Doing grooming yourself is a great way to bond with your German Shepherd Dog. Praise and reward your dog for being good while being groomed and many GSD’s will even learn to enjoy the entire process with practice. Here are a few more basic grooming procedures to practice with your own German Shepherd dog or puppy.

Bath Time

Barring any encounters with foul smelling stuff, German Shepherds only need baths about twice a year. While this doesn’t sound like much, you have to remember that your dogs hair is a barrier that is constantly keeping dirt out and keeping essential skin oils in.

Over bathing your dog will strip these natural oils and lead to dry skin and possibly skin issues and irritation. A dogs skin has a pH balance that is very different from humans, and as such requires a different type of shampoo to keep from disrupting that balance. When bathing your dog, remember to place cotton in their ears to prevent water from getting in the ear canal. (Water in the ear can lead to ear infections)

Nailing Those Nails

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Taking care of the basic health and grooming needs of your pet can be expensive if taken to a professional, but most of the things a professional does you can do yourself. For this example we’re using the same type of dog that I have, a German Shepherd Dog.

It’s important to remember that most unique breeds will have very different grooming and health requirements. Doing grooming yourself will cause much less stress to your dog, and in some cases they will even learn to enjoy it.

My German Shepherd looks forward to grooming (She knows that it is time for plenty of rub downs, playing, and treats.) You want to make sure you praise and reward your dog for being good while being groomed - you want to make it an experience that they look forward to.

It is true that German Shepherds have a “double coat”. This means they have that nice thick layer of outer fur that’s longer and more coarse and a softer fluffy, downy layer of fur beneath.

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If you are considering getting a new puppy or a dog, especially one of the larger dog breeds, you may want to consider getting a German Shepherd. They are one of the most popular breeds in the world, beautiful, highly intelligent, and easy to train. They are best known to many as working dogs, working with the police department, military, and as service dogs to the blind.

The average life span of a German Shepherd is about twelve years, with middle age around seven or eight years old. Generally, a puppy will be close to its adult height around ten to eighteen months of age, but it can take up to three years for a male, or two for a female, to be completely mature.

Once you have decided specifically what type of dog (such as age, sex, etc.) you are looking for and have prepared your home for the arrival of your new companion, now its time to start your search. There are many places you can find your German Shepherd puppy or dog but probably the best place to start your search is through rescue organizations.

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