Grooming the German Shepherd Dog
Before you start grooming your German Shepherd, make sure that you have habituated him to the equipment you will be using. Let him see the equipment and pair it with a treat. Progress to touching him with the brush and reward him. If you have a nervous dog, don’t try to rush it. Think about using “The bucket game” (Chirag Patel) or chin targeting. You will find notes on this on our behaviour and training Facebook group. Once you have habituated your dog to the tools, you can start to brush him gently. Short sessions to begin with to stop him getting stressed or bored. After a couple of minutes, stop brushing and reward your dog with a treat or a game. Then resume the grooming for another couple of minutes and then reward with a treat or a game. Make grooming an enjoyable experience for him.
With the standard coat GSD you can get away with grooming once a week or so, but with a long haired GSD, it probably needs to be done every other day. I prefer to use a rake on long coated and standard coats. I opted for the Karli double row rake. This will get the dead undercoat out. Once you have finished raking him, you can “polish” him with either a zoom groom or a slicker brush. I tend to use the zoom groom. You will be surprised how much dead hair this gets out. Don’t forget to check for knots. Their Trousers (boys) or bloomers (girls) can get tangled. If you have a long coated GSD, they are prone to knots behind the ears. I tend to cut these out if they are too bad as it can be painful for them if you try tugging the knots out.
Do not be tempted to bath your GSD too often as it can dry their skin. Every 3 months is plenty. I don’t even bath mine that much. Be mindful that some shampoos are carcinogenic. Try to use a more natural one with less chemicals. I like Cooper and Gracie or Avogel neem shampoo. Do not use human shampoo on your dog and avoid some of the dog shampoos available in the bargain stores. They are cheap for a reason. Some people use baby shampoo, but remember, Johnson and Johnson were successfully sued over cancer claims regarding their baby powder. Rinse thoroughly.
One of my best buys is my blaster. I could not be without it. You will be amazed at the dust and dead hair this blows out. I leave it at the back door, and give the dogs a quick blast as they come in if it has been raining or if they have been in puddles etc. They are powerful and noisy so the dog needs to be gradually habituated to it. Start by pairing the noise with treats. Do not have it too near the dog at this point. Only when your dog is not worried by the noise, progress to directing the nozzle towards his back from a distance making it an enjoyable experience paired with treats. Gradually work up to directing the nozzle on his coat. If the noise is too worrying for your dog, (some dogs are noise sensitive) try using ear mufflers on him, but remember, you will have to habituate him to these too. There are special licky mats (bath buddies) that you can use while blasting your dog.
Check nails and ears regularly. Most dogs hate having their nails clipped. If they struggle as you are about to clip a nail, it can cause a problem. Always habituate your dog to the clippers and then use the bucket game (Chirag Patel) or chin rest (instructions for this on our training and behaviour Facebook group. Be careful not to cut the quick as this is painful for the dog. Look at the back of the nail and you will see the “vein like” quick. I usually put my finder under so I am protecting the quick when cutting. Cut at an angle. If you do and it bleeds, you can use cornflower to stem the flow of blood, but your dog will certainly be more wary next time. I like these clippers. Doggy man 7 inch. They are more expensive than some but are good. 
Ensure your dog's ears are kept clean. Start with a good ear cleaner applied in the ear and clean with cotton wool. The Cooper and Gracie range is nice. If you dog has any issues with his ears, try Thornit. I have used this for years and have known it clear problem ears when all else has failed. Just a quarter of a teaspoon in each ear. Again, habituate your dog then use the bucket game or chin rest.
Join our Facebook group if you have questions or would just like to talk with like minded owners - https://www.facebook.com/groups/230713463690105
No comments:
Post a Comment