Here's a question from one who's never had the dogs to a groomer in her life apart for a bath once years ago. :-D

What do you do with a German Shepherd's coat, do you trim, cut, scissor, hand strip or anything else I haven't thought off.  Is there any particular parts of the coat, you would say, scissor for example, such as back of the neck?

All will be revealed soon. 

As far as I know (neighbours have a couple of GSDs) you just comb them through. No cutting of the coat at all, whatsoever, anywhere. :)

Unless they are one of those long coats with really long fluffy feathering's these may need these thinning out sand feet trimming, but a proper GSD coat needs only to be combed and brushed through and should shed dirt and wet.

Mmmmm....well, last week we were in the vets and they have a professional groomer, Oh mentioned putting the dogs in for a bath as they haven't had one for a while.   So I thought Ok, spoke to the groomer, said just wanted a bath and a groom to remove some of the dead hair, NO CUTTING whatsoever.  I'd never cut a GSD's coat, apart from feet trim, horrific thought.

Anyhow, dogs went in, came back out again and yes they looked very nice.  Smelt like a cosmetic shop too.

However, I noticed what seems to be a layering of the hair starting at the back of the neck and along the topline.  It is like a thinning out.  Exactly the same on both dogs.   Both have short coats.  Although Sheba's is softer and woolly which came about after spaying, Spender has the better coat for the breed.  The layers do sit very well and close to the body, but before I went off on one because there has been some thining out going on here (after I said No cutting), I just wondered if this was standard grooming for GSD coats? 

If they are normal coated GSD no way.

I never used to trim our GSD just used a slicker brush a comb and a saw blade :-) occassionally I would trim round the pads on her feet, but as she wasn't long haired she didn't really need this often. I do know of somebody that shaves their GSD like the horses when they have a half shave.

Well.... Spends was shaved back in 2005 for his spinal op, his coat can get wavy and curly on his hind legs.  I wouldn't say Sheba has a good coat for a GSD, too soft, woolly and masses of it.

It looks to me as though he's used a shredding blade... The top line is very sleek and Spender had a clump of hair at the base of the tail which is now sleeked giving him a look of a longer coup.  The coats do actually look well.  I just don't like the idea of blades, trims or cuts for GSD's.

Never ever cut or trimmed any of my GSDs I used to give them a bath when they started having a shed & it helped loosen the undercoat. Apart from that just normal brushing

Hi

All mine every got was a good brush but there is one near me who is shaved regulaly. He is slightly longer haired than my boy was and occaionally turns up smooth with blade marks all over him. He doesnt look attractive and I do wonder if it is just laziness on the owners part to groom him as they can take some grooming at certain times of the year

Wendy

I'm a groomer and would never clip, thin or scissor a GSD unless the owner specifically requested it. I also wouldn't clip the coat off...unless for health reasons :rolleyes: The only treatment they would get is a groom out, bath, blast, blowdry and trim feet/feathers as requested.
Angela x

Ditto Angela! Some groomers do get a bit scissor/clipper happy! :rolleyes:

:)

Well, he assures me that he didn't cut, trim or scissor anything. 

But he did use a king comb to pull out the dead undercoat.  They are in full moult.  As far as I'm aware these king combs have a blade and I did not want blades, scissors or anything that's capable of breaking hair near the coat.  It's seems it has to spelt out for some. :rolleyes:

Thankfully it's not too much and they do look good.  Still that's not the point; it's the principle.