are always keen to shave their puppies to avoid their grooming activities in the longer run. Here, let me show you some major reasons why you should never shave these puppies:
- Lost their Protection: Once you have shaved your German shepherd, this pup will be in trouble in front of any harsh element. The shaved coat can’t resistant to heat, and even your dog will lose its tolerance against colder climates.
- Shaving Won’t Make Them Cool: Some dog owners have a wrong perception about German shepherds that shaving will make them cool in summer. Believe me or not, these puppies have no relief without hair in summer. So, never think about shaving a German shepherd in summer.
- These Dogs Won’t go Hairless: Keep one thing in mind German shepherds will never be bald or hairless at any stage of their lives. So, the coat blow happens only on the arrival of winter and summer. You should be ready for that!
- Shaving is Unnecessary to Manage Coat Blow: As a dog owner, you can do different things with your German shepherd to manage coat blow and shedding. However, make 100% sure that you are using the right tools for this shedding process.
- Shaving is not the Solution to Shedding: You can reduce the shedding in a German shepherd. It might prove the worst idea to shave these puppies to minimize the double coat shedding. These dogs shed all year round.
- Shaving will Eliminate the Attraction: The texture of shepherds looks fantastic; anyone can fall in love with the style of this pup at first sight. You may not see the natural guard hair even after a single shave.
- Shaving Damages, the Beauty of Both Coats: Once you shave your German dog, you will never see its previous hair texture. Your puppy will never recover from its past hairstyle on any coat.
- Make the Topcoat Hair Unshaved Against Sun: You must keep the topcoat’s hair longer to protect the skin of the German shepherd against intensive heat. Both the coats of this dog protect them against the sun’s rays.
- Increases the Hotspots or Wounds: The shaved double coat will also expose your puppy to wounds and hotspots. Most German shepherds will scratch their fur with their toenails. If no hair is present in the coat, you will surely notice hotspots and wounds on the skin of your furry dog.
- Shaving also Exposes you to Matting: If you shave a German shepherd, it will lead to matting. If any debris or twigs are stuck in the fur of your shepherd dog, then you can easily notice and remove it.
- Shaving can Lead to Skin Cancer: If you expose your puppy’s skin to the sun and any other overheating condition, it could lead to skin cancer or any other serious disease.
The Right Way to Groom your German Shepherd
After knowing all these German shepherd problems, you must be looking for the right procedure to take care of both coats of your Shepherd dog. Meanwhile, you are not keen to expose any coat of this puppy to avoid skin damage.
Therefore, a short hair trimming session is enough for both coats of a shepherd dog instead of a complete shave. Now another question may arise in your mind how to brush a German shepherd after grooming them. Well, there are two simple and healthy approaches to go with it. Let’s find out these two procedures here in detail:
1. The Bathe & Comb Method
Here are the simple instructions for this method to follow:
- Start bathing your shepherd puppy and use the appropriate shampoo, if required.
- Pick your puppy out of the tub and dry it well with a soft towel.
- Once the fur of your doggie is completely dried up, then spray it to improve the sheen.
- Now, start brushing the fur of your German puppy in the right direction. Do this practice from back to front and then down to the body. Here it’s a good idea to make a brushing routine for your lovely German shepherd for better care.
2. The Bathe and Blow Method
If your German shepherd has a thick coat, then adopt the following steps to care for them:
- Use warm water for bathing your German shepherd. Here you can also use a moisturizing shampoo.
- Rinse your doggie off and get rid of shampoo and other messes thoroughly.
- Use a dryer to eliminate moisture from the undercoat. Better to do this step at any outside place.
- You should work from the back to the front side of your doggie to blow the undercoat. Take care of the chest, belly, and any other hard-to-access area of your shepherd dog.
Do you Need to Visit to shave the German Shepherd?
Well, this query is not easy to answer, but, in my opinion, you should approach an expert groomer in the case of a German shepherd. As there is a double coat of hair on a shepherd dog with different growth cycles, it will become tricky to cut the right amount of hair on each coat.
Moreover, you can’t recover any grooming mistakes for these puppies, or it may take too long to return to the same hair texture. The professional groomer also takes only 15 to 20 minutes and charges low for this dog breed, so there is no need to take any kind of risk.
Some Quick Tips for Grooming German Shepherds
Now, if you think that you have learned all the important aspects of shaving a German shepherd, then you must remember the following useful tips and tricks for better care of this lovely dog:
- Take care of the dead hair and debris. You must remove them in every brushing session.
- In warmer conditions, increase the brushing routine to keep both coats healthy.
- You can also use any high-velocity dryer to clean the fur of these puppies.
- Summer shaving is quite dangerous for a German shepherd. Keep your doggie safe from this wrong perception.
- Must remember the challenge of a shedding season for your shepherd dog.
- If you notice skin infection on any coat of this pup, then you must consult it with your local vet.
- Must bathe your German shepherd with a moisturizing shampoo to eliminate any itching.
- Use de-shedding spray, if required.
Is it Bad to Shave a German Shepherd? Related Questions
Can I have my German Shepherd shaved?
The hair coat is a natural protection for a German shepherd; if you shave this shield, then your puppy will surely suffer from cold and hot weather climates. Giving a haircut with a proper brushing routine is better for better care.
Do German shepherds need a haircut?
You don’t need to go to the groomer’s shop very often with your German shepherd as they are low-maintenance dog breeds. However, you will find these puppies double coated, so a routine hair trimming session is necessary to eliminate the debris and dead hair from their coats.
How can I get my German Shepherd to stop shedding?
You have to brush this puppy regularly to reduce the shedding. A healthy diet also maintains the skin and coat of your German shepherd. It will also get rid of the skin diseases in this dog breed.
How often should a German Shepherd be bathed?
As German shepherds are low-groomed dogs, so you just need to give them a detailed bath to this puppy after every three to four months. It will surely help you to maintain the topcoat and undercoat of these doggies.
Why should you not shave your German Shepherd?
The hair growing speed of the topcoat of these dogs is quite slow. While the similar speed of undercoat hair is fast. Once the hair of the undercoat is matted with the fur of the topcoat. It will surely cause skin problems for your puppy. Shaving is not the right solution to this issue. Regular grooming and brushing will reduce this problem to a greater extent.
What happens if you shave a double coated dog?
Shaving double coated puppies will cause lots of problems. The undercoat hair will quickly interact with the slow growing fur of the topcoat and cause matting problems. You may also see bald patches on these coats of your dogs. You should maintain a grooming and brushing schedule for these double coated dogs to avoid such problems.
To Shave or Not to Shave your German Shepherd – Final Advice
Can you shave a German shepherd? I hope that you will get the precise answer to this query. Many people still think that shaving is the right way for German shepherds, as they adopted this procedure with other dog breeds, but it’s not true.
The right grooming schedule with a brushing routine is the only solution to maintaining this dog’s fur. Whether you want to trim undercoat hair or craft the fur of the topcoat layer, you have to approach a professional groomer for your shepherd dog. Make sure you have chosen an expert groomer for this lovely puppy.
Stay tuned for more updates! It’s time to say Goodbye, and don’t forget to watch the right way to trim a bigger German shepherd in the following video: