5 Grooming Tools Every German Shepherd Owner Must Have
German "Shedders" are famous for that coarse double coat that protects them from the sun, snow, sleet and rain. But they're also famous for how much of that fur they leave behind whenever they lay down, rub up against you, or just exist in general. If you haven't destroyed a vacuum trying to suck up a hairball the size of a basketball, are you even a German Shepherd owner? Today we'll discuss grooming tools that every German Shepherd owner must have. If you don't have all 5, get them. And trust me, you'll thank me later!
1: Quality nail trimmers. We talked about the fur already. Even if you're a new owner, you were probably warned about the shedding long before you got your dog. What people don't warn you about are the gigantic bear claws that leave red welts on any exposed skin on your body (and sometimes through clothes as well, if you know, you know). So number one on the list has to be a solid set of high quality, heavy duty nail trimmers. Not all nail trimmers are created equal. Poor quality steel means they'll go dull in no time and have to be sharpened. And who are we kidding? None of us knows how to sharpen nail trimmers, we just throw them away and buy a new set. So always buy high quality trimmers. They're usually not more than 2 or 3 dollars more expensive than a cheap set, and even when you pay a little extra, they still come in under $20. This set from Miller's Forge is a perfect example of a quality, sharp set of trimmers for well under $20.
2: An undercoat rake. I'm always surprised when I meet German Shepherd owners who have never heard of a undercoat rake. They use nothing but brushes that leave behind so much fur and takes so much longer. If you're one of those people, I'm about to change your whole life. You absolutely must invest in an undercoat rake. You'll remove more dead fur in 5 minutes than you could in half an hour with a regular bristle brush. When deciding on which undercoat rake to feature, I chose this double row rake. I used to use a single row, but a double row is definitely the way to go. It simply removes a bit more fur on every pass and makes life a little bit easier. A single row might be a better choice if your German Shepherd is a long coat because a double row might get tangled in their fur. But if your GSD is a standard coat, this rake can't be beat.
3: A shedding blade. This is the other tool that a lot of GSD owners don't have that they absolutely need. If you don't have a shedding blade, I'm truly impressed that you haven't been suffocated by loose dog fur yet. A little flick of your wrist and a ball of fluff magically goes flying into the wind. Before you know it, you have enough fur to fill a garbage bag. It's like magic. Here's a life hack, you use the flat side of the blade to strip water out of your dog's fur after a bath before you use a towel. It cuts down on drying time a lot. This tool is another life saver. The only reason they stay in stock is because so many people don't know how amazing they are! I use this exact tool in the link because it's so gentle on the hands. I used to use ones for horses that have two sides and a narrow handle and my hand would cramp up. This handle design really makes a huge difference.
4: A slicker brush with a comfortable handle. I see these more often and that's a good thing because owning a German Shepherd without owning a slicker brush is difficult at best. The problem with most slicker brushes is that they're cheap, and the pad often comes loose and it's not possible to fix. This particular brush has a handle shape that doesn't require as much strength to hold onto during brushing which means less hand cramps. It also has a wide head and rolled metal edges to prevent it from grabbing and shearing longer fur. That also means that if the pad ever comes loose, no problem. You can tuck it back in and clamp the metal back down with a pair of pliers. You don't even need a degree in engineering to repair it in the event something does happen. That means this slicker brush will last much longer than its competitors with plastic heads. It's a couple of bucks more expensive, but it'll last several times longer thanks to its simple design. If you've never used one before, don't dig into the skin. Light strokes are all it takes.
And this is a list of 5 grooming tools that every German Shepherd owner must have! Do you have any other recommendations for what should be on this list? If so leave a comment, and as always, we appreciate it when you leave a like and share! Thank you.
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